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60-501: The beginnings of serfdom in Lithuania can be traced from the end of the 14th century when Grand Dukes would gift land and peasants, known as veldamai , to Lithuanian nobles for their military service (cf. benefice ). The practice was particularly popular during the reign of Vytautas (reigned 1392–1430) and Casimir Jagiellon (reigned 1440–1492). Grand Dukes also issued a series of privileges transferring veldamai further under control of

120-485: A cadastre . Intruding parcels of land belonging to a noble were moved elsewhere to form a unified tract of land. This tract was then divided. The land around the manor was assigned to folwark (Grand Duke's farm). Regulations said that each volok of folwark should have seven peasant voloks. Land assigned to peasant farms (the village) was located further from the manor. The surveyors attempted to draw as correct rectangle as possible. Peasant houses were often moved to form

180-474: A linear settlement along the single road. The peasant land was divided into three equal fields to facilitate the three-field system of crop rotation. Each field was then divided into strips ( Lithuanian : rėžius ) and assigned to each serf household. That way each serf was assigned a strip in each field; the three strips measured one volok (about 21.38 hectares (52.8 acres)). Wealthier serfs with enough manpower were sometimes assigned additional land outside of

240-565: A serf . The term veldamas is derived from Lithuanian word veldėti , valda and means "to rule something". East Slavic texts of the Grand Duchy loaned the word as велдомы (plural; singular: велдом). The term gradually disappeared after the Volok Reform in 1557, but it was still used in Postilė by Mikalojus Daukša (1599) to denote a subordinate. Veldamai were different from kaimynai ,

300-509: A Gediminas' Cap in the Vilnius Cathedral on his head, despite the Polish nobility 's opposition. Another documented inauguration is the enthronement of Alexander Jagiellon in 1492. Alexander was appointed Grand Duke by his father, nevertheless, a formal election of the ruler was held as part of a general assembly, which was attended for the first time by representatives from all the lands of

360-418: A class of peasants also under control of the nobles, as kaimynai did not own their land and had to rent it from the nobles. Veldamai had some personal freedoms and rights. Their daughters could marry anyone their families approved upon a payment of kriena , a wedding tribute to the noble. The nobles could not usurp their property, including land, animals, and tools, or transform them into a šeimynykštis ,

420-544: A constitutional monarchy in Lithuania and invite Mindaugas II to take his throne. Political commentator Česlovas Iškauskas responded: In 1918, Germany exerted great influence. But now the idea of re-establishing the constitutional monarchy as well as the activities of the "Palace of the Kingdom of Lithuania" to me seems like a game when you have nothing better to do. At the moment Lithuania has much more important issues—it needs to think how to withstand current threats, not about

480-699: A jointly elected monarch in the Election sejm on his accession to the throne, thus losing its former institutional significance, however the Union of Lublin guaranteed that the institution and the title "Grand Duke of Lithuania" will be preserved. The demand of a separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł , Eustachy Wołłowicz , Jan Karol Chodkiewicz , Konstanty Ostrogski ) during

540-458: A new monarchy. Prince Inigo von Urach , the grandson of Wilhelm von Urach (Mindaugas II), claims that according to Almanach de Gotha he remains to be the rightful claimant to the Lithuanian throne and is willing to become King of Lithuania, if the nation wants him to. To quote him from an interview for LRT , "It's not my thing to decide it [the idea of officially being crowned King], that's

600-733: A part of either Prussia or Saxony , which for 123 years remained to be a part of the Russian Empire following the Third Partition of the Polish−Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. In an attempt to avoid becoming a province but remain on good terms with Germany, the Council of Lithuania decided to establish a separate constitutional monarchy with Wilhelm von Urach as King with his residence being in Verkiai Palace . According to

660-679: A pastoral exhortation over him. Then the Grand Marshal of Lithuania Petras Jonaitis Mantigirdaitis handed Alexander a bare sword and a sceptre. Subsequently, the Poles considered electing Alexander Jagiellon as the King of Poland, however instead of him John I Albert was elected as the King of Poland in August 1492 and this led to another termination of the Polish–Lithuanian union. Stryjkowski also relayed

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720-412: A peasant owning one volok had to work 2 days a week in the folwark ( corvée ; Lithuanian : lažas ), depending on land quality pay between 4 and 24 grosz of feudal land rent ( Lithuanian : činšas ), and pay tribute by oats and hay ( Lithuanian : dėkla ). These feodal services increased significantly during the years. Veldamai Veldamas (plural: veldamai ) was a form of landownership in

