When the act for re-establishment of the State of Lithuania came up, statesman and scholar, Vytautas Landsbergis was at the forefront. He served as the first Lithuanian highest officer of State after they gained Independence from the Soviet Union.
As a Lithuanian, Landsbergis has served in many capacities for the country. In addition to serving as a signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, Vytautas was also chairman for the then-newly-formed reformation party known as Sajudis.
As one of the leaders of Lithuania to freedom, he has authored many books including some about that era. Interestingly, the 91-year-old man started off playing pianos as he schooled in the Lithuanian Conservatory of Music.
Vytautas Hails from an Old Influential German Family of Landsberg
Landsbergis was born on October 18, 1932 in Kaunas, Lithuania. His parents are Dr. Ona Jablonskyte-Landsbergiene who was an ophthalmologist and Architect Vytautas Landsbergis-Zemkalnis.
The Landsberg family has a long German history which describes them as a noble family. They hail from Westphalia and settled in Courland. Later, most of the members moved to Lithuania, and others to Poland.
His mother and her sister were responsible for helping and sheltering Jewish girls during the holocaust. The girls were Avivit Kissin who was a child when she was saved and then given a Lithuanian birth certificate. The other Jewish girl was then 16-year-old Bella Gurvich (Rozenberg) who was kept hidden for a while, by Vytautas’ mother.
Vytautas’ Schooling, Early Life, and Career
Vytautas Landsbergis attended J. Gruodis Music School in his native city. After that, he attended the Lithuanian Conservatory of Music which is now known as the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, in 1950.
While there, he learned how to play the piano and was quite good at it. He was a student there until 1955 but 2 years prior, he showed prowess in a game of chess.
The politician participated in a Lithuanian Chess championship competition in 1952. During the competition, Vytautas came third and was only behind professional chess players, Vladas Mikenas and Ratmir Dmitrievich Kholmov.
In 1978, he became a professor at the Lithuanian Conservatory after finishing his PhD degree 9 years prior. He worked at the conservatory for 12 years until 1990, teaching piano.
In addition to working at the conservatory, Landsbergis also worked as a professor at the Vilnius Pedagogical University.
In 1994, Vytautas wrote another thesis for his doctoral habilitus degree. His writing skills transcended into being an author of about 20 books over the years.
Vytautas Joined Politics in 1988
When he was asked why he went into politics, the author responded by saying it was a normal evolution. He found this normal because he was a part of the fight for freedom from the Soviet Union.
To him and many others, freedom was a common idea and an achievable goal and he made sure to see it through.
On June 3, 1988, he was selected to be part of the steering group of Lietuvos Persitvarkymo Sajudis known as the Lithuanian Reform Movement. By November of the same year, during the movement’s inaugural conference, Landsbergis was named the group’s chairman.
This was the beginning of many years of his political career and activism.
On August 6, 1989, he and some representatives from Lithuania and the diaspora signed the Gotland Communique on the Swedish Island. With this, Vytautas’ goal in life became to restore independence to his country, from the Soviet Union.
He and a host of others fought for independence and finally got it on March 11, 1990. With this, they also made it possible for other republics under the Soviet Union to fight for, and gain their independence.
This fight did not come easy as expected but Landsbergis and his loyal members fought tirelessly.
He rose to the position of the first head of state and also the speaker of the parliament at the same time. This came after he headed the parliamentary session that oversaw the restoration of his country’s independence from the Soviet Union.
Landsbergis Lost his Wife in 2020
Vytautas was married to Grazina Rucyte-Landsbergiene, a well-known pianist from Lithuania. She was an associate professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.
The couple bore 3 children, 2 of whom are girls known as Jurate and Birute who are musicians. His son, Vytautas is a writer and film director.
Their family’s reputation can be traced down to even his grandson who follows in his political footsteps. The boy named Gabrielius Landsbergis is the leader of the conservative party, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, as well as a member of the Lithuanian Parliament.
He also has a granddaughter named Elena Landsbergyte-Bukauskiene who is a doctor. She received an honorary diploma from Yale for her grandfather in 2022.
On March 13, 2020, the first head of state of Lithuania lost his wife. She lived to be 90 years old as she was born on January 28, 1930.
Vytautas Landsbergis Served as the Head of Many Important Organizations and Movements
The former politician served many important positions while playing a role in the politics of his country. He created and was the first Chairman of the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania from March 1990 to November 1992.
In November 1996, Landsbergis became the Speaker of the Seimas and he remained that until October 2000.
In May 1993, Vytautas became the chairman of the Homeland Union. He remained this head until May 2003. He was the first person to hold this position.
From April 28, 2003, till June 30, 2014, Vytautas Landsbergis was a member of the European Parliament for Lithuania.
