Vytautas Landsbergis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vytautas Landsbergis
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Official portrait, 2014
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| Chairman of the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas | |
| In office 11 March 1990 – 25 November 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Post created
Antanas Smetona (in 1940, last legal President) |
| Succeeded by | Algirdas Brazauskas (as the Speaker of the Seimas and acting President of Lithuania) |
| Speaker of the Seimas | |
| In office 25 November 1996 – 19 October 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Česlovas Juršėnas |
| Succeeded by | Artūras Paulauskas |
| Chairman of the Homeland Union | |
| In office 1 May 1993 – 24 May 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Post created |
| Succeeded by | Andrius Kubilius |
| Member of the European Parliament for Lithuania |
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| In office 28 April 2003 – 30 June 2014 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 October 1932 Kaunas, Lithuania |
| Political party | Sąjūdis (1988–1993) Homeland Union (1993–present) |
| Spouse | Gražina Ručytė-Landsbergienė |
| Alma mater | Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (1955) |
| Awards | Star of Lithuanian Diplomacy (2017) |
| Signature |  |
Vytautas Landsbergis (born 18 October 1932) is a Lithuanian politician. He was the first leader of Lithuania after it declared its independence from the Soviet Union. He served as the Chairman of the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas. Landsbergis has written many books about politics, music, and other topics. He is also known for being a founding member of the Prague Declaration, which promotes freedom and democracy.
Contents
About Vytautas Landsbergis
Vytautas Landsbergis was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. His father, Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis, was a famous architect. His mother, Dr. Ona Jablonskytė-Landsbergienė, was an eye doctor. She helped hide Jewish children during the Holocaust. For her brave actions, she was recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations. This special title is given to non-Jewish people who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Landsbergis studied music at the Lithuanian Conservatory of Music. This school is now called the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. He graduated in 1955. Later, he became a professor there in 1978. He also taught at the Vilnius Pedagogical University.
Landsbergis's Family
Vytautas Landsbergis was married to Gražina Ručytė-Landsbergienė. She was a well-known pianist and also taught at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. She passed away in 2020.
His daughters, Jūratė and Birutė, are also musicians. His son, Vytautas V. Landsbergis, is a writer and film director. His grandson, Gabrielius Landsbergis, is also a politician. He was the leader of a conservative party and served as the Foreign Minister of Lithuania.
Political Journey
Vytautas Landsbergis started his political career in 1988. He was one of the people who started Sąjūdis. This was a big movement in Lithuania that wanted independence from the Soviet Union. In 1990, Sąjūdis won the elections. Landsbergis then became the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Lithuania.
On 11 March 1990, he led the parliamentary meeting where Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union. This made Lithuania the first Soviet Republic to become independent. Landsbergis was the highest leader of the state and the Speaker of the Parliament. He held this important position until November 1992.
The Soviet Union tried to stop Lithuania's independence by blocking trade in 1990. However, this did not work. Other Soviet Republics soon followed Lithuania and declared their own independence. Landsbergis also played a key role during the confrontation in January 1991. During this time, Soviet forces tried to stop the independence movement.
In 1993, Landsbergis helped create a new political party called the Homeland Union. This party won a big victory in the 1996 elections. Landsbergis then served as the Speaker of the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) from 1996 to 2000. He also ran for president in 1997 but did not win.
From 2004 to 2014, Landsbergis was elected to the European Parliament in Brussels. He represented Lithuania there. He is also known for being a strong critic of Russia's influence on the Baltic states. He believes Russia might try to control Lithuania and other Baltic countries. Landsbergis has often called for Russia to pay for the damage caused during the Soviet occupation.
Efforts to Ban Symbols
In 2005, Vytautas Landsbergis suggested that Communist symbols should be banned in the European Union. He thought they should be banned just like Nazi symbols. He wrote a letter to the European Commissioner of Justice and Internal Affairs about this idea. The Commissioner was interested, saying that Communist dictatorships caused many deaths, similar to Nazi ones.
However, this idea caused a lot of discussion. Some political groups in Italy strongly disagreed. The Russian Parliament also opposed the proposal. They said that some people had forgotten who helped save them from the fascists.
In the end, the European Commission decided not to ban any symbols. They realized there was no agreement on which symbols to ban. There were also concerns that such a ban might limit freedom of expression.
Honours and Awards
Vytautas Landsbergis has received many important awards and honours from Lithuania and other countries. These awards recognize his contributions to his country and to democracy.
National Honours
- He has received the highest honours from Lithuania, including the Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Vytautas the Great.
Foreign Honours
- He has been awarded high honours from countries like Estonia, France, Greece, Latvia, and Poland. These include the Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour from France.
Awards
- Landsbergis has also received international awards. These include the Robert Schuman Medal from the European People's Party. He also received the Presidents Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in the United States.
Honorary Doctorates
Landsbergis has been given honorary doctorates from many universities around the world. This means these universities recognized his achievements and contributions. Some of these universities include:
- Loyola University Chicago (United States)
- Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania)
- Yale University (United States)
- Helsinki University (Finland)
- Cardiff University (Wales)
- Sorbonne (France)
Images for kids
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Vytautas Landsbergis playing piano in Sanok, Poland, in 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Vytautas Landsbergis para niños
