Vladas Stašinskas
Vladas Stašinskas | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Lithuania |
| Died | March 11, 1944 (aged 69) |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, politician, financial official |
| Years active | 1902–1939 |
| Known for | Member of State Duma (1907), first Minister of Internal Affairs of Lithuania (1918), Minister of Justice (1938), head of the Bank of Lithuania (1930–1938) |
Vladas Stašinskas (10 October 1874 – 11 March 1944) was a prominent Lithuanian lawyer, politician, and financial official. During the era of the Russian Empire, he secured election to the State Duma representing the Kovno Governorate in 1907. In the period of interwar Lithuania, he briefly held the position of the inaugural Minister of Internal Affairs in 1918 and later served as Minister of Justice in 1938. From 1930 until 1938, he led the Bank of Lithuania.
Early life and education
Born on 10 October 1874 into a Lithuanian family leasing land from the proprietors of Žagarė Manor, Stašinskas attended Mitau Gymnasium where he was a classmate of future President Antanas Smetona. During his studies, he became involved with , a clandestine Lithuanian organization, and played a role in staging amateur Lithuanian theatrical performances in locations such as Palanga, Libau (Liepāja), and Mitau (Jelgava).
After completing his secondary education in 1895, Stašinskas earned a first-class degree in law from Moscow University in 1902. He established his legal career in Kaunas as an assistant to attorney , father of Stasys Lozoraitis, quickly building a strong professional reputation. His legal work included defending political figures such as Lithuanian communists Vincas Kapsukas and Zigmas Angarietis, as well as future military leader Vladas Nagevičius.
State Duma
Stašinskas took part in the December 1905 Great Seimas of Vilnius, aligning himself with the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania. Although he sympathized with social democratic principles, it remains uncertain whether he held formal membership. Subsequently, he became affiliated with the Party of National Progress and from 1928 onward with the Lithuanian Nationalist Union.
On 6 February 1907, Stašinskas was elected to the second convocation of the State Duma representing the Kovno Governorate as a social democrat. His parliamentary contributions focused on issues including education reform, land redistribution, and opposition to Tsarist oppression. He served on committees overseeing state budget, judicial reforms, and local self-government. The Duma was dissolved within three months following the Coup of June 1907. Afterward, Stašinskas faced trial for disseminating a proclamation in Skardas, a Social Democratic publication advocating for confiscation of noble estates, resulting in a one-year sentence at Kaunas Prison.
World War I
With the outbreak of World War I, Stašinskas relocated to Vilnius where he engaged actively in Lithuanian political affairs. In June 1915, he co-established the Lithuanian Society of Agronomy and Law aimed at assisting war refugees, positioning it as a left-leaning counterpart to the Lithuanian Society for the Relief of War Sufferers. By autumn of that year, he participated in a multi-ethnic Citizens' Committee that communicated with German occupying forces on behalf of Vilnius inhabitants. In 1916, he joined an informal Lithuanian political circle focused on envisioning postwar developments.
In September 1917, Stašinskas was present at the Vilnius Conference, which appointed the 20-member Council of Lithuania. He assumed the role of head clerk for this body, receiving a monthly remuneration of 500 marks. By May 1918, he acted as assistant to vice-chairman Jurgis Šaulys. Earlier that year in April, he became part of a group of legal experts supporting the Council.
Stašinskas was invited to serve as Minister of Internal Affairs within Lithuania's first cabinet led by Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras. Initially declining along with Petras Leonas due to reservations about including Catholic priest Juozas Purickis—citing religious duties—he ultimately held the ministerial role briefly from 11 November to 26 December 1918. During his tenure, he issued directives concerning administrative divisions and local government structuring.
Amidst the Lithuanian–Soviet War, when government officials evacuated to Kaunas, Stašinskas remained in Vilnius where Bolshevik forces arrested him on either 12 or 22 January 1919. Alongside other notable Lithuanians such as Mečislovas Reinys, he was detained by Soviet authorities at locations including Vilnius, Daugavpils, and Smolensk until released through a prisoner exchange on 23 July 1919.
Independent Lithuania
After returning to Kaunas, Stašinskas resumed his work as a lawyer, representing notable clients such as the Bank of Lithuania and the Kaunas City Municipality. In 1920, he was appointed chairman of the Lithuanian Bar Association and was reappointed annually until 1926. Additionally, he played a key role in establishing the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union.
In July 1930, Stašinskas engaged in negotiations with Polish Marshal Józef Piłsudski regarding the territorial conflict in the Vilnius Region. The following year, he acted as Lithuania's representative at the Permanent Court of International Justice in a case concerning the reopening of a segment of the Libau–Romny Railway connecting Polish Lentvaris and Lithuanian Kaišiadorys; the court ultimately ruled in favor of Lithuania.
Stašinskas served as the head of the Bank of Lithuania from June 1930 until September 1938. According to memoirs, his position was mostly symbolic, with historians considering as the bank's effective leader during this time. Under their guidance, the bank navigated challenges posed by the Great Depression, including preventing failures among commercial banks and preserving the stability of the Lithuanian litas.
On 30 September 1938, Stašinskas stepped down from his banking role to assume the office of Minister of Justice in Prime Minister Vladas Mironas’ government; however, this administration lasted only until December 1938. He officially retired in March 1939, receiving a monthly pension amounting to 1,000 litas.
Following the Soviet occupation in June 1940, his property near Kėdainiai was seized and his pension payments were discontinued, resulting in financial hardship and declining health. In 1942, a commission from the Lithuanian Bar Association declared him impoverished. Stašinskas passed away on 11 March 1944 in Kėdainiai.
Personal life
Stašinskas was married and fathered three children, including his son Vytautas Stašinskas (1906–1967), who later served as Lithuanian consul in New York.
In 1938, he purchased the White Villa in Palanga from the Tyszkiewicz family, which subsequently became President Antanas Smetona’s summer residence.