The perception of the liquidation the Stefan Báthory University in Vilnius in the contemporary local press

Abstract

The liquidation of the Stefan Báthory University in Vilnius after its occupation by Soviet troops in 1939 was a process. The Soviets destroyed what they could materially, but they decided to give Vilnius itself to the Lithuanians for a while. Lithuania, believing in its unique position, sought "historical justice", i.e. the liquidation of the Polishness of Vilnius and the Vilnius region. A particularly important goal was the liquidation of the University; a most important Polish centre of science and culture. This process caused quite a stir in the city and was reflected in the local press. So how did the Polish press present this process? What issues were of particular importance, and to what extent it is possible, thanks to the preserved source material, to recreate the process of destruction of the Polish university by the new Lithuanian authorities. With their actions, the Lithuanians prepared the ground for the Soviets, who soon occupied the entire Lithuania.