Lithuania proper
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Lithuania proper (Lithuanian: Didžioji Lietuva) is a term used to contrast the main Lithuanian territory with the Lithuania Minor (Lithuanian: Mažoji Lietuva). The territory of the Lithuanian Minor was controlled by Prussia but was inhabited by a significant Lithuanian minority. Those people were important to Lithuanian culture. For example, Martynas Mažvydas published the first book in Lithuanian language and the first Lithuanian poem was written by Kristijonas Donelaitis. However, the Lithuanians from the Lithuania Minor were considered to be different from the Lithuanians from the Lithuania proper and the term Lithuania proper was coined to contrast the two.
A small part of the Lithuania Minor, namely the right bank of the Neman River with Memel city (present-day Klaipėda) or so-called Klaipėda Region (German: Memelland), is currently controlled by Lithuania. The biggest portion of the Lithuania Minor belongs right now to Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. Due to population transfers and influx of Russians, the cultural identity of Lithuania Minor is lost and the term Lithuania proper is no longer in active use. It can be found only in history books.
Sometimes modern historians use Lithuania proper to refer to lands inhabited by ethnic Lithuanians as opposed to lands controlled by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania mainly inhabited by Russians, Belarussians, or other nationalities.
[edit] See also
- Treaty of Lake Melno of 1422
- Act of Tilsit of 1918
- Klaipėda Revolt of 1923
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