Stanisław Narutowicz
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Stanisław Narutowicz ( ; 2 September 1862 – 31 December 1932) was a lawyer and politician, one of the 20 signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania. His brother was the first
president of Poland The president of Poland ( ), officially the president of the Republic of Poland (), is the head of state of Poland. His or her prerogatives and duties are determined in the Constitution of Poland. The president jointly exercises the executive ...
Gabriel Narutowicz Gabriel Józef Narutowicz (; 29 March 1865 – 16 December 1922) was a Polish people, Polish professor of hydroelectric engineering and politician who served as the first president of Poland from 11 December 1922 until Assassination of Gabriel Na ...
. Born into a family of
Lithuanian nobility The Lithuanian nobility () or ''szlachta'' of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (, ) was historically a legally privileged hereditary elite class in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth (including during period of foreign r ...
, Narutowicz studied law at
Kiev University The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (; also known as Kyiv University, Shevchenko University, or KNU) is a public university in Kyiv, Ukraine. The university is the third-oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and ...
. As a student he joined socialist groups and organized publication of the Polish-language workers' newspaper ', but soon withdrew from more active political work. During the
Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
, he was elected to a ''
zemstvo A zemstvo (, , , ''zemstva'') was an institution of local government set up in consequence of the emancipation reform of 1861 of Imperial Russia by Emperor Alexander II of Russia. Nikolay Milyutin elaborated the idea of the zemstvo, and the fi ...
'' (an institution of local self-government), participated in the
Great Seimas of Vilnius The Great Seimas of Vilnius (, also known as the ''Great Assembly of Vilnius'', the ''Grand Diet of Vilnius'', or the ''Great Diet of Vilnius'') was a major assembly held on December 4 and 5, 1905 (November 21–22, 1905 Old Style and New Style d ...
, and was briefly arrested for his involvement in the anti-Tsarist activities in Alsėdžiai. Together with his wife
Joanna Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from . Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, and Jeanne. The earliest recorded occurrence of th ...
, Narutowicz established a progymnasium for girls and gymnasium for boys in
Telšiai Telšiai (; Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in Lithuania with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis. Telšiai is one of the ol ...
in 1907 and 1909, respectively. In 1917, he helped organize the Vilnius Conference and was elected to the 20-member
Council of Lithuania In the history of Lithuania, the Council of Lithuania (; ; ), after July 11, 1918, the State Council of Lithuania () was convened at the Vilnius Conference that took place between 18 and 23 September 1917. The twenty men who composed the c ...
. He was the only Polish–Lithuanian member of the council. When the council adopted an act declaring independent Lithuania but in "a firm and permanent alliance" with Germany, Narutowicz and three other members of the council resigned in protest. This forced the council to reconsider and unanimously adopt the Act of Independence of Lithuania on 16 February 1918. This final Act of Independence made no political promises to Germany. Narutowicz was also staunchly against constitutional monarchy and resigned from the Council of Lithuania when it selected
Wilhelm Karl, Duke of Urach Prince Wilhelm of Urach, Count of Württemberg, 2nd Duke of Urach (''Wilhelm Karl Florestan Gero Crescentius''; German: ''Fürst Wilhelm von Urach, Graf von Württemberg, 2. Herzog von Urach''; 3 March 1864 – 24 March 1928), was a German princ ...
as the King of Lithuania in July 1918. In summer 1919, the
Polish Military Organisation The Polish Military Organisation, PMO (, POW) was a secret military organization that was formed during World War I (1914–1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914. It adopted the name ''POW'' in November 1914 and aimed to gathe ...
organized a coup d'état against he government of Lithuania. Narutowicz was selected to become the Prime Minister of the new pro-Polish government. However, the coup was discovered and Narutowicz retired from public life. He returned to agricultural matters at his . However, he faced financial difficulties, social alienation and family troubles. He died by suicide on 31 December 1932.


