''Tėvynės sargas'' (Guardian of the Fatherland) was a

Lithuanian-language Lithuanian (, ) is an East Baltic languages, East Baltic language belonging to the Baltic languages, Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the language of Lithuanians and the official language of Lithuania as well as one of t ...

periodical first established in 1896 in

Tilsit Sovetsk (; ) is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River which forms the border with Lithuania. History Early history Tilsit, which received civic rights from Albert, Duke of Prussia in 1552,''Sło ...

East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...

during the

Lithuanian press ban The Lithuanian press ban () was a ban on all Lithuanian language publications printed in the Latin alphabet, in force from 1865 to 1904, within the Russian Empire, which controlled Lithuania proper at the time. Lithuanian-language publications t ...

and the

Lithuanian National Revival The Lithuanian National Revival, alternatively the Lithuanian National Awakening or Lithuanian nationalism (), was a period of the history of Lithuania in the 19th century, when a major part of Lithuanian-inhabited areas belonged to the Russian ...

. It was published by the clergy and later by the Christian Democrats, thus it reflected and advocated for Roman Catholic ideals and values. Its motto was "All for Lithuania, Lithuania for Christ" (). With interruptions, it was published until 2000.

First magazine in 1896–1904

''Tėvynės sargas'' was first printed in January 1896 in Tilsit,

(now

Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast Sovetsk (; ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River which forms the border with Lithuania. History Early history Tilsit, which received German town law, c ...

). Its staff was based mostly in

Mosėdis Mosėdis is a small town in Samogitia, northwestern Lithuania in Klaipėda County and Skuodas district. Mosėdis is mostly known for its Rare Stones Museum. The museum and its impressive outdoor collection were started by Vaclovas Intas and have ...

(where

Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Juozas Tumas also known by the pen name Vaižgantas (20 September 1869 – 29 April 1933) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and an activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. He was a prolific writer, editor of nine periodicals, universi ...

worked as a vicar) and Kretinga Monastery (where several priests were deported due to anti-Tsarist activities). It competed with and quickly replaced more conservative '' Žemaičių ir Lietuvos apžvalga''. The magazine, 32–60 pages in length, had a circulation of about 2,000 copies and was published monthly. Because Lithuanian-language press in the Latin alphabet was banned in Lithuania (then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

), the periodical had to be smuggled across the border. ''Tėvynės sargas'' was published until May 1904 when the press ban was lifted. ''Tėvynės sargas'' wrote on patriotic topics and defended religious and cultural rights. It advocated against various

Russification Russification (), Russianisation or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians adopt Russian culture and Russian language either voluntarily or as a result of a deliberate state policy. Russification was at times ...

policies, particularly the Russian government schools, and urged resistance to

Polonization Polonization or Polonisation ()In Polish historiography, particularly pre-WWII (e.g., L. Wasilewski. As noted in Смалянчук А. Ф. (Smalyanchuk 2001) Паміж краёвасцю і нацыянальнай ідэяй. Польскі ...

and promoted the

. That presented a challenge as Catholicism was long associated with the Polish identity; the clergy needed to become less Polish without becoming less Catholic. The magazine thus criticized Catholic hierarchy, particularly in the

Diocese of Vilnius In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

, for supporting various Russification or Polonization policies. The magazine did not encourage political resistance against the Tsarist regime and in general accepted the existing social and political order. It also published more practical advice for farming and financial planning, encouraged commerce and learning a trade. It laid the ideological groundwork for the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party established in 1904. From 1898, each issue had a supplement of literary fiction, popular science, or practical advice. Its editors were Felicijonas Lelis (1896), Domininkas Tumėnas (1896–97),

(1897–1902; reassigned to he was unable to attend day-to-day needs of the magazine),

Antanas Milukas Antanas Milukas (13 June 1871 – 19 March 1943) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest, book publisher, and newspaper editor working among the Lithuanian Americans. As a student at the Sejny Priest Seminary, he was involved in the publication ...

(1902–04). Officially, Jurgis Lapinas was listed as the editor as he lived in East Prussia. Its contributors included

Jonas Basanavičius Jonas Basanavičius (, ; 23 November 1851 – 16 February 1927) was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. He participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state and is often given the informal hon ...

Jurgis Bielinis Jurgis Bielinis (16 March 1846 – 18 January 1918) was one of the main organizers of the Lithuanian book smugglers, illegal book-smuggling at the time of the Lithuanian press ban (1864–1904). Bielinis is informally referred to as the King of B ...

Kazimieras Būga Kazimieras Būga (; November 6, 1879 – December 2, 1924) was a Lithuanian linguist and philologist. He was a professor of linguistics, who mainly worked on the Lithuanian language. He was born at Pažiegė, near Dusetos, then part of the Russ ...

