Vytautas Landsbergis
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Vytautas Landsbergis (born 18 October 1932) is a Lithuanian politician and former
Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
. He was the first Speaker of Reconstituent Seimas of Lithuania after its independence declaration from the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. He has written 20 books on a variety of topics, including a biography of
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis ( pl, Mikołaj Konstanty Czurlanis – ) was a Lithuanian painter, composer and writer. Čiurlionis contributed to symbolism and art nouveau, and was representative of the fin de siècle epoch. He has been ...
, as well as works on politics and music. He is a founding signatory of the
Prague Declaration The Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism was a declaration which was initiated by the Czech government and signed on 3 June 2008 by prominent European politicians, former political prisoners and historians, among them former ...
, and a member of the international advisory council of the
Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) is a non-profit anti-communist organization in the United States, authorized by a unanimous Act of Congress in 1993 for the purpose of "educating Americans about the ideology, history and legacy ...
.


Biography

Vytautas Landsbergis was born in
Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
, Lithuania. His father was the architect
Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis (10 March 1893 – 21 May 1993) was a Lithuanian architect most active in interwar Lithuania (1926–1939). He was the father of Vytautas Landsbergis, the first Lithuanian head of state after independence from th ...
. His mother,
ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...
Dr. Ona Jablonskytė-Landsbergienė, in 1944 sheltered a Jewish teenager in the family home, for which she was awarded the title of a
Righteous Among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( he, חֲסִידֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, ; "righteous (plural) of the world's nations") is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to sav ...
by Israel. In 1952 he placed third in the
Lithuanian chess championship The first unofficial Lithuanian Chess Championship was held in Kaunas (Temporary capital of Lithuania) in 1921. The Champion's title was granted after victorious or drawn match between previous champion and challenger, mostly a winner of Championshi ...
, after
Ratmir Kholmov Ratmir Dmitrievich Kholmov ( Russian: Ратмир Дмитриевич Холмов) (13 May 1925 in Shenkursk – 18 February 2006 in Moscow) was a Russian chess Grandmaster. He won many international tournaments in Eastern Europe during his ...
and
Vladas Mikėnas Vladas Mikėnas (17 April 1910 – 3 November 1992) was a Lithuanian chess player and journalist. He was awarded the titles of International Master and Honorary Grandmaster by FIDE. Early career Vladas Mikėnas played for Lithuania at first b ...
. In 1955, he graduated from the Lithuanian Conservatory of Music (now
Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius, Lithuania, is a state-supported conservatory that trains students in music, theatre, and multimedia arts. History Composer Juozas Naujalis founded a music school in 1919 in Kaunas. This ...
). In 1969, he wrote his thesis for his PhD degree. In 1978, he became a professor at the
Lithuanian Conservatory The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius, Lithuania, is a state-supported conservatory that trains students in music, theatre, and multimedia arts. History Composer Juozas Naujalis founded a music school in 1919 in Kaunas. This ...
. From 1978 to 1990, he was a professor at both the
Lithuanian Conservatory The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius, Lithuania, is a state-supported conservatory that trains students in music, theatre, and multimedia arts. History Composer Juozas Naujalis founded a music school in 1919 in Kaunas. This ...
and the
Vilnius Pedagogical University Vytautas Magnus University Education Academy ( lt, Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto Švietimo akademija or VDU ŠA) – an academical unit of Vytautas Magnus University, which specialized in preparing school teachers and other educators. Located i ...
. In 1994, he wrote a thesis for his doctor habilitus degree.


Family

Landsbergis was married to Gražina Ručytė-Landsbergienė (born 28 January 1930- died 13 March 2020 ), who was a well-known Lithuanian pianist and associate Professor of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. His daughters Jūratė and Birutė are also musicians. His son,
Vytautas Vytautas (c. 135027 October 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian: ', be, Вітаўт, ''Vitaŭt'', pl, Witold Kiejstutowicz, ''Witold Aleksander'' or ''Witold Wielki'' Ruthenian: ''Vitovt'', Latin: ''Alexander Vitoldus'', O ...
, is a well-known Lithuanian writer and film director. His grandson
Gabrielius Landsbergis Gabrielius Landsbergis (born 7 January 1982 in Vilnius) is a Lithuanian politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 18th Government of the Republic of Lithuania led by the Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė. He is a Member of the Seimas for C ...
(b. 1982) is the current leader of the conservative party, a member of Lithuanian Parliament and
Foreign Minister of Lithuania The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos užsienio reikalų ministerija) is a governmental body of the Lithuania, Republic of Lithuania that shapes the national policy, and organises, coordinates, and ...
.


