Antano Salio studijos Vokietijoje

LIETUVIŲ KALBOTYROS KLAUSIMAI, XXXIV (1994) LIETUVIŲ KALBOS TARMĖS IR JŲ TYRINĖJIMAI Vincentas DROTVINAS ANTANAS SALYS’S STUDIES IN GERMANY To shed light on A. Salys’s life and studies in Germany in 1925–1929, documents were found in the Lithuanian Central State Archives (LCVA, f. 631, f. 391) and the archives of Leipzig University. The archive in Vilnius contains material in the minutes book of the Council of the Faculties of Humanities of Kaunas University, letters from the Ministry of Education to Kaunas University concerning the dispatch of A. Salys to Germany for studies, as well as A. Salys’s semester reports to the Ministry of Education on the progress of his studies, correspondence with the Ministry of Education concerning his scholarship, and other documents. Copies of documents concerning the defense of A. Salys’s doctoral dissertation, his examinations, and other matters were obtained from the archives of the Faculty of Philosophy at Leipzig University. All these previously unknown archival documents provide authentic material about the scholarly and professional development of the jubilarian. Antanas Salys enrolled at Kaunas University in 1923 and, by 1925, had completed half of his studies in the Lithuanian language and comparative Indo-European linguistics. He had attended lectures by Professors Kazimieras Būga and Jonas Jablonskis, worked as secretary to K. Būga for his “Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language,” assisted Jonas Jablonskis in editing Žemaitė’s writings, and undertaken other philological work. The early death of Prof. K. Būga was a great loss not only to Lithuanian culture and, in particular, Lithuanian linguistics, but also to the Faculty of Humanities: the body of professors in Lithuanian linguistics was severely weakened. As we know, Prof. Jurgis Gerulis was therefore invited from Leipzig to work at the young University of Lithuania. The faculty itself was also seeking talented young people to replenish its professorial ranks. Antanas Salys was one of those who gave the greatest promise of becoming a scholar. It was no coincidence that he, together with Pranas Skardžius, could apply for the right to study abroad. This is shown by the following application from Antanas Salys and Pranas Skardžius, dated May 19, 1925: To His Honor, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities From Pranas Skardžius and Antanas Salys, students of the Faculty of Humanities Application From the autumn semester of this year, I wish to study my specialty, comparative linguistics, the foundation of Lithuanian studies, at one of the centers abroad (Leipzig, Königsberg, or Riga), where distinguished specialists in this field have established themselves. For this purpose, we have also submitted relevant applications to the Honorable Ministry: we ask that, starting next semester, a certain scholarship be granted to each of us so that we may pursue these studies (we do not have the means to fund them ourselves). 12 Had the honor of asking the Faculty to support our joint request—to explain to the Ministry of Education that we truly need a serious center of learning with specialists such as J. Gerullis, W. Streitberg, E. Sievers, R. Trautmann... Kaunas, May 19, 1925 A. Salys Pr. Skardžius The situation in the faculty at that time and the efforts to train a new generation of qualified Lithuanian linguists are best illuminated by Prof. Jonas Jablonskis’s letter of May 20, 1925, to the Minister of Education, Kazimieras Jokantas. Because of its thorough argumentation, and as an example of official correspondence, Jablonskis’s letter of recommendation is reproduced in full: Kaunas, May 20, 1925 To the Minister of Education, K. Jokantas Two humanities students, Ant. Salys and Pr. Skardžius—they are now in their second year of studying linguistics with Lithuanian studies—seeing that our faculty gives them little intellectual nourishment (for the time being, the faculty has no linguist or language researcher in comparative studies), have long wanted (since the death of K. Būga) to leave here for some German university, for an institution of higher learning where this field has already taken root and is properly pursued. They have long been concerned about this matter and keep bothering me, one way or another, always seeking advice on how to bring it about and where, in my opinion, it would be best for them to continue their studies in Germany. Yesterday I learned from them that they have already submitted applications to the Ministry of Education, asking whether the Ministry could somehow find funds for foreign scholarships for them. Fully sympathetic to them—we are indeed rather poorly equipped in this respect for the time being—I hasten to add my own “mite” as well. Both of them (one Samogitian and one eastern Highlander) are genuinely capable young men who know about language and scholarly matters in general, and much can be expected of them for the future of our school; but both, alas, are also poor country folk. To be quite frank, they both need fairly generous scholarships, so that abroad, while devoting themselves to study, they will not have to starve to no benefit either to themselves or to our school. I have particular confidence in these two students; I do not consider them flighty, and I have complete faith in their seriousness and perseverance. I ask you, if at all possible, not to begrudge them