, Liudas Gira,

Motiejus Gustaitis Motiejus Gustaitis (27 February 1870 – 23 December 1927) was a Lithuanian Symbolist poet, who used numerous pseudonyms (among them Balandis, Bendrakelionis, Embė, G. M., K. M. G.). He was also a translator and educator, as well as a Catholic p ...

Jonas Jablonskis Jonas Jablonskis (; 30 December 1860, in Kubilėliai, Šakiai district – 23 February 1930, in Kaunas) was a distinguished Lithuanian linguist and one of the founders of the standard Lithuanian language. He used the pseudonym ''Rygiškių Jonas'' ...

Maironis Maironis (born Jonas Mačiulis, ; – 28 June 1932) was a Lithuanians, Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and the greatest and most-known Lithuanian poet, especially of the period of the Lithuanian press ban. He was called the Bard of Lithuanian Na ...

Šatrijos Ragana Šatrijos Ragana ("Witch of Šatrija") was the pen name of Marija Pečkauskaitė (; March 8, 1877 – July 24, 1930), a Lithuanian humanist and romantic writer and educator. Her most successful works are (''In the Old Estate'', 1922) and ''Irko ...

Jurgis Smolskis Jurgis Smolskis (, (Yuri Osipovich Smolski), ; 1881–1919) was a writer and socialist activist in the Rokiškis District, then part of the Russian Empire now Lithuania. As a gymnasium student in Riga and a law student at the University of St. ...

Jurgis Šaulys Jurgis Šaulys (; 5 May 1879–18 October 1948) was a Lithuanian economist, diplomat, and politician, and one of the twenty signatories to the 1918 Act of Independence of Lithuania. Šaulys attended Palanga Progymnasium and Vilnius St. J ...

Žemaitė Žemaitė (, , "Samogitian woman") was the pen name of Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė ( – 7 December 1921). She was a Lithuanian/Samogitian writer, democrat and educator. Born to impoverished gentry, she became one of the major partici ...

Revivals

In 1917–1926

The magazine was revived by the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party in 1917. It was published weekly in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

in 1917–18 and in

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

in 1920–26. It had weekly supplement ''Ūkininkas'' (Farmer; 1921–22) and monthly supplements ''Žvaigždutė'' (Little Star; 1923), ''Šeimyna'' (Family; 1923–26), ''Naujakuris'' (New Settler; 1925–26), ''Svirplys'' (Cricket; 1925–26), ''Jaunimas'' (Youth; 1925–26). It was edited and published by

Aleksandras Stulginskis Aleksandras Stulginskis (26 February 1885 – 22 September 1969) was the second President of Lithuania (1920–1926). Stulginskis was also acting President of Lithuania for a few hours later in 1926, following a military coup that was le ...

(1917–18), Stasys Tijūnaitis (1920–22), Juozas Andziulis (1922–24), Juozas Sakalauskas (1924–25), J. Dagilis (1925–26). Its noted contributors included Kazys Bizauskas, Liudas Gira,

Justinas Staugaitis Justinas Staugaitis (14 November 1866 near Šakiai – 8 July 1943, Telšiai) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic bishop, politician, educator, and author. He was one of the twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania. Biography ...

, Antanas Vileišis.

In 1947–2000

The periodical was revived again in 1947 by Lithuanian

displaced persons Forced displacement (also forced migration or forced relocation) is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR defines 'forced displaceme ...

Reutlingen Reutlingen (; ) is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous Reutlingen (district), district of Reutlingen. As of June 2018, it had an estimated population of 116,456. Reutlingen has a Reutlingen University, univ ...

and

Fellbach Fellbach () is a town on the north-east edge of Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of approximately 45.430 is the second largest town in the District Rems-Murr-Kreis. The area of the town is . Fellbach was first mention ...

, Germany. In 1950, the magazine moved to United States where it continued to be published until 1991. It was published in various cities, including Chicago, New York,

Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County, Arkansas, Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs ...

and

Euclid, Ohio Euclid is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. Located on the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is an Inner suburb, inner ring suburb of Cleveland. The population was 49,692 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the fo ...

. After Lithuania regained independence, it returned to Vilnius, Lithuania, where it was published by the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party until 2000. It was edited by Domas Jasaitis (1968–75), Petras Maldeikis (1976–83), Algirdas Jonas Kasulaitis (1984–91), Audronė Viktorija Škiudaitė (1993–2000). Its circulation was 10,000 copies in 1992 and 2,000 copies in 1996.

References

External links

Full-text archives 1896–1904

Full-text archives 1917–1926

Full-text archives 1947–1991

Full-text digital archive 1947-1991 at spauda.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tevynes Sargas Defunct newspapers published in Germany Defunct Lithuanian-language newspapers Defunct Catholic newspapers Newspapers established in 1896 Publications disestablished in 2000 1896 establishments in Germany 2000 disestablishments in Lithuania Lithuanian press ban