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Michał Pius Römer (; 28 May 1880 – 22 February 1945) was a Polish-Lithuanian
lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
, scientist and politician.


Early years

Römer was born in Lithuania into a Polish noble family of Baltic-German (
Livonia Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia. By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...
n) origin. He was one of
szlachta The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...
members loyal to the heritage of the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
, referred to as Krajowcy. His father was Michał Kazimierz Römer and mother was Konstancja Tukałło. He attended the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in Saint Petersburg (1893–1901) and later studied history in the
Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...
in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
(1901–1902), after that he moved to Paris to study in ''École des sciences politiques'' (1902–1905). In Paris, he belonged to the organisation "Spójnia", where he headed the group "Lithuania", and was closely related to the . He gave the lecture on cultural-ethnographic situation in Lithuania in Café Voltaire, together with another Lithuanian activist, Tadas Ivanauskas. It was later published in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
by "Krytyka" under a title: ''Stosunki etnograficzno-kulturalne na Litwie''. In 1905, he returned to Lithuania, where he began to work for the restoration of Lithuanian statehood, not dominated by any nationalism. As he put it, he tried persuading the Lithuanian Poles to have "a common national citizenship () without renouncing cultural and national distinctions". To this end, he and founded the "Gazeta Wileńska", which was published from 15 February 1906. The radical paper was soon closed, on 7 July that year, although it already had 2,000 subscribers. Romer had to flee to Kraków, for fear of being arrested. In 1908 he wrote ''Lithuania: Study of national revival'' (). In his work he justified the Lithuanians' rights to their own statehood. He refuted accusations that Lithuanian activists were Russian agents. He also defended the right of Lithuanian Poles to preserve their own identity in the future Lithuanian state. Later that year he came back to Vilnius, when he continued his publicist work. He wrote works on Poles in Lithuania and Ruthenia and on Lithuanians in the
Duchy of Prussia The Duchy of Prussia (, , ) or Ducal Prussia (; ) was a duchy in the region of Prussia established as a result of secularization of the Monastic Prussia, the territory that remained under the control of the State of the Teutonic Order until t ...
(, 1911). He joined the Society of Friends of Science in Wilno and accompanied
Ludwik Krzywicki Ludwik Joachim Franciszek Krzywicki (21 August 1859 – 10 June 1941) was a Polish Marxism, Marxist anthropologist, economist, and sociologist. An early champion of sociology in Poland, he approached historical materialism from a sociological vie ...
on his archaeological work in
Samogitia Samogitia, often known by its Lithuanian language, Lithuanian name ''Žemaitija'' (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see Samogitia#Etymology and alternative names, below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five ...
.


