Rebellious Count. 140th Anniversary of Prof. Antanas Gravrogkas

140^th Anniversary of Prof. Antanas Gravrogkas

18 May 2020 marks the 140^th anniversary of the birth of count, engineer, rifleman, Burmaster (Mayor) of Kaunas City, professor Antanas Julijonas Gravrogkas. On this occasion, KTU Museum organised a virtual exhibition so that people could learn about this extraordinary person who actively participated in the creation of the state of Lithuania and defence of its independence. The exhibition comprises 3 parts reflecting different periods of the life of prof. A. Gravrogkas. The first part “Origin, Family, Studies” reveal his aristocratic origin, shows the family of his parents, the period of studies and work activities before his return to Lithuania. The second part “Rifleman, Teacher, Burmaster” introduces the activities and achievements of A. Gravrogkas in independent Lithuania. The third part “In Occupied Lithuania” reveals the difficult life of the professor in occupied Lithuania. The exhibition displays the photographs and documents from KTU Museum and archive and the archive of the Gravrogkas Family. KTU Museum expresses its sincere gratitude to the grandson of A. Gravrogkas Anton von Gravrock for the copies of documents and photographs from their family archive.

Origin, Family, Studies

Antanas Julijonas Gravrogkas was born on 18 May 1880 in Šeduva, in the family of Count Kristupas Juozapas Karolis Gravrogkas and Baroness Julijona Goes. His ancestors owned lands in Germany since the 11^th century (several of their castles remain standing to this day). In the 17^th century, almost the entire northern part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania belonged to the ancestors of A. Gravrogkas; however, later, they lost their wealth and became more Polish. The father of A. Gravrogkas had 20 ha of land at Lieporai Manor; afterwards, he lived and worked as a hired white-collar worker in Telšiai and later, in Šiauliai. A. Gravrogkas studied at Telšiai School, later at Mintauja and Šiauliai Gymnasiums. As a pupil of the gymnasium, Antanas was a member of the secret Lithuanian circle, read and distributed the forbidden Lithuanian press. In 1990, he was admitted to the Mathematics Faculty at the Petersburg University; however, he was expelled in 1901 for the participation in student demonstrations and riots. The rebellious character of the young count was already evident then. Upon the return to his father in Lieporai, he helped with farming and prepared for the entrance examinations. In 1902, he was admitted to the Mechanical Department at Peterburg Institute of Technology. On 9 January 1905, during the suppression of a big demonstration in Peterburg because of the failure at the Japanese-Russian war, A. Gravrogkas had his finger injured by the Cossack sword. The institute was closed due to disturbances but Antanas remained in Peterburg where he participated in the activities of the Lithuanian Student Society, gave lectures to the Lithuanian workers. In December 1905, he participated in the Great Seimas of Vilnius and later distributed its decrees. He and other like-minded people gathered an armed squad in Kriaunai town, removed the teacher appointed by the Tzar rule and began teaching himself. He organised public rallies in Obeliai and Kamajai market places and parish assemblies. People called him Neznaika (Know-Nothing). Upon the arrival at the father’s manor, he was arrested by the Tzar gendarme but soon released for a bribe. In 1906, he cooperated in the newspapers published by the Social-Democrats in Vilnius. In 1910, after graduation from Peterburg Institute of Technology, he married Baroness Stefanija Gruzdytė and started living in Ekaterinoslav where he worked in the areas of mill construction and later, in metallurgy. In 1916, he moved to Smolensk where he worked as a senior engineer of the relocated Lithuanian “Vilija” and participated in the activities of the committee for support of the Lithuanian exiles.

Antanas Gravrogkas (1890–1958) – engineer mechanic, associate professor of the University of Lithuania (currently – Vytautas Magnus University), vice-president of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, one of the organisers of the Uprising of Klaipėda, Burmaster (Mayor) or Kaunas City, professor, associate professor of Kaunas National Vytautas Magnus University (later – Kaunas Polytechnical Institute). (The original is in KTU Museum)

Family crests: on the left – the crest of 1315 in Rhineland, on the right – Gravrogkai crest in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Gravrogkai family tree to 1697. (The original is in the archive of. Gravrogkas family

Tombstones of the ancestors of Gravrogkai in Germany: on the left – the tombstone of Christoff von Graurod, 1666, on the right – the fragment of the tombstone of Melchior von Graurod, 1578.