scholarships for study abroad beginning with this year’s autumn semester. Salys and Skardžius have meanwhile spent two years in Kaunas, but now, with Kaz. Būga having left our midst and our Faculty of Humanities lacking any notable language researcher (and Lithuanian scholar) among its members, they are reluctantly beginning to look for such language researchers—serious and profound professors of linguistics—in Germany, the old homeland of linguistic scholarship. They tell me that they particularly wish to study in Leipzig (where there is a distinguished group of language researchers whose work interests them), or in Königsberg or Riga; I see that they are not considering Paris or Switzerland for their studies. I consider the plans of these two students to be serious. I recommend that you place your trust in both of them; the two of them, it seems to me, will certainly not let us down— 13 ...as sometimes happens with a certain student who goes abroad on a scholarship without any significant reason, to study and also to enjoy himself. Both of them, while studying in Kaunas, as far as I know, made their living mainly by doing language work. 20 May 1925. Kaunas J.Jablonskis1 Jablonskis was not content with writing to the minister; immediately afterward (21 May 1925) he also wrote to Prof. M. Biržiška, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities: “Both these students are, it seems, the most serious linguists in our Faculty. On the other hand, they are also ‘students of K. Būga,’ but ‘have only just begun working with him and, apart from Būga, the Lithuanian scholar, have had no other serious language researcher among their professors.’ Having spoken modestly of himself (“I am merely a sort of popularizer of linguistics among Lithuanians; like our other people, I cannot provide students with anything firm and serious for the needs of linguistic scholarship”), Jablonskis continues: “We must not wait until only a few students who have had a taste of K. Būga’s scholarship remain in the country, without having properly studied linguistics. Since we ourselves cannot provide anything substantial to those students of K. Būga who have begun their work, let us allow them to study in the major centers of that field.”... “We should advise the Minister to allocate some funds so that before long we may have linguists from among our own people who have properly completed their studies in linguistics, a kind of scholarship that we ourselves cannot provide.” Having drawn the dean’s attention to the need to make an effort to keep informed about the student in whom we are interested, Jablonskis also proposes a method: to receive a report (Jablonskis’s term) every year, if not every semester, and goes on to write: “If this matter should come up for discussion at the meeting, I authorize you to express this opinion of mine to the meeting as well. As you can see, I am of the opinion that both students in question should, under certain conditions, be allowed to pursue their studies at one of the more serious centers of the field in which we are interested, and to work with experienced and renowned scholars in that field (eminent specialists).”2 At its meeting on 22 May of the same year (No. 113), attended by M. Biržiška, A. Voldemaras, V. Krėvė—Mickevičius, E. Volteris, A. Senn, V. Sezemanas, J. Tumas, A. Smetona, Vl. Šilkarskis, Iz. Tamošaitis, Pr. Augustaitis, J. Vabalas-Gudaitis, P. Gronskis, J. Balčikonis, and B. Sruoga, the administration of the Faculty of Humanities considered the applications of students A. Salys and Pr. Skardžius: “Students A. Salys and Pr. Skardžius inform the meeting that they have submitted a letter to the Ministry of Education requesting two scholarships to study linguistics abroad, and ask the faculty to support their application when the Minister of Education inquires.” 1See LCVA, f. 391, ap. 4, b. 1382, pp. 98—99. Printed in: Letters of Jonas Jablonskis // Edited by A. Piročkinas. — V., “Mokslas”, 1985. pp. 165—166. In the editor’s opinion, the letter was not written by J. Jablonskis himself; only the signature is his. 2See LCVA, f. 631, ap. 3, b. 253, p. 22. Printed in: Jonas Jablonskis. Articles and Letters // Edited by A. Piročkinas. — V., “Mokslas”, 1991. pp. 225—227. 14 It was resolved: to consider the applications of student A. Salys and Pr. Skardžius when the Minister of Education makes an inquiry3. Indeed, no record of any further consideration of the applications of A. Salys and Pr. Skardžius, or of an inquiry from the Minister of Education, was found in the minutes book of the Council of the Faculty of Humanities for the spring 1925 meetings. However, Salys obtained all the necessary permissions. Having secured his documents, including a certificate issued on October 23 attesting to his proficiency in German and confirming that “Er beherrscht die deutsche Sprache genügend, um die Vorlesungen und Übungen an einer deutschen Universität erfolgreich besuchen zu können”, Salys was already at the University of Leipzig as of November 1, 1925. In December 1925 he informed the Ministry of Education from Leipzig of his matriculation and gave his address: Leipzig, Wettinerstr. 