Homeland of linguist Jonas Kazlauskas

Jonas Kazlauskas was born for the science of language, he could explain for days and weeks, watching with my eyes, some insignificant fact of the dialect or old writings, turn it over in any way, leave, forget and return to it again with new hypotheses and new passion.
Justin Marcinkevičius

Jonas Kazlauskas (1930-1970), a linguist and professor, was born and grew up near Birštonas, in Matieshiones, one of the most prominent people of the Nemunas region.

Studied at Dzingeliškii primary school and Nemajūnai seven-year school, graduated from Prienė gymnasium with a gold medal.

1949-1954 J. Kazlauskas studied Lithuanian language and literature at Vilnius University. 1958-1970 worked as a university lecturer, since 1962 - docent. in 1968 defended his doctorate degree in philology. 1968-1970 Jonas Kazlauskas was the Dean of the Faculty of History and Philology of Vilnius University, from 1969. - the professor.

in 1965 The Baltic linguistics magazine "Baltistica" established by the efforts of Jonas Kazlauskas (he was the editor-in-chief in 1965-1970) gained international recognition. Kazlauskas' initiative in Vilnius in 1964. and 1970 International Baltist conferences, which later became traditional, were organized, and since 1980 takes place alternately in Vilnius and Riga.

in 1970 Jonas Kazlauskas was invited to the University of Pennsylvania in the USA to teach a course in Baltic linguistics. Unfortunately, on October 8 the professor is gone. His body was found on November 17. In Neris. The professor's death is still shrouded in mystery - all documents from the KGB archives have disappeared.

Buried in 1970 November 20 Sunny cemetery in Vilnius.

During the year of Lithuania's revival, the idea of rebuilding Kazlauska's homeland was raised and implemented. On August 1st, in Matiešionys, the professor's hometown, the people gathered bow not only to this outstanding local, to his bright memory, but also to the Lithuanian language.

Prepared by Birštonas Public Library bibliographer Genovaitė Mačiūtė