An article in the journal Wieści z Polski describing the history of the establishment and development of Vilnius University. This academy, founded by Stefan Batory in 1579, hosted prominent figures from Polish history and culture, including Piotr Skarga (the first rector), Jan Śniadecki, Tadeusz Czacki. A. Mickiewicz, among others, also studied there (Source: "Wieści z Polski", Warsaw 1929, R: 2, no. 12, pp. 25-27, after: Jagiellonian Digital Library).

A modernised reading of the text

Vilnius University

When the Republic of Poland found itself in possession of large areas of the Lithuanian-Ruthenian lands, and the Polish kings decided to take lasting and caring care of them, there arose the necessity of creating a cultural and educational centre in the north-east that would bring the light of Western European culture to these dark and often semi-arid regions. This was the most appropriate way to firmly unite these lands with the rest of the motherland. One of the wisest Polish kings, Stefan Batory, understood this.

Wishing to give his country a strong rule in the East, he decided to secure its permanence not only by force of arms. While smashing the greedy Tsar Ivan the Terrible with his terrible sword at Smolensk, Novgorod, Pskov or the Great Arches, he did not forget to erect the strongest fortress in the heart of the Lithuanian-Ruthenian provinces in the Gediminas' Vilnius, the strongest stronghold likely to defend the Polish possession from the enemy.

It was a fortress without cannons, without fortress ramparts and moats, yet always victorious, always confident in its strength and durability. It brought the light of Polish culture to the provinces most in need of it, and brought education and a love of science, soon becoming a valuable source of moral and intellectual values for the country. This fortress was the Vilnius Academy, founded by Stefan Batory in 1579, i.e. 350 years ago. It was headed by the most eminent Jesuits, for among other orders, they were the ones who developed the most vibrant educational activity in all European countries, while the Batory Academy was a Jesuit college transformed into a university.

The first rector of the newly established academy was the famous Polish Jesuit preacher Father Piotr Skarga. A man of great knowledge, a fervent patriot and an impeccable priest, he immediately raised the importance of the Academy with the solemnity of his name, which began to gather the intellectual elite of the entire country within its walls. When King Sigismund III appointed Skarga to the post of court preacher - the rule over the Academy was taken over by another eminent Jesuit, Father Jakób Wujek, known with honour to the widest spheres of Catholic society as a translator of the Holy Scriptures.

The development of the academy was halted in the second half of the 17th century by the wars with Sweden and Moscow, and when the level of intellectual life in the whole country began to deteriorate with ever increasing domestic unrest, the gradual decline of the Vilnius academy began. It was not until the end of the 18th century that it was rescued by the Education Commission, which reformed all national schools. At that time, the lands of the Commonwealth of Poland were divided into nine educational districts, and authority over all schools was given to two academies, known as the Main Schools, in Kraków and Vilnius.

The reformed Main School of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was headed by the eminent astronomer Martin Poczobut. After the last partition of Poland, already under Muscovite rule, at the end of the 18th century, the Main School acquired three leading scientific forces: Jędrzej Śniadecki, a world-renowned chemist and naturalist, Franciszek Smuglewicz, a famous painter of the time, and Stanisław Junił, a professor of botany. A truly brilliant development begins with the Vilnius Main School, now transformed into a University, under the rule of Duke Adam Czartoryski, who will be given the dignity of superintendent in the then established Vilnius scientific district and will take over the supervision of both the University and all the schools subordinate to it.

The Vilnius scientific district consisted of the governorates of Vilnius, Kaunas, Grodno, Minsk, Vitebsk, Mogilev, Kyiv, Podolia and Volhynia. Within these vast expanses of the state, all schools were placed under the direct management of the University. In this way, the establishment was able to hold the main threads of education in its hands; it appointed headmasters, prefects, professors, laid out programmes, and sent visiting scholars on its behalf. With such an enormous sphere of power and influence, the university became the highest institution of both science and education, creating a uniform system of public education throughout the Lithuanian-Ruthenian lands.

With the appointment of the eminent astronomer and mathematician Jan Śniadecki as Rector and Tadeusz Czacki as School Superintendent, the University's educational activities became more and more active, and Lithuania and Ruthenia were covered by a dense network of schools with establishments such as the famous Lyceum in Krzemieniec, the Podolia School in Vinnitsa, or the Gymnasium in Svisloch. Under Czartoryski's curatorship, Vilnius University will be staffed with the most experienced scholars, and will begin to enjoy the well-deserved reputation of Poland's best university, as the Kraków academy was then lagging far behind.

Among the most eminent alumni of this University were many famous Poles, sometimes famous both at home and abroad. In 1815, Szymon Malewski, the long-serving secretary of the University, became Rector after Jan Śniadecki. This period is perhaps the most beautiful in the annals of the University, as it was then that Adam Mickiewicz began his studies at the University.

