Venskus

Venskus, a common Lithuanian surname, is the shortened Lithuanian translation of the Polish name, Wenceslaus. Wenceslaus II (1271-1305), King of Bohemia, crowned himself King of Poland in 1300. In an attempt to strengthen the power of the Crown, Wenceslaus II undertook a series of initiatives to undermine provincial authority in Lithuania. Such policies threatened the very existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The name Venskus has served to strengthen the inherent natural rivalry between Poland and Lithuania, particularly in the Interwar period.