Biography


Early life and education

Narutowicz was born into a family of
Lithuanian nobility The Lithuanian nobility () or ''szlachta'' of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (, ) was historically a legally privileged hereditary elite class in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth (including during period of foreign r ...
. Their original Lithuanian surname Narutis was Polonized as Narutowicz. He was a self-declared
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 ...
n, Lithuanian and a Pole. He could speak the
Samogitian dialect Samogitian ( or sometimes , or ; ), is an Eastern Baltic language spoken primarily in Samogitia and is often considered a dialect of Lithuanian. It has preserved many features of the extinct Curonian language, such as specific phonologica ...
. His grandmother Anna Kossakowska acquired near Alsėdžiai in 1813 and brought it to the Narutowicz family as her dowry. His father Jan Narutowicz rented out the manor and moved to
Telšiai Telšiai (; Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in Lithuania with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis. Telšiai is one of the ol ...
where he worked as a judge and where Stanisław Narutowicz was born on . He had two older half-siblings and younger brother
Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...
(future President of Poland). Their father joined the unit of Antanas Mackevičius during the anti-Tsarist
January Uprising The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last i ...
of 1863 and served a year in prison. He died in 1866 leaving the family in a difficult financial situation. Narutowicz's mother Wiktoria Szczepkowska and her two sons were taken in by Anton Rönne, owner of the Renavas Manor. In summer 1868, Rönne hired Laurynas Ivinskis, an activist of 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 ...
, as tutor for the children. In 1873, Szczepkowska moved to
Liepāja Liepāja () (formerly: Libau) is a Administrative divisions of Latvia, state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest city in the Courland region and the third-largest in the country after Riga and Daugavpils. It is an ...
(Libau) so that her sons could attend the German Liepāja Gymnasium. There Narutowicz became interested in liberal and socialist ideas and became good friends with Tadeusz Rechniewski. One of his teachers was Edmund Veckenstedt who encouraged his students to collect examples of Lithuanian folklore. In 1882, Narutowicz graduated from the gymnasium and enrolled at
St. Petersburg University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...
to study law. However, he became involved in the student anti-Tsarist movement and was expelled from the university the same year. After living for a year in Liepāja under police supervision, Narutowicz decided to continue his law studies at
Kiev University The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (; also known as Kyiv University, Shevchenko University, or KNU) is a public university in Kyiv, Ukraine. The university is the third-oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and ...
. There he joined a group of revolutionary minded students, known as the Commune of Polish Socialists (), and became one of their leaders. The group maintained contacts with the Second Proletariat, an underground socialist-revolutionary party and the predecessor of the
Polish Socialist Party The Polish Socialist Party (, PPS) is a democratic socialist political party in Poland. It was one of the most significant parties in Poland from its founding in 1892 until its forced merger with the communist Polish Workers' Party to form ...
. Narutowicz was supposed to help Tadeusz Rechniewski escape imprisonment. However, around 1886, Narutowicz started questioning socialist ideas and withdrew from political work.


Manor owner

Narutowicz graduated with a law degree in 1887 and moved to
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
where for about a year he worked as a court clerk. Together with
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 ...
, he decided to establish Polish-language workers' newspaper ' edited by Wiktor Gomulicki. Narutowicz wrote very little for the newspaper, but organized its publishing matters, including obtaining financial support from graf Vladimir Zubov and brother of . However, he quickly became disillusioned with the newspaper – encounters with Russian censors, financial difficulties and personal debts, attacks by political opponents, etc. In 1889, Narutowicz married Joanna née Billewicz in a civil ceremony in
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
where Joanna studied philosophy. She was from an old family of Samogitian nobles and a cousin of
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 May 1900, they married again in a religious ceremony 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 ...
. Narutowicz's disappointment with Warsaw activists and Joanna's inability to find employment led the couple to return to Narutowicz's native . The manor had about of land, but renters left it in a deplorable state. Narutowicz became preoccupied with agricultural matters. The family continued to support 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 ...
by supporting Lithuanian book smugglers and by secretly educating peasant children. Narutowicz continued to struggle financially. To earn some money for children's education, Narutowicz moved to
Kalisz Kalisz () is a city in central Poland, and the second-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, with 97,905 residents (December 2021). It is the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of Gr ...
where he was director of Vereinigte Gaswerke (United Gasworks) in 1899–1904. He then returned to Lithuania where he worked as an attorney in
Telšiai Telšiai (; Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in Lithuania with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis. Telšiai is one of the ol ...
in 1904–1908.