780-526: A single bi- federation , known as the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , which had existed for the next 226 years. The Union included constitutional changes such as creating a formal elective monarchy , which would simultaneously reign over both parties. Following the death of Sigismund II in 1572, a joint Polish–Lithuanian monarch was to be elected as in the Union of Lublin it was agreed that the title "Grand Duke of Lithuania" will be received by

840-514: A symbolic declaration of allegiance. Vytautas himself sought to officially establish his reign by coronation at least three times. All three attempts were unsuccessful because the political situation was much more complicated—by this point the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland were under a joint rule of Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Jogaila ( Władysław II Jagiełło ) with

900-511: A type of patrimonial slaves. The nobles could not buy or exchange veldamai without official approval from the Grand Duke of his officials. A series of privileges to the nobles restricted veldamai right to move or buy their freedom: they could not leave to estates of other nobles or of the Grand Duke. The nobles were also granted the right to decide court trials involving veldamai as the Grand Duke promised not to interfere. These privileges were

960-477: The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle , Mindaugas' father was a great king who "had no equal in his time." As the territory of Lithuania expanded eastwards, other king-titled grand dukes who ruled the country adopted similar titles for introducing themselves abroad. For instance, Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytenis was sometimes regarded as Rex Lethowinorum (King of Lithuanians) while his successor Gediminas took

1020-451: The Polish crown was also announced as a property of both the Polish and Lithuanian nobles. In 1564, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus renounced his rights to the hereditary Lithuanian throne—the separate inauguration ceremony and insignia for Grand Duke of Lithuania were abolished. On 1 July 1569, Sigismund II Augustus united both of the countries into

1080-545: The Teutonic Order and of Livonia by the Livonian Brothers were coming to an end, both Catholic religious orders began posing an existential threat to then-pagan Lithuania. In response, Duke Mindaugas, who by then had managed to strengthen his grip in various Baltic and Slavic lands, sought to consolidate power and unite Lithuania into one political entity, convert to Christianity , and become king. In 1250 or 1251, he

1140-470: The Union of Lublin and will have the right to select a separate monarch. On 29 May 1580, bishop Merkelis Giedraitis in the Vilnius Cathedral presented Grand Duke Stephen Báthory (King of Poland since 1 May 1576) a luxuriously decorated sword and a hat adorned with pearls (both were sanctified by Pope Gregory XIII himself), while this ceremony manifested the sovereignty of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had

1200-507: The council of lords . The cap was placed on the ruler's head by the Bishop of Vilnius, while the Grand Marshal presented him with a sword. Following the Union of Lublin , which formed the federative Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, and the death of the last Gediminid ruler Sigismund II Augustus in 1572, separate inaugurations in Vilnius Cathedral were abolished, therefore Gediminas' Cap lost its ceremonial significance. The insignias of

1260-634: The 14th century, Gediminas would send his letters proclaiming to be "King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians." In November 1918, the State Council left the question of Mindaugas II to the Constituent Assembly . And while it is true that the latter declared Lithuania to be a democratic republic on 15 May 1920, I have never heard of the Constituent Assembly officially denouncing the State Council's declaration of 11 July 1918, which called to create

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1320-534: The Crown being in Kraków , Poland. As a consequence, the idea of a fully-fledged Lithuanian monarchy as well as Poland losing its influence over its neighbour was met with fierce resistance from the Polish nobles. The first time coronation was planned on 8 September 1430, but after one of the delegations that transported the crown learned that the first delegation was robbed on its way to Lithuania, they returned to Nuremberg . In

1380-463: The Grand Duchy. The course of the ceremony was documented by Maciej Stryjkowski , who reported that after the election lords elevated Alexander in the cathedral. The newly elected ruler was dressed "in a ducal cap with pearls and precious stones set in it, also the usual robe that today the princes of the Reich wear at the imperial coronation ." Then Bishop of Vilnius Wojciech Tabor blessed him and held

1440-438: The Grand Duke's lands. It was made a law on 1 April 1557 and the process continued until the 1580s. The Grand Duke was declared the owner of all peasants and their land thereby eliminating any remnants of allodial titles . The nobles that could not prove their noble status or land ownership had their land confiscated and their status reduced to a peasant. The Grand Duke's land was measured, evaluated for quality, and registered in

1500-515: The Grand Dukes (by Sigismund Kęstutaitis in 1434, Casimir IV Jagiellon in 1447, Alexander Jagiellon in 1492, Sigismund I the Old in 1507) released veldamai from their taxes to the state. All the income veldamai produced was owned by the noble, but veldamai retained other duties to the state, like building and repairing roads, bridges, or castles. The first Statute of Lithuania (1529) confirmed

