Petras Kraujalis (8 July 1882 – 14 August 1933) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest, editor, and publicist who was active in Vilnius Region.

Biography

Petras Kraujelis studied at

Mitau Gymnasium Jelgava Gymnasium or Academia Petrina is the oldest higher educational establishment in Latvia. Based on an idea by , it was established in Mitau, capital of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, by Duke Peter von Biron in 1775. The duke wanted t ...

, but was expelled for not attending the Eastern Orthodox religious service. In 1908, he graduated from the Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy. He was ordained as a priest in 1907. After the graduation, he became a vicar of the

Church of All Saints, Vilnius 200px, All Saints Church All Saints Church ( lt, Visų Šventųjų bažnyčia, pl, Kościół Wszystkich Świętych, address: Rūdninkų St. 20/1) is a Baroque-style church in Vilnius, Lithuania. All Saints church was built between 1620 and 1630 a ...

. In 1911, he was briefly reassigned as a vicar of the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Trakai. In 1912, he returned to Vilnius and became pastor of the parish of the Church of Saint Nicholas, Vilnius as well as a professor at Vilnius Priest Seminary. In 1911–1914, he edited Lithuanian newspaper ''

Aušra ''Aušra'' or ''Auszra'' (literally: ''dawn'') was the first national Lithuanian newspaper. The first issue was published in 1883, in Ragnit, East Prussia, Germany (newspaper credited it as lt, Ragainė) East Prussia's ethnolinguistic part - ...

'' (''The Dawn''). After 1920, he edited ''Lietuvos kelias'' (''The Road of Lithuania''), ' (''The Sound of Vilnius''), ' (''The Sound''), ' (''The Bell of Vilnius''). He also published articles in other Lithuanian newspapers and magazines. By his initiative on 28–30 December 1922, a congress of the teachers of the primary schools of Lithuania was convened. In 1922–1933, he was the chairman of the

Lithuanian Education Society Rytas The Lithuanian Education Society Rytas ( lt, Lietuvių švietimo draugija „Rytas“; "rytas" means ''morning'' or ''dawn'') was a Roman Catholic society fostering education in the Lithuanian language mostly in the Vilnius Region, then fiercely co ...

. He was an active member of the

Lithuanian Scientific Society The Lithuanian Scientific Society ( lt, Lietuvių mokslo draugija) was a scientific, cultural, and educational organization that was active between 1907 and 1940 in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was founded in 1907 on the initiative of Jonas Basanavič ...

Society of Saint Casimir for the Education and Care of Young People The Society of Saint Casimir for the Education and Care of Young People ( lt, Lietuvių šv. Kazimiero draugija jaunimui auklėti ir globoti, pl, Litewskie Towarzystwo Wychowawcze i Opieki nad Młodzieżą im. Św. Kazimierza) was a society of the ...

, and

Lithuanian Society for the Relief of War Sufferers The Lithuanian Society for the Relief of War Sufferers ( lt, Lietuvių draugija nukentėjusiems dėl karo šelpti) was a Lithuanian charity organization that was active from 1914 to 1918. It was founded by various Lithuanian political figures as ...

. In 1932–1933, was vice-chairman of the . In 1930–1931, he taught Lithuanian language at Vilnius University. Kraujalis actively resisted Polonization of the Vilnius region and closure of Lithuanian-language schools. He was several times detained by the Polish administration and imprisoned in the Vilnius' jail.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kraujalis, Petras 1882 births 1933 deaths Lithuanian newspaper editors 20th-century Lithuanian educators 20th-century Lithuanian Roman Catholic priests Burials at Saulė Cemetery