Russian Revolution of 1905

During the
Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
, the Vilna Governorate-General was allowed to organize a ''
zemstvo A zemstvo (, , , ''zemstva'') was an institution of local government set up in consequence of the emancipation reform of 1861 of Imperial Russia by Emperor Alexander II of Russia. Nikolay Milyutin elaborated the idea of the zemstvo, and the fi ...
'' (an institution of local self-government) and each
uezd An uezd (also spelled uyezd or uiezd; rus, уе́зд ( pre-1918: уѣздъ), p=ʊˈjest), or povit in a Ukrainian context () was a type of administrative subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, the ...
elected one representative. Narutowicz was elected as a representative of the Telšiai Uezd. In August 1905, during the first meeting with Governor General , Narutowicz objected to the inclusion of Tsarist officials in the commission and left the meeting in protest. In preparation for the
Great Seimas of Vilnius The Great Seimas of Vilnius (, also known as the ''Great Assembly of Vilnius'', the ''Grand Diet of Vilnius'', or the ''Great Diet of Vilnius'') was a major assembly held on December 4 and 5, 1905 (November 21–22, 1905 Old Style and New Style d ...
in December 1905, Narutowicz agitated residents of Alsėdžiai
Volost Volost (; ; ) was a traditional administrative subdivision in Kievan Rus', the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and the Russian Empire. History The '' Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary'' (1890–1907) states that the origins of the concept is unc ...
to send representatives to the congress. He spoke at the Seimas in support of total nationalization of land, which was a radical position for a landowner. Inspired by the Seimas, residents of Alsėdžiai decided to establish their own "republic" (oust Tsarist officials, stop paying taxes, organize their own police and court, introduce Lithuanian language at the local school, etc.). For his involvement with this "republic", Narutowicz was arrested by the Tsarist police. He was released shortly and as an attorney he defended many others arrested for their anti-Tsarist actions during the revolution.


Schools in Telšiai

In August 1907, Narutowicz's wife Joanna received a permit to establish a private progymnasium for girls in Telšiai. It was the first girls' school in Lithuania to teach Polish and Lithuanian. In spring 1913, the school had a total of 114 students (32 Lithuanians, 42 Jews, 32 Poles, and 8 Russians). In 1909, Narutowicz became the first chairman of a society that worked to establish a private boys' gymnasium in Telšiai (he was soon replaced by graf , but remained society's vice-chairman). The school opened in October 1909. The number of students grew from 50 in 1909 to 103 in the 1912/1913 school year. One of gymnasium students, the future writer Butkų Juzė, became severely ill with
typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...
and
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
which left him paralyzed and unable to speak. Narutowicz took in Butkų Juzė and nursed him back to health. Narutowicz joined the Lithuanian Scientific Society when it was first organized in August 1907. He was also a member of the Lithuanian Art Society. In 1912, Narutowicz was a candidate in the Russian election to the
State Duma The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly (Russia), Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council (Russia), Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of Russia, Constitution of t ...
. However, priests did not want to vote for a socialist and Narutowicz lost to Antanas Juozapavičius, pastor in
Varniai Varniai (; Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Varnē'') is a city in the Telšiai County, western Lithuania. In the Middle Ages the city was known as Medininkai (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Medėninkā''). Etymology ''Medininkai'' or ''M ...
, who in turn lost to a candidate put forth by the nobility.


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 ...
in 1914, Narutowicz continued to work at his manor and care for the gymnasiums in Telšiai. In spring 1915, just as the
German Imperial Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...
pushed towards Telšiai, his wife and children hastily evacuated to Russia while he remained in Brėvikiai to look after the manor. During the German occupation, as an attorney, Narutowicz often defended local residents against the German
Ober Ost The Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East (), also known by its German abbreviation as , was both a high-ranking position in the armed forces of the German Empire as well as the name given to the occupied territories on the German s ...
officials. He even wrote a memorandum protesting oppressive and exploitative German policies. However, he also assisted German authorities. For example, he acted as a secretary and interpreter during legal proceedings and assisted with the census count of Telšiai residents in January 1916.