1560-451: The Great by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor , and Mindaugas II by Pope Benedict XV . Others were seen as kings of Lithuania even though they had only considered it and never took further action to claim the throne, as in the case of Gediminas who was recognised as king of Lithuania by Pope John XXII . The hereditary monarchy in Lithuania was first established in the 13th century during

1620-402: The Great consisted of Gediminas' Cap, sword, ring, flag, and seal. The first inauguration ceremony of a Lithuanian Grand Duke about which there is reliable information is that of Casimir IV Jagiellon , as reported by Jan Długosz . Casimir IV was sent by his older brother King of Poland and Hungary, Supreme Duke of Lithuania Władysław III , to Lithuania to rule in his name. But instead he

1680-498: The Latin title of Rex Lithuanorum et Multorum Ruthenorum (King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians ). Teutonic Knights referred to Algirdas and his wife Uliana ( Julijona ) as "Grand King of Lithuania" and "Grand Queen of Lithuania". Even though it is traditionally accepted that Mindaugas was the only true king, all historical records, with the exception of Slavic annals, mention Lithuanian rulers as kings until 1386. Officially,

1740-676: The Lithuania Following the Act of Krėva with Poland in 1385, the full Latin title was changed to Dei Gratia Rex Poloniae Magnus Dux Lithuaniae ( By the Grace of God , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania). The title of the Grand Duke of Lithuania mostly came into force during the reign of Grand Duke Vytautas the Great , who concluded the Ostrów Agreement with his cousin Jogaila in 1392 and

1800-497: The Lithuanian monarchy. According to the senate marshal of the organization "Palace of the Kingdom of Lithuania", Stanislovas Švedarauskas: Can we present the specific date when the Kingdom of Lithuania of the Middle Ages ceased to exist and when did the Lithuanian 20th-century constitutional monarchy end? In the words of historians, when Mindaugas I died in 1263, the Kingdom had disappeared as well. However, after almost 100 years, in

1860-594: The Lithuanian rulers were not preserved and following the Union of Lublin only the seal (kept by the Grand Chancellor of Lithuania ) and the flag (carried near the ruler by the Grand Flag Bearer of Lithuania) remained. The demand of a separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł , Eustachy Wołłowicz , Jan Karol Chodkiewicz , Konstanty Ostrogski ) during

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1920-586: The Poles in the Election sejm , the Lithuanians will not be obliged by an oath of the Union of Lublin and will have the right to select a separate monarch. On 29 May 1580, a ceremony was held in the Vilnius Cathedral during which bishop Merkelis Giedraitis presented Stephen Báthory (King of Poland since 1 May 1576) a luxuriously decorated sword and a hat adorned with pearls (both were sanctified by Pope Gregory XIII himself), while this ceremony manifested

1980-567: The Supreme Duke of Lithuania title when his son Sigismund II Augustus was his vicegerent in Lithuania. The inaugurations of the Lithuanian monarchs were held in Vilnius Cathedral and consisted of the placement of Gediminas' Cap on the Lithuanian monarch's head and the presentation of a sword . The cap was placed on the head by the Bishop of Vilnius and the sword was presented by the Grand Marshal of Lithuania . The regalia of Vytautas

2040-547: The agreement was confirmed in the Pact of Vilnius and Radom in 1401. Since then Jogaila was titled the Supreme Duke of Lithuania ( supremus dux Lithuaniae ). Vytautas the Great gained the factual rule of Lithuania, which was recognized by the treaties. In 1398, the Lithuanian nobility declared Vytautas the Great as the King of Lithuania and, following the Congress of Lutsk in 1429,

2100-448: The cap was: "of red velvet with gold spheres set with precious stones". The last ceremony to elevate a grand duke took place on 18 October 1529, when Sigismund Augustus was elevated to this dignity during his father's lifetime. The ceremony occurred in the great hall of the newly built lower castle , as the cathedral burned down that same year. The young Sigismund Augustus sat on the throne between his parents, surrounded by members of

2160-552: The country's official language as well as not leaving the state for more than two months per year without the permission of the government. As the war ended, it became clear that Germany was losing. On 5 October 1918, in the Reichstag , the new Chancellor of Germany Maximilian of Baden announced that his state acknowledged the right of nations to self-determination and supported their efforts of becoming independent countries. Soon afterwards, Germany expressed its official support for

