Klaipėdos universitetas

The article is devoted to the research of the Polish-Lithuanian relations after 1989. Political changes after 1989, especially the communism collapse in Central-Eastern Europe, the Germany unification and the Soviet Union disintegration brought Poland and Lithuania to a new geopolitical situation. After the liberation from Soviet domination, Poland and Lithuania came over the similar development way. The history of the latest period proved that Poles and Lithuanians can organise their social, economic and political life in spite of many troubles. Poles and Lithuanians, based on the past experience, will be able to ensure the prosperous future for reciprocal Polish-Lithuanian relations based on positive examples, the equal partnership status and similar aspirations and endeavours.

The Polish-Lithuanian relations in the 20-year-long interval period between the World Wars were extremely difficult and controversial. The reasons behind this were of historical and legal nature. The politics of the independent Republic of Lithuania (1918-1940) were mainly aimed at restricting the position of the Polish minority. Under these circumstances the Poles were struggling to sustain their national identity by means of, for example, establishing various organizations of cultural and educational profile. Such initiatives were undertaken within the students’ society at the University of Kovno (Kaunas). Polish students participated vigorously in the university’s activities. Throughout the years, starting with 1927, they were elected to Students’ Representative body and from the 1st of April 1927 they issued their own periodical by the title of “Iskry” (“Žiežirbos”, “The Sparks”).