At that time, the University of Vilnius had among its lecturers several extremely eminent professors, to whom our later national bard would owe a great deal. Three scholars enjoyed the greatest recognition and respect from the poet and the whole youth: Ernest Groddeck, professor of Greek and Roman language and literature, Leon Borowski, with the chair of Polish literature entrusted to him, and Joachim Lelewel, professor of history. The latter was a great friend of the youth, and with his vast historical knowledge and captivating gift of eloquence in his lectures, he soon became the most popular and best-loved force among the young.

The figure of Lelewel, firmly entwined with the history of the University, will allow us to penetrate precisely the atmosphere of the life of the Vilnius University. This must have been a special atmosphere if there was a great and sincere enthusiasm for learning among the students of Vilnius, unparalleled at any other university. As they entered the University, the young people, awakened to the intellectual life by their enlightened leaders, increasingly began to impose on themselves tasks and responsibilities far beyond the framework of ordinary scientific studies.

Condemned to inactivity in political life, faced with the tragic fate of a country in slavery, and deprived of the possibility of directly influencing the course of events, they had only one area in which they could move freely without feeling the oppression of slavery - and that was the field of science. This is why all the bolder minds, all the brighter heads of Vilnius youth, taking advantage of the wide autonomy and freedoms at the University, defended by the enlightened Superintendent of the University, Duke A. Czartoryski, turned to their studies with truly youthful enthusiasm, working feverishly and without rest.

There was no such race for work, no such zeal in cultivating the ideal of knowledge anywhere in Poland at that time. For the time being, this was the only way to save the country: to give it as many enlightened people as possible, with bold and broad-minded ideas. The youth understood such a calling early on, since as early as 1805 a society of science lovers, known as "philomates" in Greek, was founded. Joachim Lelewel, soon to become a history professor, was a member of this society while still a student.

The actual period of development of academic societies in Vilnius, however, came later, when Adam Mickiewicz and a group of his friends led by Zan were educated at the University. At that time, the temporarily defunct Philomath Society was re-established, headed by Zan and Mickiewicz. A new beautiful page opened for Vilnius University, as no other university in Europe could boast an organisation of young people with such beautiful ideological foundations as the Philomaths. Three slogans are binding this union: Fatherland, science, virtue.

Deeply in awe of the highest moral ideals, it was decided to educate its own heart, to perfect its own mind, in order to spread the light of knowledge throughout the country, and to lead the nation to a bolder, stronger life. For the time being, there was no slogan of an armed struggle for independence, but the idea of independence was, from the very beginning of the organisation's existence, the only sun in which the focused, conscientious youth in their daily academic work gazed with a beating hot heart. For the time being, seeing darkness and obscurantism all around, they went forward with the motto: through knowledge to spiritual rebirth and freedom.

When the Philomaths, outside their own organisation, consisting of a small handful of elected members, began to form other increasingly new associations, embracing both university and secondary school students, the Russian government decided to destroy all youth organisations, and to severely punish the main leaders. Senator Novosilcov, delegated by St Petersburg, launches an investigation with Asiatic ferocity. Mass arrests and the famous trial of the youth followed, ending with the breaking up of all youth associations and a court verdict sentencing a number of the most prominent youth to prison or exile deep into Russia.

As a result of the trial, Adam Mickiewicz was forced to leave his beloved Lithuania and go into exile deep into Russia, and later left for western Europe, never to see his homeland again. After the Novosilcov trial, the university found itself in increasingly poor conditions. The university's autonomy was squeezed and the students were placed under police protection. Despite this, the University still stands high academically. The catastrophe of the November Uprising put an end to the institution, after the fall of which, for the crowded participation of students in the revolution, it was closed down.

In 1832, a medical academy was created from the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University, and a clerical academy from the Faculty of Theology. This was the last period of the Batory Academy, which, so severely diminished in its activities, could only with great difficulty maintain the former excellent traditions of the university. The persecutions that were then heaped upon the whole nation did not augur well for the long existence of the academy. The University once again shone with its former glory during the rectorship of its last great head, Józef Mianowski. In 1842, the Russian government closed down the academy and all scientific institutions in Vilnius, confiscating all collections, offices and libraries for the benefit of Russian universities.

In spite of its short life, the University of Vilnius during the twenty years of the 19th century brought up a very large number of famous and great people, enough to mention Mickiewicz, Slowacki, Kraszewski, the two Modzi brothers, Odyniec, Pol and many others, not only poets and writers, but also historians, mathematicians, doctors and artists. When, with the restoration of independence, our state found itself again in possession of part of our former Lithuanian-Ruthenian lands, Vilnius University was re-established. Last year just so happens to be the 350th anniversary of the founding of this university, and at the same time we are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its resurrection.

Today, just as in the days of Batory, it fulfils the same honourable role of being a stronghold of Polish science and culture on our eastern frontiers, a fortress without arms, which has to resist foreign pressure, beaming all around with the strength of its thought, the seriousness of its science and the greatness of its beautiful traditions. Looking at the civilisational role of the Vilnius university, at the great cultural possibilities it has before it as the last redoubt of Polishness, the furthest removed from the mysterious, dangerous east, the words of Kołłątaj come irresistibly to mind:

"If the light had not shone in Vilnius, it might have been extinguished for the Poles and their speech".