Political career

Landsbergis entered politics, in 1988, as one of the founders of
Sąjūdis Sąjūdis (, "Movement"), initially known as the Reform Movement of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Persitvarkymo Sąjūdis), is the political organisation which led the struggle for Lithuanian independence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was es ...
, the Lithuanian pro-independence political movement. In 1989 elections to the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union, Landsbergis was elected as one of the People's Deputies from Lithuanian SSR. After Sąjūdis' victory in the 1990 elections, he became the Chairman of the
Supreme Council of Lithuania Supreme may refer to: Entertainment * Supreme (character), a comic book superhero * ''Supreme'' (film), a 2016 Telugu film * Supreme (producer), hip-hop record producer * "Supreme" (song), a 2000 song by Robbie Williams * The Supremes, Motown-e ...
. On 11 March 1990, he headed the Parliamentary session during which the restoration of Lithuanian independence from the Soviet Union was declared. Lithuania became the first Soviet Republic to do so. According to the Temporary Primary Law (''de facto'' temporary Constitution, until the permanent Constitution comes to power) of Lithuania, Landsbergis was both: the highest officer of State and the Speaker of the Parliament. He held this post from March 1990 until the next elections in November 1992. The Soviet Union attempted to stifle this activity by economic blockade in 1990, but it failed, and other Soviet Republics soon followed suit and declared their independence from Moscow, as well. He was also extremely dubious of the view that
Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
was trying to liberalize the Soviet Union and that Lithuania should not prevent him from doing so. Landsbergis also played a crucial role during the confrontation between the Lithuanian independence movement and Soviet armed forces in January 1991. Iceland was the first state that officially recognized the restoration of Lithuanian independence; Landsbergis was somewhat critical of certain Western powers (such as the United States and United Kingdom) for not showing enough support in Lithuania's bid to restore its independence after more than 40 years of
Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into two different ...
, although he did accept the recommendation from his government that the newly independent Lithuania immediately seek to establish full diplomatic relations with the UK and US. In 1993, Landsbergis led much of Sąjūdis into a new political party, the
Homeland Union The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats ( lt, Tėvynės sąjunga Lietuvos krikščionys demokratai, TS–LKD), also known colloquially simply as the Conservatives, is a centre-right political party in Lithuania. It has 18,000 mem ...
(''Tėvynės Sąjunga''). It gained a landslide victory in the 1996 parliamentary elections. Landsbergis served as Speaker of the
Seimas The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas), or simply the Seimas (), is the unicameral parliament of Lithuania. The Seimas constitutes the legislative branch of government in Lithuania, enacting laws and amendmen ...
from 1996 until 2000. He ran, although unsuccessfully, for president in 1997 (coming up the third after receiving 15.9% of the votes). During the runoff, he supported
Valdas Adamkus Valdas Adamkus (; born Voldemaras Adamkavičius; 3 November 1926) is a Lithuanian-American politician, diplomat and civil engineer. He served as the 5th and 7th President of Lithuania from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009. Adamkus' ...
, who had finished second in the first round. Adamkus eventually became president. In 2004, Landsbergis was elected by Lithuanian voters to the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
in Brussels (the total number of MEPs from Lithuania in Brussels was 13), and has been returned at every election until 2014. In 2005, Landsbergis became an international patron of the newly formed
Henry Jackson Society The Henry Jackson Society (HJS) is a trans-Atlantic foreign policy and national security think tank, based in the United Kingdom. While describing itself as non-partisan, its outlook has been described variously as neoliberal and as neoconser ...
. Since 2015 Landsbergis is together with Roswitha Fessler-Ketteler, MEP
Heidi Hautala Heidi Anneli Hautala (born 14 November 1955) is a Finnish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland. She is a member of the Green League, part of the European Green Party. She is currently a Member of the European Parl ...
, Aleksi Malmberg and Frank Schwalba-Hoth member of the advisory board of the Caucasian Chamber Orchestra association and its German "Förderverein".


