Mykolas Römeris - Vytauto Didžiojo Universiteto rektorius

Abstract

Mykolas Römeris was one of the most exceptional and colorful personalities in the history of Lithuania. Even before the First World War he was positively involved in politics and distinguished himself as an eloquent publicist. Later he became known as a good constitutional law expert, a pedagogue, and a university manager. Römeris was very active and talented in various fields. Practically all his life he was involved in at least several activities at any given time, and during the period of the First Republic of Lithuania in particular he managed to achieve a lot. Mykolas Römeris was elected rector of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) for three terms in 1927 – 1928, 1933 – 1936, and 1936 – 1939. Here he distinguished himself as a good pedagogue, an authoritative specialist, a great organizer, and an influential social force. Although the period during which Römeris served as university rector was quite exceptional, his activities in those years have not been sufficiently studied. This essay attempts to begin filling this historiographical gap by analyzing VMU Senate reports, memoirs of Römeris’s contemporaries, interwar press articles, and other sources. The main conclusions are as follows. As rector of VMU, Mykolas Römeris tried to protect the university’s autonomy and to foster a peaceful academic life. He was on good terms with both professors and students; however he was strict with students who caused disturbances or instigated xenophobia. He not only encouraged students to form scholarly corporations, but also participated in various Lithuanian and foreign organizations himself and promoted the university’s cooperation with academic institutions in other countries.