23.II, at J. Quosdorf’s. A. Salys matriculated at the University of Leipzig in 1925 and studied Baltic studies, Indo-European linguistics, and philosophy from the winter semester of 1925/1926 through the summer semester of 1929, preparing and defending a doctoral dissertation in philosophy. His progress at the University of Leipzig can be traced through the study reports he sent to the Ministry of Education each semester. These list the subjects taken each semester, their nature, and the professors. Among the general academic disciplines, Salys took the fundamentals of psychology, an introduction to philosophy, an overview of the history of philosophy, an outline of systematic philosophy, the history of modern philosophy (from Descartes to Kant), and an introduction to the psychology of language. In theoretical linguistics, he took exercises in Indo-European linguistics (problems of reconstruction — Prof. H. Junker) and an introduction to general linguistics. He had the opportunity to study in depth the classical Slavic and Baltic languages required for comparative linguistics: he took the grammar of Old Church Slavonic (Prof. K. H. Meyer), texts in Old Russian, Church Slavonic (Prof. R. Trautmann) — two semesters with exercises — as well as a course on Slavic peoples and languages (Die Slavischen Völker und Sprachen) with Prof. R. Trautmann, comparative Slavic grammar (Prof. R. Trautmann), and Slavic word formation (Prof. R. Trautmann). He also took Sanskrit (two semesters), Latin and Latin grammar, and paleography exercises. He took most of his Baltic studies courses with Prof. J. Gerulis: the historical grammar of Latvian, analysis of the Old Prussian Enchiridion, exercises in Latvian grammar, sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Lithuanian and Latvian writings, Lithuanian dialects; exercises in texts from Lithuanian dialects, the historical grammar of Lithuanian, exercises in texts from Latvian dialects, exercises in Lithuanian grammar; Old Prussian grammar; exercises in Baltic ethnography, comparative grammar of the Baltic languages, as well as exercises in Latvian dialects, conducted at the Baltic Institute in Leipzig, exercises in Old Prussian; and the historical grammar of Lithuanian. During the first winter semester of 1925/26, he prepared a seminar paper, “The Relationship between D. Klein’s Grammatica Litvanica and the Language of His Hymnal” (“Das Sprachliche Verhältnis der ”Grammatice Litvanice” von Daniel Klein zu seinem Gesangbuch”). The reports note that “neither a minimum number of courses to be attended nor a number of practical assignments is prescribed in the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Leipzig.” The same is stated in the report for the seventh semester: “The courses to be attended— 3 See LCVA. F. 631, ap. 12, b. 146, p. 96. 15 “...the minimum requirements and semester examinations at the university are not [specified].” The reports formed the basis for the Ministry of Education to pay scholarships to students studying abroad, which were not particularly generous. The money proved insufficient already in the first year of study in Leipzig. In the personal file of his fellow student Pranas Skardžius, we find a petition from two Leipzig students to His Excellency the Minister of Education, asking him to “double, or at least increase by that much, the scholarship” from the New Year of 1926, so that they could work seriously, undisturbed by any extraneous obstacles, solely on their scholarly work. They explain their request as follows: in Kaunas, the Leipzig students write, we mostly supported ourselves by doing odd jobs, and were therefore forced to work on our studies only superficially, whenever we could. In Leipzig we have to study all the fundamental subjects of linguistics, of which we had received little in Kaunas; “Secondly,” the two fellow scholars continue, “within two years we must complete our basic studies and work on our doctoral dissertations, for which a great deal of preparation is needed.” A. Salys, the petition states, needs “to investigate the Samogitian dialects themselves and those of their neighbors, determine their boundaries and laws, and study the general foundations of dialectology and phonetics.” To carry out this work, “we have to work in the Baltic, Slavic, and Indo-Germanic institutes (understand: departments, divisions—V.D.); therefore we can no longer do outside work, even if we wanted to, and, most importantly, we have no time left for it at all.” Finally, the cost of living, of daily bread, is also a pressing matter: “Living in Germany is much more expensive than in Kaunas, and, besides, for our scholarly work we have to buy certain books, now especially expensive in Germany, as well as one or another necessity of life.” The friends end their petition with the observation that, when it comes to their work, “if necessary, Prof. J. Gerullis can always speak on their behalf.” Leipcigas, 1925.XII.8 Pr.Skardžius A.Salys This petition was not submitted to the Ministry of Education on its own. It was seconded and supported by J. Jablonskis’s letter to Kaz. Jokantas at the Ministry of Education. Jablonskis writes that he had received several letters from the two Leipzig students, who were pleased to have good professors in their field, but complained somewhat that it was difficult to make ends meet on their scholarships without taking outside work; they therefore asked whether it might be possible to receive larger scholarships from the New Year onward. J. Jablonskis also finds a precedent here. Student J. Bukota in Paris receives a much larger scholarship and can devote himself to his studies much more freely. Jablonskis “makes things easier” for the minister by specifying the amount of the increased scholarship: the two, Jablonskis writes, would very much like to continue receiving four or five hundred each. “With this little letter, I earnestly ask you to turn your attention to this matter and arrange [...] that, while doing their work, the two of them should not have to worry too much about their daily bread...” (Letter signed only by Jablonskis, 1925.XII.21.