Žvelgiant į XX a. pr. politinį, socialinį, kultūrinį kontekstą, išsilavinusi moteris (t. y. bent jau
baigusi gimnaziją) buvo retenybė. Tad moterų priklausymas 1907 m. įkurtai Lietuvių mokslo draugijai (toliau
– LMD ) bei veikla joje tampa dėmesio vertu dalyku. Straipsnyje siekiama atskleisti, ką moterys veikė
Mokslo draugijoje, parodyti jų vietą LMD struktūrose, nuveiktus darbus, puoselėjant mokslą ir kultūrą.
Esminiai žodžiai: Lietuvių mokslo draugija; moterys; išsilavinimas; mokslas; kultūros paveldas; komisija.
Keywords: Lithuanian Scientific Society; women; education; science; cultural heritage; commission.
The Lithuanian Scientific Society (hereinafter – LSS ) was active between 1907 and 1940 and which is
considered to be a predecessor to the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. LSS was established during difficult
times for Lithuania: publishing in Latin characters was prohibited between 1864 and 1904; the State was
divided among different provinces of the Czarist Russia. Particularly constrained education and activity
of Societies empowered the members of the LSS to cherish, foster and record achievements in science and
culture, and to be active in the national scientific work.
Looking back to the beginning of the XX century’s political, social and cultural context, a rare woman had
secondary education in Lithuania, and women with high educations could be counted only by tens. LSS
associated women with different education experience – self-taught, having vocational (most often educational
or medical) education, the first writers and even doctors of science. Out of almost 1500 members
during the whole period of activity of the LSS 1/5 of them were women. Although women were never
elected to the top management’s positions but they performed other important duties: they were members
of audit commission, secretaries during the sessions, were maintaining LSS ’s library, archive, and museum.
Financial support to the Society, donations to the museum’s exhibits and the library was a significant input
by women. Exceptional role in this regard goes to Mrs. Emilija Vileišienė.
More distinguished women can be found among the members of the LSS ’s Educators Commission – the
authors of the textbooks Mrs. Sofija Čiurlionienė and Mrs. Klara Šepetienė. Among the medics – role of
Mrs. Vanda Tumėnienė was more visible.
Looking professionally, first of all women teachers, then doctors, writers and women working in the publishing
were leading ones at the LSS . Among more rare professions were first professional artists and a few
lawyers. Social environment in the beginning of the XX century was not as important as earlier, therefore
members of the LSS were wealthy and noble women as well as women peasant and city workwomen. Social
environment partially determined women’s education. To study they had to go to the Western Europe and
this required sufficient financial funds. Among LSS members we can found the first women doctors of
science in medicine – Ms. Burbaitė, sisters Janulaitytė and they came from peasants.
It can be stated that women’s role in the LSS was not episodic. They joined the scientific society not as
extras but because of their goals and aspirations to be implemented. They performed the mission of the
national scientific work the best they could. Later after the political situation changed in 1918 in Lithuania,
the nature of the LSS ’s activity also started changing and LSS ’ women can be seen working in different
scientific fields.