Teachers and pupils of Šiauliai Boys Gymnasium, circa 1899. In the last row (from the left): 5th – Antanas Gravrogkas, 8th – Konstantinas Šakenis. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Portraits of Antanas Julijonas Gravrogkas: on the left – a pupil of Šiauliai Gymnasium, on the right – a student of Peterburg Institute of Technology. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Gravrogkai family at Skapiškis Manor, 1902. In the centre – father Kristupas, next to him – son Antanas wearing the uniform of the student of Peterburg Institute of Technology. (Photograph from the Gravrogkai archive) (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

A letter by the LDK Chancellor Korybut Wiśniowiecki awarded to Count Krzystof Wladyslaw Grawrogk, 1733. (The original is in the Vrublevskis' Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences)

The castles of the ancestors of Gravrogkai in Germany: on the left – Hohenstein Castle which belonged to them in the 15th-17th centuries, on the right – Mantabaur Castle which belonged to them in the 15th-16th centuries.

The certificate of the Heraldry Department of Tzar Russia certifying the aristocratic origins issued to Antanas Julijonas Gravrogkas, 1899.

Gravrogkai family, 1908. In the second row from the left – Julijonas Gravrogkas, in the second row from the right – Antanas Gravrogkas. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Certificate of the internship of the student of Peterburg Institute of Technology A. Gravrogkas building the mill at Orenburg, 1910. (The original is in KTU archive)

The Lithuanian students of Peterburg Institute of Technology, 1910. From the left: T. Šulcas, J. Čiurlys, M. Juška, A. Gravrogkas, K. Šakenis, J. Gravrogkas. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Certificate of the metallurgy factory of Ekaterinburg stating that engineer A. Gravrogkas was the head of the Mechanical Workshop of this factory in 1912–1914, 1916. (The original is in KTU archive)

Certificate of the enterprise “Vilija” stating that A. Gravrogkas was the technical manager of this enterprise in 1916–1919, 1919. (The original is in KTU archive)

Rifleman, Teacher, Burmaster

In 1920, A. Gravrogkas returned to Lithuania and was arrested by the Lithuanian intelligence because he was transporting a bundle of communistic literature handed over by Vincas Mickevičius Kapsukas. With support by the Prime Minister Ernestas Galvanauskas, he avoided the inconveniences and was employed as the head of the narrow gauge railway workshop, later, he became the director of the narrow gauge railway. In 1921, he joined the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, was elected to the central board and was the editor of the “Trimitas” for some time. His son Vytautas Kristupas told that his father A. Gravrogkas admitted that he participated in the organisation of the assassination attempt against E. Galvanauskas on 25 November 1922 aiming for the Lithuanian Government not to accept the Hymans project (i.e., confederation with Poland). The authorities did not find the persons responsible for the attempt; however, it contributed to the rejection of this project. In January 1923, A. Gravrogkas was one of the organisers of the Uprising of Klaipėda, participated in the uprising as a regular rifleman and was awarded the Klaipėda Liberation Silver Shield which he particularly valued and considered equally valuable to his family crests. When he was building a house, he requested the bas-relief of this image to be embedded in the centre over the main entrance and the family crests – on the sides. On 2 February 1923, A. Gravrogkas started teaching mechanical technology at the Technical Faculty of the University of Lithuania. Simultaneously, he was teaching at Kaunas Post-Secondary Technical School led by his brother Julijonas Gravrogkas, and in 1925–1927, he was teaching at Dotnuva Agricultural Academy.

As the editor of “Trimitas”, A. Gravrogkas was fighting for the Riflemen’s Union to remain a public organisation instead of becoming a tool for authorities; therefore, by the order of the Prime Minister Juozas Tūbelis, he was dismissed from the position of the editor and it was forbidden to publish his articles in this publication. On 1 February 1932, A. Gravrogkas was elected as the Burmaster (Mayor) of Kaunas City; however, he was dismissed on 20 December 1933. The reason for his dismissal, as he wrote in his autobiography in 1940, was the legal proceedings instituted against the electricity company, 30 flats built for workers in Vileišis Square and his refusal to dismiss the head of the Social Department Petras Ruseckas who had an argument with Jadvyga Tūbelienė. While working as a Burmaster (Mayor), he was teaching at Vytautas Magnus University free of charge and when he lost the position of the Burmaster, he continued working at the university and was re-employed at the Railway Board. His title of professor was approved in 1939.

