- Vincas Kudirka
Vincas Kudirka (
Paežeriai , OldStyleDate|31 December|1858|19 December - Naumiestis, OldStyleDate|16 November|1899|4 November) was aLithuania n poet and physician, and the author of both the music and lyrics of the LithuanianNational Anthem , "Tautiška giesmė ". He is regarded in Lithuania as a National Hero. Kudrika usedpen name s - V. Kapsas, Paežerių Vincas, Vincas Kapsas, P.Vincas,Varpas, Q.D, K., V.K, Perkūnas.He began studying history and philosophy in
Warsaw in 1881, but changed his major and began studyingmedicine the following year. During his studies, he was arrested as a subversive for having a copy of "Das Kapital " in his possession, and was expelled from theUniversity of Warsaw , but later re-admitted [cite web |url=http://anthology.lms.lt/texts/22/autor.html |title= Vincas Kudirka |accessdate=2008-06-13 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=Lithuanian Classic Literature Anthology] . He graduated in 1889, and worked as a country doctor inŠakiai and Naumiestis.Kudirka began writing poetry in 1888. Simultaneously he became more active in the
Lithuanian national rebirth movement. Together with other Lithuanian students in Warsaw, he founded the secret society "Lietuva" ("Lithuania"). The following year the society began publishing the clandestine newspaper "Varpas " ("The Bell")cite encyclopedia |last= |first= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Lituanica |title=Vincas Kudirka |url=http://www.spaudos.lt/Istorija/Vincas_Kudirka.en.htm |accessdate=2008-06-13 |edition= |date= |year=1970-1978 |publisher= |volume=4 |location=Boston |id= |doi= |pages= |quote= ] , which Kudirka edited and contributed to for the next ten years. In issue number 6 of "Varpas", in September 1898, he published the text of "Tautiška Giesmė", which would officially become in 1918, the Lithuanian National Anthem, set to music written by Kudirka himself for aviolin .Kudirka gave much to Lithuanian culture, and also published a collection of Lithuanian popular songs. He was also a noted writer of satire.
He died of
tuberculosis on November 16, 1899, at age 40. The second verse of "Tautiška Giesmė" was engraved on his gravestone.References
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