Kazys Pakshtas ( lit. Kazys Pakštas ; June 29, 1893 , Užpaliai parish , Lithuania - September 11, 1960 , Chicago , USA ) - Lithuanian geographer, traveler and public figure, president of the Lithuanian Geographical Society, one of the founders of the Lithuanian geopolitics and the author of the concept " Baltoskandiya " ( lit. Baltoskandija ).
| Kazys Pakstas ( lit. Kazys Pakštas ) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Date of Birth | June 29, 1893 | ||
| Place of Birth | Alinauka farm, Uzhpalaia parish , Lithuania | ||
| Date of death | September 11, 1960 (67 years old) | ||
| Place of death | Chicago , United States | ||
| Scientific field | geographer , traveler public figure | ||
| Alma mater | Fordham University , University of Friborg | ||
| Awards and prizes |
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Content
Short biography
Kazis Pakštas was born on June 29, 1893 on the farm Alinauka of the Užpaliai parish , into the peasant family of Adomas Pakstas ( lit. Adomas Pakštas ) and Ona Pakstiene ( lit. Ona Pakštienė ). In 1908 he graduated from elementary school (gymnasium) in the city of Užpalyay . In 1912–1913, he studied at the Kaunas Theological Seminary , and later worked as a pharmacist in Birštonas .
In 1914 he left for the USA, and a year later entered the University of Valparaiso , Indiana . Later Pakshtas was enrolled in the Department of Sociology at Fordemsky University , which he successfully graduated in 1918 [1] .
In 1919–1923, he became a student at the University of Friborg in Switzerland , where he studied the natural sciences and defended his doctoral thesis on the topic “Lithuanian Climate” ( lit. „ Lietuvos klimatas “ ). Returning to the United States, he became the editor of American newspapers in Lithuanian - Darbininkas ( Russian Worker ) and Draugas ( Russian Friend ).
In the autumn of 1925, Kazis Pakshtas returned to Lithuania and from 1925 to 1939 taught geography. Since 1925 he received the title of associate professor, and in 1929 became a professor. Since that time, he took an active part in scientific work: determined the climatic zones of Lithuania, began work on a systematic study of lakes , and in 1938 was even proposed as a candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Lithuania [2] .
In 1939, Paxtas moved to the USA. In 1939-1941 he taught at the University of California . In 1941, in Chicago, the professor founded the Lithuanian Institute of Culture and headed it until 1943. In 1950, he was elected Vice-President of the Central European Union of Christian Democrats and remained until 1959. He also participated in various international scientific congresses. September 11, 1960 Kazys Pakshtas died in Chicago and was buried in St. Casimir's cemetery.
Interesting Facts
Kazys Pakshtas once decided that Lithuanians needed to find a safer territory and establish their own colony there. He offered to find a place that would not be half dependent on Lithuania and would become a real “paradise” for Lithuanians. At first, the geographer chose Cuba , later he wanted to implement this idea in Sao Paulo ( Brazil ) or in Madagascar . Pakshtas invented the name of this utopian colony - Dausuva ( lit. Dausuva ). [3]