Vilnius Conference

As German military advances stalled, German leadership rethought their strategy for occupied Lithuania. The policy of open annexation was replaced by a more subtle strategy of creating a network of formally independent states under German influence (the so-called ''
Mitteleuropa (), meaning Middle Europe, is one of the German terms for Central Europe. The term has acquired diverse cultural, political and historical connotations. University of Warsaw, Johnson, Lonnie (1996) ''Central Europe: Enemies, Neighbors, Friends' ...
''). To that end, Germans asked Lithuanians to establish an advisory council (''Vertrauensrat''). Narutowicz became a member of the 21-member organizing committee which organized the Vilnius Conference which in turn elected the
Council of Lithuania In the history of Lithuania, the Council of Lithuania (; ; ), after July 11, 1918, the State Council of Lithuania () was convened at the Vilnius Conference that took place between 18 and 23 September 1917. The twenty men who composed the c ...
. The organizing committee met in Vilnius on 1–4 August 1917. Already at this meeting, Narutowicz proposed a resolution that the ultimate goal is an independent Lithuania in its ethnographic border. After these meetings, Narutowicz traveled across
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 ...
agitating and selecting delegates to the Vilnius Conference which was held on 18–22 September 1917. At the opening of the conference, Narutowicz was a member of four-person commission to register and check eligibility of the delegates. The Vilnius Conference voted to elect the 20-member Council of Lithuania. Narutowicz was not initially elected (he received 94 votes for, and 108 votes against). However, the social democrats were dissatisfied with the composition of this council since it included six
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
priests and only two social democrats ( Steponas Kairys and
Mykolas Biržiška Mykolas Biržiška (; 24 August 1882, in Viekšniai – 24 August 1962, in Los Angeles), a Lithuanian editor, historian, professor of literature, diplomat, and politician, was one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuan ...
). When the two social democrats threatened to resign from the council, two priests ( and ) agreed to resign in favor of Narutowicz and Jonas Vileišis (even thought Narutowicz did not belong to any political party). At the age of 56, Narutowicz was the second-eldest (after
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 ...
) member of the council.


Act of Independence of Lithuania

Starting with the meetings of the organizing committee, Narutowicz often disagreed with
Antanas Smetona Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual, journalist and politician. He served as the first president of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and later as the authoritarian head of state from 1926 until the Occu ...
, the chairman of the council and the future President of Lithuania. Disagreements with Smetona persisted and had a lasting impact on Narutowicz's political career. More fundamental disagreements were regarding Lithuania's relationship with Germany and form of government. Narutowicz spoke against making any promises to Germany, while Smetona saw no option but to agree to the German demands and agree to the future special (albeit undefined) ties to Germany. Narutowicz was one of the three votes against the Act of 11 December 1917 which called for "a firm and permanent alliance" with Germany. The council was dissatisfied with such concessions and drafted a new act on 8 January 1918 which in its essence was the same as the ultimate Act of Independence of Lithuania. When the Germans rejected these changes and the council attempted to revert to the Act of 11 December, the four leftist members – Narutowicz,
Mykolas Biržiška Mykolas Biržiška (; 24 August 1882, in Viekšniai – 24 August 1962, in Los Angeles), a Lithuanian editor, historian, professor of literature, diplomat, and politician, was one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuan ...
, Steponas Kairys, and Jonas Vileišis – resigned from the council in protest. After heated debates, the four members agreed to return to the council which adopted the Act of Independence on 16 February 1918. The final act dropped any concessions to Germany and returned to the democratic principles as decided at the Vilnius Conference.


