Moterys ir Lietuvių mokslo draugija

Abstract

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.