World War I

At the outbreak of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Römer maintained contacts with independence and socialist circles in Warsaw, and distributed leaflets in Lithuania. He worked on the editorial board of the re-established "Przegląd Wileński". Römer took an oath as a lawyer in early 1915. In March 1915, he took the Lithuanian politicians
Mykolas Sleževičius Mykolas Sleževičius (21 February 1882 – 11 November 1939) was a Lithuanian lawyer, political and cultural figure, and journalist. One of the most influential figures in inter-war Lithuania, he served as the prime minister of Lithuania on thr ...
and Jurgis Šaulys to Warsaw for a meeting with
Stanisław Patek Stanisław Jan Patek (; 1 May 1866 – 25 August 1944), Polish lawyer, freemason and diplomat, served as Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1919 to 1920. The lawyer Born in Rusinów, Gmina Rusinów, Rusinów, he was an activist of the ...
. Römer left Vilnius on May 27, 1915 and went via
Odesa Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...
to
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
and then to Galicia. At the delegation of the Supreme National Committee (NKN), he was accepted into the Polish Legions and sent to the Press Office of the Military Department of the NKN in Piotrków. In August, he submitted an extensive memorandum to the Supreme National Committee entitled ''Lithuania at War'' (). On August 28, 1915, he left Piotrków, wanting to take part in the armed struggle. On September 14, 1915, after a personal conversation with
Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...
in
Kovel Kovel (, ; ; ) is a city in Volyn Oblast, northwestern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kovel Raion within the oblast. Population: Kovel gives its name to one of the oldest runic inscriptions which were lost during World War I ...
, he was assigned to the 1st Legions Infantry Regiment and, under the pseudonym , took part in the Volhynia campaign as a private. He soon fell ill and was hospitalized for a longer period - in
Rzeszów Rzeszów ( , ) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów is the capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship and the county seat, seat of Rzeszów C ...
, then
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, where he stayed until February 1916. After a period of service in the Military Department of the NKN, in September 1916 he returned to the 1st Legions Infantry Regiment's 1st Battalion's 1st Company to the front to Grywiatka, then with the regiment to Baranavichy and
Łomża Łomża () is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately to the north-east of Warsaw and west of Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the capital of Łomża County and has been the se ...
. During the
Oath crisis The Oath crisis (; German language, German: ''Eidkrise'') was a World War I political conflict between the Imperial German Army command and the Józef Piłsudski-led Polish Legions in World War I, Polish Legions. Initially supporting the Central P ...
in July 1917, he refused to take the oath of allegiance to the
German Emperor The German Emperor (, ) was the official title of the head of state and Hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the German Empire. A specifically chosen term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and lasted until the abdicati ...
and on July 18, 1917, he was interned in the camp in Szczypiorno. In August 1917, thanks to the efforts of his Warsawian friends, he was released from the camp and was nominated as a justice of the peace in
Kolno Kolno is a town in northeastern Poland, located in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, about northeast of Warsaw. It is the seat of Kolno County, and the seat of the smaller administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Kolno, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Gmin ...
in the
Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...
, and after a year he was transferred to the position of district judge in
Łomża Łomża () is a city in north-eastern Poland, approximately to the north-east of Warsaw and west of Białystok. It is situated alongside the Narew river as part of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the capital of Łomża County and has been the se ...
.


Interwar


Polish–Lithuanian War

In March 1919 he came to Warsaw at the request of Józef Piłsudski. Piłsudski sent him to Kaunas to head a government composed of Poles and Lithuanians. Romer arrived in Kaunas on 15 April, but his plans were rejected by Lithuanian politicians. He then returned to Vilnius, which was then in Polish hands, but did not take up any public office. In September 1920, after the Lithuanian army had retaken Vilnius, he became the head of "Gazeta Krajowa". The paper supported Lithuanian statehood, respecting the Polish language and culture. After the capture of Vilnius by General Lucjan Żeligowski, he went to Kaunas and in a letter to Józef Piłsudski protested against the violation of Lithuania's rights to its capital. He chose instead to move to
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 ...
, which had become the
temporary capital A temporary capital or a provisional capital is a city or town chosen by a government as an interim base of operations due to some difficulty in retaining or establishing control of a different metropolitan area. The most common circumstances leadi ...
of the recently re-established independent
Republic of Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
.