Constitutional monarchy

After the Act of Independence, the issue of the relationship between Lithuanian and Germany remained open. In an attempt to gain recognition of independent Lithuania from Germany, five members of the council (including Narutowicz) traveled to Berlin in March 1918. On 23 March 1918,
Wilhelm II, German Emperor Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as the Hohenzollern dynasty ...
, recognized independent Lithuania but only on the basis of the Act of 11 December. Despite the recognition, the council could not organize the government or other state institutions due to the continued military occupation by the German troops. Even council members had to obtain German permits to travel between cities in Lithuania. German press continued to promote the idea of a
personal union A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...
between Lithuania and the
Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...
or the
Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony () was a German monarchy in Central Europe between 1806 and 1918, the successor of the Electorate of Saxony. It joined the Confederation of the Rhine after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, later joining the German ...
. In attempt to block such a union, the presidium of the council decided to establish a
constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...
and select
Wilhelm Karl, Duke of Urach Prince Wilhelm of Urach, Count of Württemberg, 2nd Duke of Urach (''Wilhelm Karl Florestan Gero Crescentius''; German: ''Fürst Wilhelm von Urach, Graf von Württemberg, 2. Herzog von Urach''; 3 March 1864 – 24 March 1928), was a German princ ...
as the King of Lithuania. From the early discussions in December 1917, Narutowicz opposed monarchy and advocated for a democratic republic. On 11 July 1918, the council officially voted for the monarchy (13 for, 5 against, and 2 abstentions). The four leftist council members – Narutowicz, Biržiška, Kairys, and Vileišis – sent a protest letter to the council which the council interpreted as their resignation. In October 1918, changing political situation forced the Council of Lithuania to rescind its plans for the monarchy and the four leftist members were invited to rejoin the council, but only Vileišis agreed.


Coup d'état attempt

In May 1918, Narutowicz traveled to
Roslavl Roslavl (, ) is a town and the administrative center of Roslavlsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia. It is a road and rail junction and a market town. Population: History Roslavl was founded as Rostislavl in the 1130s or 1140s. The name is ...
to bring back his family to Brėvikiai. His eldest son Jan volunteered for the
Lithuanian Army The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Navy, the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Special Operations Force. In wartime, the Lithuan ...
during the
Lithuanian Wars of Independence The Lithuanian Wars of Independence, also known as the Freedom Struggles (), refer to three wars Lithuania fought defending its independence at the end of World War I: with Bolshevik forces (December 1918 – August 1919), Bermontians (October ...
. Narutowicz worked on organizing local government council in Alsėdžiai. In 1919, he was elected to the regional council in
Telšiai Telšiai (; Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in Lithuania with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis. Telšiai is one of the ol ...
and was selected as its chairman. In early 1919, he organized local police in Telšiai. He recruited 42 volunteer policemen and organized supplies (clothing, weapons, food). In spring and summer 1919, Narutowicz visited
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 ...
and
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
and met with Leon Wasilewski and
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 ...
(his cousin-in-law) who were organizing a coup d'état against the government of Lithuania to be carried out by the
Polish Military Organisation The Polish Military Organisation, PMO (, POW) was a secret military organization that was formed during World War I (1914–1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914. It adopted the name ''POW'' in November 1914 and aimed to gathe ...
(PMO). Narutowicz agreed to participate in the coup. On 20–22 August 1919, he planned coup details with Wasilewski, Tadeusz Kasprzycki,
Walery Sławek Walery Jan Sławek (; 2 November 1879 – 3 April 1939) was a Polish politician, freemason, military officer and activist, who in the early 1930s served three times as Prime Minister of Poland. He was one of the closest aides of Polish lead ...
, and Jurgis Aukštuolaitis. Narutowicz was slated to become the Prime Minister of the new pro-Polish government which would replace the cabinet of
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 ...
. However, the coup was discovered and around 200 Polish activists were arrested. At the time, Narutowicz was in Warsaw and avoided the arrests.