Attempt to ban Communist and Nazi insignia

In January 2005, Landsbergis, backed by Member of the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
from Hungary Jozsef Szajer, urged that Communist symbols be banned in the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, in addition to
Nazi symbols The 20th-century German Nazi Party made extensive use of graphic symbols, especially the ''Swastika#Use in Nazism, swastika'', notably in the form of the swastika flag, which became the co-national flag of Nazi Germany in 1933, and the sole na ...
. He also sent a letter to
Franco Frattini Franco Frattini (14 March 1957 – 24 December 2022) was an Italian politician and magistrate. From January to December 2022, Frattini served as president of the Council of State. Frattini previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from ...
, the European Commissioner of Justice and Internal Affairs, suggesting that in case the EU decides to ban
Nazi symbols The 20th-century German Nazi Party made extensive use of graphic symbols, especially the ''Swastika#Use in Nazism, swastika'', notably in the form of the swastika flag, which became the co-national flag of Nazi Germany in 1933, and the sole na ...
, Communist symbols should be banned too. The Commissioner became interested in this proposal and said: ''I am ready to join this discussion. The Communist dictatorships no less than the Nazi ones are responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people''. A bit later, however, the Commissioner decided that he would not attempt to ban any symbols, as there was no agreement as to which symbols should be banned. Landsbergis's proposal caused quite a stir in Italy, where leftists strongly protested such a move. The Communist Refoundation Party and
Party of Italian Communists The Party of Italian Communists ( it, Partito dei Comunisti Italiani, PdCI) was a communist party in Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located i ...
were outraged at the proposal. It became the center of Italian media's attention. One of the most influential Italian dailies, ''La Repubblica'', published an interview with Landsbergis outlining his proposal. It was the first time the daily allocated a full page to a politician from Lithuania. Landsbergis's proposal found few supporters among Italian politicians. One was
Alessandra Mussolini Alessandra is a female given name of Italian origin, meaning ''defender of men''. It is the Italian form of the female given name Alexandra and the female form of the male given name Alessandro. Alessandra may refer to: * Alessandra Ambrosio (bo ...
, a granddaughter of former Italian fascist dictator
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
, who commented: "To implement the proposal of the Members of the European Parliament regarding Communist symbols is our moral duty". Landsbergis's proposal was opposed by the Russian Parliament as well. The First Vicespeaker of the Russian
State Duma The State Duma (russian: Госуда́рственная ду́ма, r=Gosudárstvennaja dúma), commonly abbreviated in Russian as Gosduma ( rus, Госду́ма), is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, while the upper house ...
called the proposal "abnormal". Another Russian MP, a communist, commented that "somebody in Europe became insolent and forgot who saved them from the fascists". The debate came to an end when, in the beginning of February 2005, the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
rejected calls for a proposed Europe-wide ban on Nazi symbols to be extended to cover Communist Party symbols as well. Frattini said it would not be appropriate to include the red star and the hammer and sickle in a draft EU law on racism. Finally, at the end of February 2005, the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
dropped proposals to ban Nazi symbols across its 25 member states. Luxembourg withdrew the plan when it became clear that members could not reach a consensus on which symbols to ban. There were also concerns that the proposed ban was a threat to
freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...
. Landsbergis is a fierce critic of Russia's intentions to impose any kind of influence on the
Baltic states The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
and publicly questions Russia's actions vis-à-vis the Baltic States on both local and international media, as well as in the European Parliament. He warns that Russia might have intentions to control Lithuania and the other Baltic States economically and politically through a wide network of former
KGB The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...
agents and other clandestine activities. Landsbergis is one of the most active politicians who urge Russia to compensate Lithuania and other post-Soviet republics for damage done to them during their occupations.


Controversies


Comments on Vilnius street and memorial renaming controversy

In 2019, Vilnius's mayor,
Remigijus Šimašius Remigijus Šimašius (born 12 January 1974) is a Lithuanian lawyer and politician, member of Seimas (2012–2015), Minister of Justice (2008–2012), Mayor of Vilnius since 2015. Education In 1997 Šimašius graduated from the Faculty of ...
, renamed a street that had been named after Kazys Skirpa (who formed the
Lithuanian Activist Front The Lithuanian Activist Front or LAF () was a short-lived, far-right underground resistance organization established in 1940 after Lithuania was incorporated by the Soviet Union. The goal of the organization was to liberate Lithuania and re-estab ...
, which massacred Jews across Lithuania) and removed a memorial to
Jonas Noreika Jonas Noreika (8 October 1910 – 26 February 1947), also known by his post-war nom de guerre Generolas Vėtra (), was a Lithuanian anti-Soviet partisan, military officer, and Nazi collaborator. In July 1941, he was the leader of the Lithua ...
(who ordered and oversaw the killings of Lithuanian Jews in
Plungė Plungė (; Samogitian: ''Plongė'') is a city in Lithuania with 17,252 inhabitants. Plungė is known for Plungė Manor and its park, Samogitian Art Museum. In the Oginskiai manor park stands the Perkūnas oak a natural monument. The Lourdes o ...
during the Plungė massacre). Landsbergis posted a poem on social media that referred to the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
as a "''žydelka''" ("jew-girl"), and Faina Kukliansky, chair of the Jewish Community of Lithuania, condemned it.Landsbergis about Jewish community leader: she has no clue what she's doing, delfi, 7 August 2019, https://en.delfi.lt/politics/landsbergis-about-jewish-community-leader-she-has-no-clue-what-shes-doing.d?id=81929591 Landsbergis said the poem was an attempt to show the ignorance of Lithuanian antisemites and requested support from "at least one smart and brave Jew ... who does not agree with Simasius."


