Zenonas Ivinskis
Encyclopedia
Zenonas Ivinskis was a noted Lithuania
n historian.
and Plungė
gymnasiums. In 1925 he entered the University of Lithuania to study philosophy, but later changed the subject to history. In 1929, Ivinskis received a grant to continue his studies in Germany. There, under the direction of prof. Albert Brackmann, he received a Ph.D. for his thesis Geschichte des Bauerstandes in Litauen (History of the Conditions of Lithuanian Farmers) in 1932. In 1933 in Gdansk
he was habilitated
for his work Lietuvių ir prūsų prekybiniai santykiai pirmojoje XVI a. pusėje (Lithuanian and Prussian trade in the first half of the 16th century).
After returning to Lithuania he was drafted into the army. During his free time, he gave lectures at the Vytautas Magnus University
and in 1940 became an extraordinary professor. In that year he was invited to work at the Vilnius University
. He served as the dean of Faculty of Theology–Philosophy at the Vytautas Magnus University from 1941 to 1942. For his active public defense of university autonomy, the Nazis listed him among other prominent public figures to be transferred to Stutthof concentration camp
. Ivinskis was saved from death because he was ill, and was hospitalized for half a year.
in Lithuanian and Polish
history and was appointed as a full time professor. While living in Germany he often traveled to Rome
, and conducted research at the Vatican archives. Ivinskis contributed to the Lithuanian encyclopedias
published in Boston.
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 historian.
Education
Ivinskis studied at TelšiaiTelšiai
Telšiai , is a city in Lithuania with about 35,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on Lake Mastis.-Names:...
and Plungė
Plunge
Plungė is a city in Lithuania with 23,246 inhabitants. It has a crab stick factory which exports to many countries in Europe.Before World War II, Plunge had a large Jewish population.- History :...
gymnasiums. In 1925 he entered the University of Lithuania to study philosophy, but later changed the subject to history. In 1929, Ivinskis received a grant to continue his studies in Germany. There, under the direction of prof. Albert Brackmann, he received a Ph.D. for his thesis Geschichte des Bauerstandes in Litauen (History of the Conditions of Lithuanian Farmers) in 1932. In 1933 in Gdansk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
he was habilitated
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
for his work Lietuvių ir prūsų prekybiniai santykiai pirmojoje XVI a. pusėje (Lithuanian and Prussian trade in the first half of the 16th century).
After returning to Lithuania he was drafted into the army. During his free time, he gave lectures at the Vytautas Magnus University
Vytautas Magnus University
Vytautas Magnus University ) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the interwar period as an alternate national university...
and in 1940 became an extraordinary professor. In that year he was invited to work at the Vilnius University
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
. He served as the dean of Faculty of Theology–Philosophy at the Vytautas Magnus University from 1941 to 1942. For his active public defense of university autonomy, the Nazis listed him among other prominent public figures to be transferred to 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...
. Ivinskis was saved from death because he was ill, and was hospitalized for half a year.
Emigration
In 1944, Ivinskis retreated to the West. Unlike most other Lithuanian refugees, he did not emigrate to the United States and chose to live in Germany. He gave lectures as Gastprofessor at Baltisches Forchungsinstitut in Bonn, and from 1963 taught the history of Eastern Europe at Bonn University. The next year he received his second habilitationHabilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
in Lithuanian and Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
history and was appointed as a full time professor. While living in Germany he often traveled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and conducted research at the Vatican archives. Ivinskis contributed to the Lithuanian encyclopedias
Lithuanian encyclopedias
Lithuanian encyclopedias are encyclopedias published in the Lithuanian language or encyclopedias about Lithuania and Lithuania-related topics. The first known attempt to create a Lithuanian encyclopedia was in 1883, when Jonas Jacevičius failed to get permission from the Tsarist authorities for...
published in Boston.
Important works
- Geschichte des Bauerstandes in Litauen, Berlin 1933
- Lietuvių ir prūsų prekybiniai santykiai pirmojoje XVI a. pusėje (Lithuanian and Prussian trade in the first half of 16th century), 1933
- Šv. Kazimieras (Saint Casimir), 1955
- Vyskupas Merkelis Giedraitis ir jo laikų Lietuva (bishop Merkelis Giedraitis and Lithuanian of his time, manuscript based on research in Vatican archive
- Lietuvos istorija (iki Vytauto Didžiojo mirties) (History of Lithuania (until death of Vytautas the Great)), Rome 1978