^{This unit was developed by Norbertas Černiauskas   Bibliography   Didactic Comments}

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Panoramic view

from the Great Courtyard of Vilnius university:
http://www.panoramas.lt/m_katalog.php?&p_id=144&lg=2  Quick Time is required!                       

If you are directed to the main page, click again on the above link.

View from a distance...

If you want to see the Church of St. Johns in the city panorama:

http://r3.sharedcopy.com/52ovee

http://r4.sharedcopy.com/4941qhj

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Panorama_Wilna.jpg

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/7552635

Tasks

1. How could you explain the fact that Vilnius University was not only scientific Alma Mater but was also distinguished for its highest bell tower of a catholic church in the panorama of other churches and the whole Vilnius city? While answering the question remember the official Latin name of Vilnius University in the 16th-18th centuries: Academia et Universitas Vilnensis Societatis Jesu.

2. What is the highest sacral building in your city or place of residence?

3. Why in many European cities the bell towers are the highest sacral buildings?

2. The teachers of Vilnius University – eminent Europeans

The most famous men of Society of Jesus, which have proclaimed the Vilnius Academy and taught the young people of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to understand the human and divine lore.

LAURYNAS MYKALOJAITIS [Lavretivs Nicolai], Norwegian, who already had a doctoral degree of theology at a time he entered the Society, a man, who won fame by his activity in tearing heresies in Belgium, Austria, Moravia, Sweden and Denmark. In Belgium he involved the famous theologian named Leonard Lesium [Leonardum Lessivm] into this activity. He was teaching the holy theology in Vilnius Academy. He had a long life and died in Vilnius in 1622, at the age of sixty.

JOKŪBAS BOSGRAVIJUS [Jacobvs Bosgravivs] an Englishman, the professor of mathematics in Vilnius Academy. In the reign of Elizabeth he was sent to his homeland England, where he had suffered a lot for the good of faith. He was sentenced to death together with Edmund Kampion, but the king of Poland Stephan interfered and rescued him from the English execution. He died in Braunsberg, Prussia.

MYKOLAS ORTIZAS [Michael Ortizivs] Spanish, doctor of the holy theology. He was sent from Spain to Transylvania to found the Kolozswar [Cluj-Napoca] college. When the Society was expelled from these places he began to teach philosophy and theology in Vilnius. In 1605 he served as a rector of the Academy. He won renown by a calibre and a discharge of the obligations of a monk. He died in Nesvyžius (Несвиж) in 1638.

From the book, which was released in 1650 in the printing house of the Vilnius University: “Miscellanea about a state of the Church in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, collected by Albertas Vijūkas-Kojelavičius, Jesuit and the doctor of the holly theology, printed in Vilnius with the permission of the chancellor and the superiors of the professor in ordinary of the holly theology in 1650 Anno Domini.“

Cited from: Albertas Vijūkas – Kojelavičius. Lietuvos istorijos įvairenybės. ­– Vilnius, 2004, p. 130-135.

Tasks

1. What can you tell about Vilnius University with a reference to the given biographies?

2. Try to give some criteria, by which the scientists of Vilnius University could be described.

3. Why had Jokūbas Bosgravijus suffered a lot for the good of faith when he returned to his homeland? What confessional processes of the 16th c. could be seen through this case?

3. Struggle for education in Vilnius at the second half of the 16th century

In 1577 catholic bishop of Vilnius V. Protasevičius obtained the document from the ruler of Poland and Lithuania Stephen Bathory, which said:

“some houses and palaces in Vilnius city are purchased in order to organize new schools there or to establish sanctuaries, or to arrange some unusual and unconventional meetings. It contradicts not just jurisdiction of Vilnius bishop who is in charge of churches and schools, but, moreover, also the royal authority. Without its approbation no new sanctuaries or schools could be established.”

Lietuvos istorijos šaltiniai. – Vilnius, 1955. T. 1, p. 240.

In order to comprehend the historical background of this document, it should be kept in mind that Vilnius bishop V. Protasevičius was the person who had invited the Jesuits to Lithuania. And at the time, Vilnius voivode Radvila Rudasis supported Calvinists; he had established Calvinist community with a school, church and library in his house. There were even more Evangelic Reformats who were concerned about establishment of schools and even college in Vilnius.

Tasks

1. Why was catholic bishop of Vilnius against the establishment of new schools without his permission or permission of the head of the state?

 2. Why at the second half of the 16th century Catholics, Reformats, and other confessions were so much concerned with the issues of schools and education?

4. Status of the teacher in 16^th c. in Vilnius

About the rating of the teacher and the punishment for that (VILNIUS, 1560 09 17)

In 1560 the 17^th of September Tomas Žovkovskis himself was standing in front of me, the vicegerent of Vilnius Stanislovas Hamšėjus and confessed publicly and also proclaimed loudly: “Sir Martynas Grajevskis, the bachelor [the teacher] of his grace the voivoda of Vilnius put me to prison, because I had rated him when I was drunk. Today I say, that sir Martynas is a true gentleman and I do not remember what I have said when I was drunk. And in the future, if his grace will hear me drunken in a tavern or sober talking scandal about him, his grace will have a right to punish me, and I and my friends would not be able to oppose him”.

Cited from: Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės kasdienis gyvenimas. Lietuvos istorijos skaitinių chrestomatija / Sudarė ir parengė A. Baliulis, E. Meilus. – Vilnius: Dailės Akademijos leidykla, 2001, p. 797. 

[The daily life of the Great Duchy of Lithuania. The sampler of readings of the Lithuanian history / Composed and prepared by A. Baliulis, E. Meilus]

Tasks

1. What could you tell about the status of a teacher in Vilnius in the 16th century?

2. What is similar between the contemporary and the 16th century teacher and how do they differ?