1920–1939

He was a notable figure in the
interwar In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
Lithuania, and was a member of the Supreme Tribunal of Lithuania (1921–1928) and the State Council of Lithuania (1928–1931). He was a professor at the
University of Lithuania Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) (, VDU) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the Polish–Lithuanian War, interwar period as an alternate national university. Initially it was known as the Univ ...
/
Vytautas Magnus University Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) (, 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 as the University of Lithuania, but ...
(1922–1940),
Vilnius University Vilnius University ( Lithuanian: ''Vilniaus universitetas'') is a public research university, which is the first and largest university in Lithuania, as well as one of the oldest and most prominent higher education institutions in Central and Ea ...
(1940–1945), and the rector of the University of Lithuania for three terms (1927–1928, 1933–36 and 1936–1939). As an international lawyer, in 1932 he represented Lithuania at the
Permanent Court of International Justice The Permanent Court of International Justice, often called the World Court, existed from 1922 to 1946. It was an international court attached to the League of Nations. Created in 1920 (although the idea of an international court was several cent ...
regarding the
Klaipėda Directorate Klaipėda ( ; ) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, third-largest city in Lithuania, the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, fifth-largest city in the Baltic States, and the capi ...
. The court found in Lithuania's favor that Otto Böttcher had violated the Klaipėda Convention. He published a work on this matter entitled: (1936). Römer wrote important works on Lithuanian history and on law, such as the 1908 book and the 1928 book . He is considered to be one of the most prominent Lithuanian jurists, the
progenitor In genealogy, a progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; or ''Ahnherr'') is the founder (sometimes one that is legendary) of a family, line of descent, gens, clan, tribe, noble house, or ethnic group.. Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines Geschlec ...
, first lector and one of the most prominent authors of interwar Lithuanian
constitutional law Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as the basic rights of citizens and, in ...
. While most of his writings on Lithuanian law were written in Lithuanian and his signature on Lithuanian documents and letters was ''Mykolas Römeris'', (sometimes also credited as ''Mykolas Rėmeris'' or ''Mykolas Riomeris''), he continued to write his diary in Polish and use the German form of his name (''Michael von Römer'') for his law writings in German. He did not break his ties with Polishness, and still was publishing in Polish, for example ''Listy z Kowna'' ("Letters from Kaunas"). He willingly visited Poland and hosted Polish personalities visiting Lithuania.


World War II

In February 1940 he moved to Vilnius, where the Lithuanian University, of which he was rector, had been transferred. He organised meetings of Lithuanian and Polish activists in an attempt to find common ground. He remained in this position after the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. After the university was closed down by the Germans, he took part in secret teaching. He maintained contacts with the Polish underground movement. He returned to the university after the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
occupied Vilnius again in 1944. He died on 22 February 1945. He was buried on Rasos Cemetery.


Commemoration

The Law University of Lithuania in Vilnius was renamed to the Mykolas Romeris University in 2004.


Publications

* Michał Römer, ''Stosunki etnograficzno-kulturalne na Litwie'', Kraków 1906. * Michał Römer, ''Litwa. Studyum o odrodzeniu narodu litewskiego'', Lwów 1908. * Michał Römer, ''Litwini w Prusiech Książęcych'', Kraków 1911. * Michał Römer, ''Dzień 6 sierpnia 1914 roku'', Warszawa 1916. * Michał Römer, ''Litewskie stronnictwa polityczne'', Wilno 1921. * Mykolas Römeris, ''Le système juridique des garanties de la souveraineté de la Lithuanie sur le territoire de Memel'', Paris 1930. * Michael von Römer, ''Die Verfassungsreform Litauens vom Jahre 1928'', München 1930. * Mykolas Römeris, ''Valstybė ir jos konstitucinė teisė'', Kaunas 1934–1939. * Mykolas Römeris, ''Lietuvos konstitucinės teisės paskaitos'' (''Cours de droit constitutionnel lithuanien''), Kaunas 1937. * Michał Römer, ''Zasługi Ludwika Krzywickiego wobec nauki litewskiej'', Warszawa 1938. * Michał Römer, ''Organizacja władzy politycznej w rozwoju konstytucyjnym Republiki Litewskiej'', Warszawa 1939. * Mykolas Römeris. ''Lietuva. Studija apie lietuvių tautos atgimimą''. * Mykolas Römeris. ''Konstitucinės ir teismo teisės pasieniuose''.


References


Bibliography

*
Academical biography
Retrieved 2007-10-02 * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Romer, Michal 1880 births 1945 deaths People from Rokiškis District Municipality People from Novoalexandrovsky Uyezd Michal Pius Lithuanian people of Baltic German descent Lithuanian people of Polish descent Krajowcy Lithuanian scholars of constitutional law Rectors of Vytautas Magnus University Academic staff of Vilnius University Polish legionnaires (World War I) Burials at Rasos Cemetery be:Міхал Ромер