A. Gravrogkas, L. Vailionis and V. Čepinskis with the students of the University of Lithuania, 1923.

A statement by A. Gravrogkas to the Board of the Higher Courses, 1922. (The original is in KTU archive)

Invitation to A. Gravrogkas to teach the course of mechanical technology by the dean of the Technical Faculty at the University of Lithuania P. Jodelė, 1923. (The original is in KTU archive)

Vignette of the first graduates of the Post-Secondary Technical School, 1925. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Vice-chairman of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union A. Gravrogkas (in the centre) with riflewomen, 1925. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Review of the book by A. Gravrogkas “Medžio technologija” (“Wood Technology”) by the commission of the Technical Faculty, 1925. (The original is in KTU archive)

Vytautas the Great Committee, 1930. In the first row from the left: deputy chairman of the committee canon J. Tumas-Vaižgantas, A. Gravrogkas, chairman of the State Council S. Šilingas, chairman of the committee – Minister of Education K. Šakenis, deputy chairman of the committee – Burmaster (Mayor) of Kaunas City J. Vileišis, A. Žmuidzinavičius; in the second row: prof. V. Krėvė-Mickevičius, prof. Z. Žemaitis, prof. Biržiška, secretary of the committee col. V. Braziulevičius, col. A. Birontas, Z. Toliušis, J. Dobkevičius and head of affairs P. Žaltauskas. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

A. Gravrogkas with his wife Stefanija and son Vytautas-Kristupas in Palanga, circa 1930. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Graduates of Peterburg Institute of Technology engineers T. Šulcas, J. Čiurlys, A. Gravrogkas, K. Šakenis, J. Gravrogkas, circa 1930. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Personnel of the Post-Secondary Technical School, 1932. From the left: 1st – S. Kolupaila, at the end of the table – director J. Gravrogkas, on his left – K. Vasiliauskas, 5th – A. Gravrogkas. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Notification by the Ministry of Internal Affairs stating that the Burmaster (Mayor) of Kaunas City A. Gravrogkas is permitted to teach at Vytautas Magnus University, 1932. (The original is in KTU archive)

Letter by the dean of the Technical Faculty of VDU K. Vasiliauskas to the rector stating doc. A. Gravrogkas, who had become the Burmaster (Mayor) of Kaunas City, was teaching free of charge, 1932. (The original is in KTU archive)

The house of A. Gravrogkas in Kaunas, (Putvinskio St. 70), built in 1932. Architect E. A. Frykas. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

Letter by Burmaster (Mayor) of Kaunas City A. Gravrogkas about the accomplished works, 1933. (The original is in KTU archive)

Permission by the head of the Affairs of the Cabinet of Ministers for doc. A. Gravrogkas of the Technical Faculty of VDU to work as a senior expert in the Railway Board, 1934. (The original is in KTU archive)

With wife Stefanija and son Vytautas-Kristupas in Palanga, circa 1937. (Photograph from the archive of Gravrogkas family)

A. Žmuidzinavičius and A. Gravrogkas on a canoe trip in Dzūkija, 1938. (The original is in KTU Museum)

In Occupied Lithuania

During the first Soviet occupation, A. Gravrogkas was working at the university. Since he was left-leaning, he managed to avoid the repressions but his house was nationalised. During the year of the Nazi occupation, he continued working at the University and together with the families of his relatives Daugėlos and Poliakai was hiding a land surveyor Jokūbas Barilka who was of Jewish descent at the Medvilioniai Manor; for this, he was awarded (posthumously) the Life Saving Cross in 2016. After the war, he was the head of the Department of Wood technology at the Technical Faculty of the university and professor but his degree as an associate professor was approved in the spring of 1947 by the decision of the SSRS Attestation Commission because he did not defend a dissertation. On 27 March 1948, he was dismissed from his position for withholding the profile data although the real reason was the arrest of his son. When the accusation was not confirmed and his son was released from prison, A. Gravrogkas returned to his work at the university. At the end of 1950, Kaunas National Vytautas Magnus University was reorganised into Kaunas Polytechnical Institute where he worked until his death on 1 April 1958. He is buried in Petrašiūnai Cemetery.