Juozas Ambrazevičius

Juozas Ambrazevičius or Juozas Brazaitis (December 9, 1903 in Trakiškiai, Marijampolė parish – October 28, 1974 in the United States), was a Lithuanian literary historian, better known for his political career and nationalistic views. He was the acting Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of Lithuania from June 23, 1941 to August 5, 1941.

Academic career

Ambrazevičius studied literature at University of Lithuania in Kaunas and University of Bonn. From 1927 he lectured on Lithuanian literature and folklore in Kaunas. By the end of the 1930s he got involved in numerous organizations for literature teachers and scientists. His major works include Theory of Literature (Literatūros teorija in 1930), two-volume A History of World Literature (Visoutinė literatūros istorija in 1931-1932), Vaižgantas (in 1936), three-volume New Readings (Naujieji skaitymai), Lithuanian Writers (Lietuvių rašytojai in 1938). He also worked on the editorial staff of national daily Lietuva (Lithuania) and Catholic daily XX amžius (The 20th Century). He would sometimes use pseudonym Servus to write for these newspapers. During World War II he edited an underground periodical Į laisvę (Towards Freedom) which he later revived in Germany and in the United States.

During WWII

In October 1939, the Soviet Union returned the Vilnius region to Lithuania, which had been occupied by Poland in 1920. When the Soviets occupied Lithuania in 1940, Ambrazevičius joined the resistance movement. When Nazi Germany attacked Russia, Lithuania declared restoring independence and he became the Minister of Education and acting Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of Lithuania as Kazys Škirpa was unable to take this post. Under his rule, anti-Polish violence took place to prevent Poland from reclaiming the Vilnius region. Soon afterwards the Germans abolished the government and its work was continued by the Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania where Ambrazevičius served as chairman of its political commission. Later, already in exile, he participated in other various political organizations, published political pamphlets. He published memoirs All Alone (Lithuanian: Vienų vieni, German: Allein, ganz allein) in 1964 under the name of N. E. Sudūvis.

References

• Simas Sužiedėlis, ed. (1970–1978). "Juozas Brazaitis". Encyclopedia Lituanica I. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. pp. 396–397. LCC 74-114275. 

External links

• (Lithuanian) Juozas Ambrazevičius-Brazaitis (1903–1974) in Voruta.