Martynas Jankus or Martin Jankus (7 August 1858 in Bittehnen (Lit.: BitÃÂnai), near Ragnit â 23 May 1946 in Flensburg, Germany, reburied in BitÃÂnai cemetery on 30 May 1993) was a Prussian-Lithuanian printer, social activist and publisher in East Prussia, called the Patriarch of Lithuania Minor. He was one of the publishers of Auà ¡ra, the first Lithuanian-language newspaper for both Lithuania Minor and Lithuania Major. Jankus used various pen names, including V. Giedris, Martyneitis, BitÃÂnà ³ MerÃÂius, and Gyvoleitis.
After graduating from a primary school in BitÃÂnai, Jankus continued self-education. From the last decade of the 19th century he was an important figure in the pro-Lithuanian movement, and was close to the Lithuanian National Revival movement in Lithuania. He was one of the founders of several cultural organizations, including the BirutÃÂ Society, founded in 1885 in Tilsit. From 1889 to 1892 Jankus was its chairman. In 1890, together with Dovas Zaunius and Jonas Smalakis, Jankus founded the first Lithuanian political organization in East Prussia. He maintained active correspondence with Lithuanian Americans and activists of the Latvian, Polish and Belarusian national movements.
For his public activities Jankus was penalized by the Prussian authorities about forty times â arrests, monetary fines, and the like. He spent his earnings on the publication of Lithuanian books and newspapers during the Lithuanian press ban in Russia. Jankus was one of the suppliers for the knygneà ¡iai, smugglers of illegal books into Russia. After the Russian Empire occupied the KlaipÃÂda Region in December 1914, Jankus and his family were deported to Samara Governorate in Siberia, where his father and his youngest son Andrius died. In 1918, Jankus returned to his homeland, where he actively promoted the idea of incorporating Lithuania Minor into Lithuania proper. In November 1918, Jankus signed the Act of Tilsit. In 1920 he was co-opted into the Council of Lithuania and later became chairman of the Supreme Salvation Committee of Lithuania Minor. In 1925 Jankus returned to live in BitÃÂnai.
After the KlaipÃÂda Region was seized by Germany following the ultimatum of 1939, Jankus moved to Kaunas, the temporary capital of Lithuania. During the Nazi occupation he was forbidden to deliver public speeches. In 1944 he returned to BitÃÂnai and was forced to evacuate by Nazi authorities. Martynas Jankus died in Germany, but expressed his will to his daughter that his body should be burned and, when Lithuania had regained independence, his ashes should be moved to the BitÃÂnai cemetery.
During 1882 and 1883 Jankus published Lithuanian songs that he had collected himself. In 1883 he was one of the founders of Auà ¡ra, the first Lithuanian-language newspaper. Jankus not only supported the publication financially, but also served as its editor. He also published Auà ¡ros kalendorius (1884âÂÂ1885) and the newspaper Garsas (1886âÂÂ1887). Jankus was also behind the first Lithuanian-language satirical newspaper TetutÃÂ. Other newspapers published by Jankus include Naujoji Auà ¡ra (1892), Lietuvià ¡kas darbininkas (1894), à ªkininkà ³ prietelius, SaulÃÂteka (1900âÂÂ1902), Dienos lapas (1909âÂÂ1910, Jankus was an editor), Varpas and à ªkininkas. Jankus himself wrote forty-five books and booklets.
In 1889 he bought a printing house in Ragnit, which was later moved to Tilsit where it was active until 1892. Then the printing house was moved to Jankus' own house in BitÃÂnai, where it operated until 1909. At its peak, the house had three printing machines. It is estimated that Jankus's printing house published at least 360 books and twenty-five periodicals. During the Lithuanian press ban in Russia, BitÃÂnai also served as a warehouse for illegal Lithuanian books and the Auà ¡ra archives. After the Lithuanian press ban was lifted in 1904, the printing house lost its significance and went bankrupt in 1909. The equipment was sold in 1912.
Many works by Lithuanian authors were published for the first time by Jankus. Such works included the historical novel Senutàby Vydà «nas, over fifty booklets by Petras Vileià ¡is, the first chapter of Metai by Kristijonas Donelaitis, and other works by contemporary Lithuanian authors, including Jonas Bilià «nas, Lazdynà ³ PelÃÂda, GabrielàPetkeviÃÂaitÃÂ-BitÃÂ, Antanas Krià ¡ÃÂiukaitis-Aià ¡bÃÂ, and others.