Recognition as the head of state of Lithuania

The question of whether V. Landsbergis should be officially acknowledged as the head of state of Lithuania from 1990 to 1992 has been polarising the Lithuanian public for many years. On 25 June 2022, the Lithuanian Seimas officially approved the bill regarding V. Landsbergis' recognition as the head of state. "The bill is a symbol of respect and acknowledgement of a person who played a significant role in Lithuania’s history," the
Speaker of Seimas The Speaker of the Seimas ( lt, Seimo pirmininkas, literally translated as Chairman of the Seimas) is the presiding officer of the Seimas, the parliament of Lithuania. The speaker and deputy speakers are elected by the members of the Seimas durin ...
, V. Čmilytė-Nielsen, said. The opposition claimed that such a step was a "falsification of history" as the Provisional Constitution along with other historical records state that " e functions of the head of state during the transitional period remain with the collegial Parliament body—the Presidium of the
Supreme Council of Lithuania Supreme may refer to: Entertainment * Supreme (character), a comic book superhero * ''Supreme'' (film), a 2016 Telugu film * Supreme (producer), hip-hop record producer * "Supreme" (song), a 2000 song by Robbie Williams * The Supremes, Motown-e ...
." The latter was a collective political entity consisting of 11 deputies possessing equal powers, which was disbanded on 22 November 1992, when the current
Constitution of Lithuania The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija) defines the legal foundation for all laws passed in the Republic of Lithuania. It was approved in a referendum on 25 October 1992. History Statutes of Lithu ...
was adopted. The decision made by Seimas proved to be unpopular among the public. According to one survey done by ''
Lietuvos rytas ''Lietuvos rytas'' (lit. 'Morning of Lithuania') is a Lithuanian daily newspaper. History and profile "Lietuvos rytas" was established in 1990 on a basis of newspaper "Komjaunimo tiesa". The paper is printed in Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also ...
'', 68% of respondents disagree with such an initiative with 42% of them believing that it is baseless and 26% doubting its validity. On 30 June 2022, Vytautas Landsbergis was officially recognized as the first post-soviet Lithuania's head of state. "Should I be congratulated? I don't know... Lithuania is the one that should be congratulated more as it is finally on a par with
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
. Estonia has already sorted it out in a way that
Arnold Rüütel Arnold Rüütel OIH () (born 10 May 1928) is an Estonian politician and agricultural scientist. He has served as the last chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR from 8 April 1983 to 29 March 1990, Chairman of the Su ...
was
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
since March of 1990," V. Landsbergis commented. The opposition threatened to renounce Landsbergis' status as the head of state in the next parliamentary elections.


Bibliography

* ''Visas Čiurlionis'', 2008. * ''Karaliaučius ir Lietuva : nuostatos ir idėjos'', 2003. * ''Pusbrolis Motiejus : knyga apie Stasį Lozoraitį iš jo laiškų ir pasisakymų'', 2002. * ''Sunki laisvė : 1991 m. ruduo – 1992 m. ruduo'', 2000. * ''Landsbergis aria'', 1997. * ''Lūžis prie Baltijos : politinė autobiografija'', 1997. * ''Čiurlionio muzika'', 1996. * ''Tėvynės valanda'', 1993. * ''Atgavę viltį : pertvarkos tekstų knygelė'', 1990. * ''Sonatos ir fugos / M.K. Čiurlionis'' ditor 1980. * ''Čiurlionio dailė'', 1976.


