Vladas Jurgutis
Encyclopedia
Vladas Jurgutis was a Lithuania
n priest, economist, and professor. As the first chairman of the Bank of Lithuania
he is unofficially considered to be the "father of the Lithuanian litas
."
. After graduation in 1906 he continued his studies at the Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy
and received a Master's Degree in 1910. From 1910 to 1913 he studied economics at Munich University. In 1913 he served as a priest in Švėkšna
and later in Liepāja
. During World War I
Jurgutis retreated to Russia, where he worked as a pastor in Saratov
and Astrakhan
. Upon his return to Lithuania, he worked at the Kaunas Priest Seminary until 1922. Jurgutis became active in Lithuanian politics, but never officially quit the priesthood.
Jurgutis was one of the initiators of the revival of the Lithuanian Christian Democrats
. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania
(1920–1922) and headed a Finance and Budget Committee. From January 1, 1922 to September 28, 1922 Jurgutis served as the Foreign Minister of Lithuania in the Cabinet of Ernestas Galvanauskas
. He resigned to become the first chairman of the Bank of Lithuania
. He served in this position until 1929. From 1925 he taught at the University of Lithuania, from 1940 at the University of Vilnius. Jurgutis was the President of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences
from 1941 to 1943, when he, along with other prominent public figures, was arrested and transported to the Stutthof concentration camp
by the Nazi authorities. He returned to Lithuania in 1945 and retired from public life.
In 1997 the Bank of Lithuania
established Vladas Jurgutis scholarship and Vladas Jurgutis Award
to encourage scientific activities in the area of research on Lithuania‘s banking, finance, money and macroeconomics.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n priest, economist, and professor. As the first chairman of the Bank of Lithuania
Bank of Lithuania
The Bank of Lithuania is the central bank of the Republic of Lithuania. The Bank of Lithuania is a non-Eurozone member of the European System of Central Banks...
he is unofficially considered to be the "father of the Lithuanian litas
Lithuanian litas
The Lithuanian litas is the currency of Lithuania. It is divided into 100 centų...
."
Biography
In 1902 Jurgutis graduated from a high school in Palanga and enrolled in the Kaunas Priest SeminaryKaunas Priest Seminary
Kaunas Priest Seminary is the largest seminary in Lithuania serving the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas. It is part of the Faculty of Theology of Vytautas Magnus University. Its current rector is Aurelijus Žukauskas. As of 2007, the seminary had 35 students...
. After graduation in 1906 he continued his studies at the Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy
Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy
The Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy was an institution of higher education preparing Roman Catholic theologians in the Russian Empire. The Academy granted master's and doctorate degrees in theology and was designed to prepare officers for senior positions in the Catholic Church...
and received a Master's Degree in 1910. From 1910 to 1913 he studied economics at Munich University. In 1913 he served as a priest in Švėkšna
Švekšna
Švėkšna is a town in the Šilutė District municipality, 21 km northeast of Šilutė It is the administrative center of Švėkšna elderate. There are 29 streets in the town...
and later in Liepāja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Jurgutis retreated to Russia, where he worked as a pastor in Saratov
Saratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
and Astrakhan
Astrakhan
Astrakhan is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on the left bank of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of below the sea level. Population:...
. Upon his return to Lithuania, he worked at the Kaunas Priest Seminary until 1922. Jurgutis became active in Lithuanian politics, but never officially quit the priesthood.
Jurgutis was one of the initiators of the revival of the Lithuanian Christian Democrats
Lithuanian Christian Democrats
The Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD was a Christian-democratic political party in Lithuania. Originally established in 1905, it was closely associated with the Roman Catholic Church...
. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania
Constituent Assembly of Lithuania
The Constituent Assembly of Lithuania was democratically elected in 1920 to draft and adopt the 1922 constitution of Lithuania.- Historical background :...
(1920–1922) and headed a Finance and Budget Committee. From January 1, 1922 to September 28, 1922 Jurgutis served as the Foreign Minister of Lithuania in the Cabinet of Ernestas Galvanauskas
Ernestas Galvanauskas
Ernestas Galvanauskas was a Lithuanian engineer, politician and one the founders of the Lithuanian Peasants' Union...
. He resigned to become the first chairman of the Bank of Lithuania
Bank of Lithuania
The Bank of Lithuania is the central bank of the Republic of Lithuania. The Bank of Lithuania is a non-Eurozone member of the European System of Central Banks...
. He served in this position until 1929. From 1925 he taught at the University of Lithuania, from 1940 at the University of Vilnius. Jurgutis was the President of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences
Lithuanian Academy of Sciences
The Lithuanian Academy of Sciences or LAS, founded in 1941 as the Lithuanian SSR Academy of Sciences , as an autonomous, state-subsidized establishment serving as a scientific advisory body to the government of Lithuanian SSR...
from 1941 to 1943, when he, along with other prominent public figures, was arrested and transported to the Stutthof concentration camp
Stutthof concentration camp
Stutthof was the first Nazi concentration camp built outside of 1937 German borders.Completed on September 2, 1939, it was located in a secluded, wet, and wooded area west of the small town of Sztutowo . The town is located in the former territory of the Free City of Danzig, 34 km east of...
by the Nazi authorities. He returned to Lithuania in 1945 and retired from public life.
In 1997 the Bank of Lithuania
Bank of Lithuania
The Bank of Lithuania is the central bank of the Republic of Lithuania. The Bank of Lithuania is a non-Eurozone member of the European System of Central Banks...
established Vladas Jurgutis scholarship and Vladas Jurgutis Award
Vladas Jurgutis Award
Vladas Jurgutis Award is a prestigious economic award, once a year granted by the Bank of Lithuania and Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. The aim of the Award is to encourage scientific activities in the area of research on Lithuania‘s banking, finance, money and macroeconomics...
to encourage scientific activities in the area of research on Lithuania‘s banking, finance, money and macroeconomics.