Later life and death

Narutowicz ran as an independent in the 1920 election to the
Constituent Assembly of Lithuania The Constituent Assembly of Lithuania or Constituent Seimas () was the first parliament of the independent state of Lithuania to be elected in a direct, democratic, general, secret election. The Assembly assumed its duties on 15 May 1920 and was ...
but received only 473 votes and was not elected. Narutowicz returned to his manor where he established a
dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...
; some of its cheese and butter was exported via
Liepāja Liepāja () (formerly: Libau) is a Administrative divisions of Latvia, state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest city in the Courland region and the third-largest in the country after Riga and Daugavpils. It is an ...
. He also imported new breeds of cows, sheep, pigs from England and Holland. In 1922, he established and led a milk cooperative in Alsėdžiai. For about ten months in 1920–1921, he worked organizing a district court 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 ...
, the
temporary capital of Lithuania The temporary capital of Lithuania () was the official designation of the city of Kaunas in Lithuania during the interwar period. It was in contrast to the declared capital in Vilnius, which was the capital of the Republic of Central Lithuania ( ...
. He also worked as an attorney in Telšiai. However, Narutowicz continued to face financial difficulties. His manor was mortgaged to a bank. In 1929, in accordance with the Land Reform of 1922, Narutowicz's land was nationalized leaving him just – 80 ha for him and 80 ha for his son. After a complaint to President
Antanas Smetona Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual, journalist and politician. He served as the first president of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and later as the authoritarian head of state from 1926 until the Occu ...
, Narutowicz was left an additional 70 ha. At the same time, he received permission to mortgage his land for the second time. On 15 August 1932, fire destroyed a barn with 200 carriages of wheat in Brėvikiai. The losses were valued at 20,000
litas The Lithuanian litas (ISO currency code LTL, symbolized as Lt; plural ''litai'' (nominative) or ''litų'' (genitive) was the currency of Lithuania, until 1 January 2015, when it was replaced by the euro. It was divided into 100 centų (geniti ...
while the insured value was just 3,000 litas. Narutowicz also experienced some personal tragedies. His son Jan contracted
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
in 1920 and required expensive treatments in Switzerland. Jan died on 15 June 1930. Narutowicz's daughter Helena experienced
persecutory delusion A persecutory delusion is a type of delusional condition in which the affected person believes that harm is going to occur to oneself by a persecutor, despite a clear lack of evidence. The person may believe that they are being targeted by an ...
s. After various treatments failed, she was placed in a psychiatric hospital in Kalvarija. Narutowicz shot himself on 31 December 1932 in Kaunas. His son Kazimierz Narutowicz quoted the suicide note in his memoirs published in 1990. The note mentioned financial hardships as well as the hostile
Lithuania–Poland relations Poland and Lithuania established diplomatic relations from the 13th century, after the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under king Mindaugas acquired some of the territory of Rus' people, Rus' and thus established a border with the History of Poland during ...
. Contemporary commentators and later historians variously attribute his suicide to alienation and exclusion from public life on both sides of the Lithuania–Poland border, family issues, and economic hardship. He was buried on 3 January 1933 in a family grave in Alsėdžiai.


Political views

As a politician, Narutowicz was a mild socialist or a
social-democrat Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, socia ...
. He was a supporter of independence of Lithuania rather than of restoring the old
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
, mostly from fear that the far more populous Poland would gain the upper hand in such a union. On the other hand, he supported a loose union between the states, which made him one of the leaders of the '' krajowcy'' movement, a group of Polish Lithuanians loyal to the legacy 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, ...
and supporting reconciliation of divided loyalties of local Poles between Poland and Lithuania. In his vision, the
Polish minority in Lithuania The Poles in Lithuania (, ), also called Lithuanian Poles, estimated at 183,000 people in the 2021 Lithuanian census or 6.5% of Lithuania's total population, are the country's largest minority group, ethnic minority. During the Polish–Lithuani ...
would gain a status similar to the
Walloons Walloons ( ; ; ) are a Gallo-Romance languages, Gallo-Romance ethnic group native to Wallonia and the immediate adjacent regions of Flanders, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Walloons primarily speak ''langues d'oïl'' such as B ...
in Belgium: with separate culture and language, but united with Lithuanians by what he called "state patriotism".


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Narutowicz, Stanislaw 1862 births 1932 suicides 1932 deaths Lithuanian people of Polish descent People from Telšiai District Municipality People from Telshevsky Uyezd Members of the Council of Lithuania 20th-century Lithuanian lawyers 20th-century Lithuanian nobility Suicides by firearm in Lithuania 19th-century lawyers from the Russian Empire