2220-527: The crowning was sanctioned by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor . However, Vytautas died before the crown arrived. Jogaila's son Władysław III also titled himself as the Supreme Duke of Lithuania. John I Albert unilaterally declared himself as the Supreme Duke of Lithuania in 1492, but this title was rejected by the Lithuanian Council of Lords . In 1544–1548, Sigismund I the Old expressed his supreme monarchical authority in Lithuania by again using

2280-513: The current Constitution of Lithuania , and has no monarchy. The full title held by king of Lithuania from 1253 to 1263 was: In Lithuanian : Iš Dievo malonės, Lietuvos karalius In Latin : Dei Gratia Rex Lettowiae In English : By the Grace of God, King of the Lithuania The first mention of a Lithuanian king predates the establishment of the Christian kingdom itself: according to

2340-414: The designated village; these farms were known as beyond-border ( Lithuanian : užusienis ). Poorer serfs shared one volok between 2 or 3 families. On average, each serf household had about 16 hectares (40 acres). Since land was owned by the Grand Duke, peasants had to perform services and pay dues to the landowner in exchange for their use of their farms. The unit of such services was one volok. Initially,

2400-410: The early stages of Lithuanian serfdom . The term describes a peasant family with its land and other belongings granted by the Grand Duke of Lithuania to his loyal followers, usually as a reward for military service. The peasant retained ownership of his property, including land, but owed taxes and levies imposed by the noble. Veldamas was a middle stage between laukininkas (a free peasant) and

2460-604: The economic initiative from agriculture to trade and industry. Merchants began focusing on importing raw materials and exporting finished goods . As a result, the demand for agricultural products, primarily grain, had increased. That presented an opportunity for the Lithuanian nobles. Their economic activity shifted from military service (taking share of war loot, receiving benefices from Grand Duke) to agriculture (growing and exporting grain to foreign markets). There were significant motivations to expand arable land and ensure cheap and permanent workforce. The reform began in 1547 in

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2520-400: The election and inauguration of Sigismund I as Grand Duke of Lithuania on 20 October 1509. The ceremony was again attended by Bishop Wojciech Tabor, who this time not only blessed but also placed a cap on the ruler's head. In turn, Grand Marshal Michael Glinski presented him with a sword. Sigismund received the oath of the Lithuanian lords while sitting on the throne. According to Stryjkowski,

2580-515: The idea of being a satellite monarchy and establish a fully independent republic instead. Although there are no monarchist parties in modern Lithuania, there is a monarchist movement, which is in favor of re-establishing the short-lived monarchy of 1918. The movement alongside the Lithuanian Royal Union of Nobility believe that the current Lithuanian state did not undergo all of the complicated and necessary procedures to truly abolish

2640-514: The independence of Lithuania. Furthermore, the diplomats of France had also unambiguously proclaimed to the Council of Lithuania and the Parliament that having a monarch of German descent would be seen as unacceptable. On 2 November 1918, as it became apparent that King-elect Mindaugas himself was hesitant to arrive in Lithuania for his coronation due to political unrest, the Council decided to abandon

2700-598: The legal basis for serfdom . The practice was initiated by Grand Dukes Jogaila and Skirgaila , but gained popularity under Vytautas the Great in early 15th century. This coincided with growing demand for agricultural products prompted by developing cities in Western Europe. Noblemen–soldiers shifted to noblemen–landlords. Soldiers were no longer satisfied with sharing spoils of war and demanded land ownership, which would provide steady income during years of peace. Vytautas put veldamai system into use when he centralized

2760-518: The meaning of elevation of the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, this way ignoring the stipulations of the Union of Lublin. Nevertheless, per Union of Lublin the rulers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were elected in joint Polish–Lithuanian election sejms until the Third Partition in 1795 and received separate titles of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. During the coronations of joint Polish–Lithuanian monarchs ,

2820-533: The monarchical head of state of Lithuania , which was established as an absolute and hereditary monarchy . Throughout Lithuania's history there were three ducal dynasties —the House of Mindaugas , the House of Gediminas , and the House of Jagiellon . Despite this, the one and only crowned king of Lithuania was King Mindaugas I . In two more instances, royal nobles were not crowned due to political circumstances, but held de jure recognition abroad — Vytautas

2880-461: The negotiations of the Union of Lublin, however it was not officially included into it. Nevertheless, before the 1576 Polish–Lithuanian royal election a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held on 20 April 1576 in Grodno which adopted an Universal, signed by the participating Lithuanian nobles, which announced that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will feel pressure from

2940-432: The negotiations of the Union of Lublin, however it was not officially included into it. On 20 April 1576 a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held in Grodno which adopted an Universal, signed by the participating Lithuanian nobles, which announced that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will feel pressure from the Poles in the Election sejm , the Lithuanians will not be obliged by an oath of