Honours and awards


Honours


National honours

* : Former Grand Master Grand Cross with Collar of the
Order of Vytautas the Great The Order of Vytautas the Great is the Lithuanian Presidential Award.''Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija. 84 straipsnis''. Priimta 1992 It may be conferred on the heads of Lithuania and foreign states, as well as their citizens, for distinguished ...
* : Former Grand Master Grand Cross of the
Order of the Cross of Vytis The Order of the Cross of Vytis ( lt, Vyčio Kryžiaus ordinas) is a Lithuanian presidential award conferred for heroic defence of Lithuania's freedom and independence. November 23 is a holiday in honour of the Order of the Cross of Vytis. His ...
* : Former Grand Master Grand Cross of the Order of Grand Duke Gediminas


Foreign honours

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the
Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ( et, Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk, sometimes translated as the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of ...
* : Grand Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honour * : Grand Cross of the
Order of La Pléiade The Order of La Pléiade (; ) is an honorary order of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. It recognizes people who particularly distinguished themselves in the service of its ideals of cooperation and friendship, promoting the rol ...
* : Recipient of the Saxon Constitutional Medal * : Grand Cross of the Order of Honour * : Grand Officer of the
Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvija ...
* : Recipient of the European Medal of Merit * : Honorary Knight Grand Cross of Obedience of the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...
* : Knight Grand Cross of the
Royal Norwegian Order of Merit The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norwegian: ''Den Kongelige Norske Fortjenstorden'' (Bokmål) or ''Den Kongelege Norske Fortenesteordenen'' (Nynorsk)) was instituted by King Olav V in 1985. It is awarded to foreigners, Norwegian citizens livin ...
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Order Zasługi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident ab ...
*
Romanian Royal Family The Romanian royal family ( ro, Familia regală a României) was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Romania, a constitutional monarchy in Central-Eastern Europe. The kingdom existed from 1881, when Carol I of Romania was proclaimed king, until ...
: Extra Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown


Awards

;Foreign Awards *
European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian-democratic, conservative, and liberal-conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other political parties. Founded by primarily Ch ...
: Recipient of the Robert Schuman Medal * : Foundation du Futur Award * Hermann Ehlers Prize * : Vibo Valentia Testimony Prize * : Norwegian People's Peace Prize * :
Gusi Peace Prize The Gusi Peace Prize is a private award given by the Gusi Peace Prize Foundation, based in Manila, Philippines. The Gusi Peace Prize is given to recognize individuals and organizations who contribute to global peace and progress through a wide var ...
* : Ramon Llull International Prize * : Recipient of the Medal for Contribution in Democracy and the Fight for Human Rights * : Recipient of the Presidents Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation * : International Freedom Foundation Award


Honorary doctorates

Landsbergis has received honorary doctorates from the following institutions: * : Loyola University, Chicago (1991) * :
Vytautas Magnus University Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) ( lt, Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas (VDU)) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the interwar period as an alternate national university. Initially it was known ...
,
Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
(1992) * :
Weber State University Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. History Weber State University was founded ...
,
Ogden, Utah Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...
1992) * :
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
,
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
(1992) * :
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH) is a public university located in Vilnius, Lithuania. There are 10 faculties including Antanas Gustaitis Aviation Institute, Architecture, Business Management, Civil Engineering, Creative I ...
(1998) * :
University of Law , motto_lang = lat , mottoeng = Let us know the laws and rights , established = ,2012 (university status) , closed = , type = Private, for-profit , endowment ...
(2000) * :
Helsinki University The University of Helsinki ( fi, Helsingin yliopisto, sv, Helsingfors universitet, abbreviated UH) is a public university, public Research university, research university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turk ...
(2000) * :
Cardiff University , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...
(2000) * :
Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...
(2001) * :
Art Academy An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-seco ...
(2003)


See also

* List of presidents of Lithuania


References


External links


Vytautas Landsbergis
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

Vytautas Landsbergis biography
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Interviewed on ANN TV 2015 on the erosion of nation state sovereignty; Western responsibility for protecting the Baltic States; and the state of World democracy

Vytautas Landsbergis
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Freedom Collection Freedom Collection is a digital repository sponsored by the George W. Bush Institute at the George W. Bush Presidential Center on Southern Methodist University's campus in Dallas, Texas. The collection documents major players in human rights and ...
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Vytautas Landsbergis: "Your hair can turn grey while overthinking, but I do not recommend it", Interviews with exceptional minds, Eximia
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Landsbergis, Vytautas 1932 births Fluxus Living people Politicians from Kaunas Lithuanian anti-communists Lithuanian Lutherans Lithuanian people of German descent Musicians from Kaunas Weber State University Speakers of the Seimas Homeland Union MEPs MEPs for Lithuania 2004–2009 MEPs for Lithuania 2009–2014 People of the Singing Revolution Grand Crosses with Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class Grand Crosses of the Order of Honour (Greece) Recipients of the Lithuanian National Prize Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre faculty Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences faculty Recipients of St. George's Order of Victory Musicians from Vilnius Lithuanian chess players