3000-511: The nobles. That allowed the nobles to establish large estates that had up to a few hundred peasant households (for example, Upninkai and Musninkai of Radvilos ). The wealthiest nobles became magnates . According to estimated by Jerzy Ochmański based on the military census of 1528 , the magnates (less than 1% of nobility) controlled about 30% of nobility landholdings. At the same time, there were significant developments in Western Europe. The Age of Discovery and Commercial Revolution shifted

3060-402: The privileges granted to the nobles and discontinued the tradition of creating new veldamai . In 1547 peasants lost the right to buy or sell their land. Eventually, Volok Reform , begun in 1557, established full-scale serfdom in the Grand Duchy. Differences between šeimynykštis , kaimynas , and veldamas disappeared. Grand Duke of Lithuania The monarchy of Lithuania concerned

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3120-516: The reign of Mindaugas I and officially re-established as a constitutional monarchy on 11 July 1918, only to be abandoned soon afterwards on 2 November 1918. During the inaugurations of Lithuanian monarchs until 1569, Gediminas' Cap was placed on the monarch's head by the Bishop of Vilnius in Vilnius Cathedral . Lithuania in the present day is a representative democracy in a semi-presidential system based on popular sovereignty , as defined in

3180-556: The same year of October, Vytautas up until his death had planned his coronation at least two more times but with no success. In 1526, the Lithuanian Council of Lords suggested King Sigismund I the Old to grant the Grand Duchy of Lithuania the status of a kingdom, but such a proposal was rejected by the ruling Jagiellonian dynasty. During the First World War , the German Empire wanted Lithuania proper to be annexed and become

3240-705: The sovereignty of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had the meaning of elevation of the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, this way ignoring the stipulations of the Union of Lublin. During the Deluge of the Second Northern War , the Commonwealth temporarily disintegrated in 1655 when the magnates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania signed the Union of Kėdainiai with the Swedish Empire and became its protectorate with Charles X Gustav serving as Grand Duke of Lithuania. It

3300-410: The state by replacing local princes with loyal governors, owning their fortune to the Grand Duke. Persons awarded veldamai became members of the Lithuanian nobility . Some veldamai were also gifted to churches. Veldamai were put into difficult position as they owed taxes both to the state ( sidabrinė – tax in silver and dėkla – tax in grain) and their local noble. A series of privileges by

3360-514: The title of Grand Duke of Lithuania was introduced after the Pact of Horodło in 1413. Until then, previous monarchs were called by different titles, including kings. This was because in Lithuania, unlike in the majority of other European monarchies, the Grand Duke was a sovereign monarch who was accountable to no one, thus de facto king. The full title of Grand Duke of Lithuania was: In Lithuanian : Lietuvos didysis kunigaikštis In Latin : Magnus Dux Lithuaniae In English : Grand Duke of

3420-447: The twelve-point document resembling the rudiments of a Constitution, the Kingdom of Lithuania was supposed to have had a bicameral legislature with a representative role of the monarch. Wilhelm von Urach was also presented with conditions such as adopting the title of Mindaugas II, letting his children to a Lithuanian school, only appointing courtiers , ministers and other high-ranking public officials who are Lithuanian citizens and speak

3480-632: Was baptised as a Roman Catholic. In 1253, probably in Vilnius or Novogrudok , he and his wife Morta were crowned King and Queen, thus establishing a short-lived alliance with the Livonian Order . This laid the basis for the international recongnition of the newly created Kingdom of Lithuania as a Western country. Some historical documents suggest that at the time of signing the Treaty of Salynas in 1398, Lithuanian nobles had acknowledged Vytautas as their King as

3540-576: Was elected as Grand Duke upon his arrival to Vilnius on 29 June 1440, with the ringing of church bells and the singing of the Te Deum laudamus . This was breaching the agreements of the Union of Grodno (1432) and terminating the Polish–Lithuanian union . It manifested Lithuania as a sovereign state and its ruler Casimir IV Jagiellon stressed himself as a "free lord" ( pan – dominus ). According to historian Edvardas Gudavičius , Bishop of Vilnius put

3600-416: Was short-lived because Sweden lost the war. The Commonwealth permanently ceased to exist in 1795, following its third partition by the neighbouring powers, Prussia , Russia and Austria . Following the partitions, the lands of ethnic Lithuania were divided— Lithuania proper became a part of the Russian Empire while Sudovia became a part of the Kingdom of Prussia . As the conquests of Prussia by

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