⁴) Phonetics occupied an important place in A. Salys’s studies. At first it did not feature in Salys’s study plans. Only in the report on the second-semester work, which lists eight courses attended, do we also read: “Throughout the summer semester, privately, for two hours a week, I worked on phonetics with Prof. emer. E. Sievers and Prof. Gerulis” (A. Salys’s report to the Ministry of Education, 1926.VIII.28). 1927–1928. 4Žr. LCVA, f. 391, ap. 9, b. 838 (P.Skardžiaus asmens byloje, nespausdintas?) 16 winter semester. In his report, Salys writes that he attended an introduction to experimental phonetics (“Einführung in die experimentelle Phonetik”) with Prof. Junker and carried out phonetics-practicum experiments in the Phonetics Laboratory (“Experimentalphonetischen Praktikum”), see the report to the Ministry of Education dated March 24, 1928. In a letter to the Ministry of Education dated July 27, 1928, No. 10476, A. Salys reports that during the summer semester he attended four courses with practical exercises, including the fundamentals of independent phonetic work (Anleitung zu selbständigen phonetischen Arbeit) with Prof. Junker. “In addition,” A. Salys writes in the report, “from June 27 to 30 I took part in the educational excursion to Berlin and Hamburg led by Prof. Junker. In Berlin we visited and became acquainted with the Phonogram Department of the Prussian State Library, led by Prof. Doegen, and its laboratory; in Hamburg, with the Phonetics Laboratory of the Institute of Colonial Languages, led by Prof. Panconcelli-Calzia.” What was it about Hamburg that interested and attracted A. Salys? This was connected with the development of phonetics in Europe. As is well known, the foundations of linguistic (observational) phonetics were laid by Edward Sievers (1850–1932), a professor of Germanic studies at the University of Leipzig. His best-known work is “Grundzüge der Lautphysiologie,” 1876 (the fifth edition of his work, under the somewhat different title “Grundzüge der Phonetik,” appeared in 1901). At the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, three centers of phonetics studies were renowned in Europe: Paris, Hamburg, and London. The French linguist and Catholic priest Jean Pierre Rousselot (1846–1924), the founder of experimental phonetics, worked in Paris; from 1897 he worked in the experimental phonetics laboratory at the College de France. His best-known work is “Principes de phonétique expérimentale” (1897–1908). In 1908, the Colonial Institute (Kolonialinstitut) was founded in Hamburg. A seminar for colonial languages (Seminar für Kolonialsprachen), which began operating soon afterward, played a significant role in its work. In 1910, a phonetics laboratory (das Phonetische Laboratorium am Seminar für Kolonialsprachen) was established at the seminar, and the Italian Giulio Panconcelli-Calzia (1878–1966), a student of Rousselot from Hamburg University, was invited to lead it. The first international congress of experimental phonetics was held in Hamburg in 1914 and, although the World War interrupted its activity, the University of Hamburg and the first chair of phonetics in Germany were established immediately after the war, in 1919. Historians of phonetics note that the 1920s were the heyday of the Hamburg phonetics laboratory5. Thus, in Germany Salys received training in the most modern school of experimental phonetics, that of Panconcelli-Calzia, and is rightly regarded as a pioneer in this branch of Lithuanian linguistics. The demanding period of study soon passed. Seven and a half semesters of study were completed, and a doctoral dissertation was written. On May 29, 1929, Salys submitted a petition to the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Leipzig asking permission to take the doctoral examinations and defend his dissertation (in Kaunas, as it happened). In the petition he states that he obtained his school-leaving certificate at Telšiai Gymnasium, studied for four semesters at Kaunas University from the autumn of 1923, and attended seven and a half semesters at the University of Leipzig from the autumn of 1925. “My field of study is Baltic studies, Indo-Germanic studies, and philosophy,” Salys writes. Attached to the petition was a curriculum vitae (Lebenslauf), which, among other things, says: “Having received primary education at the Salantai school from 1912 to 1915, then prepared privately for two years, I entered the humanistic (humanistische) gymnasium in Telšiai.” 5 Žr. G r i e g e r W. Führer durch die Schausammlung Phonetisches Institut. Hamburg, 1989, S. 14—16.) 17 Having studied at Kaunas University from 1923 to 1925 and, from the winter semester of 1925 until 1929, at the University of Leipzig as a scholarship holder of the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, where he studied Baltic studies, Indo-European studies, and philosophy. Salys further notes that during his studies he attended lectures by the following associate professors and professors—at Kaunas: M. Biržiška, Būga (deceased), Jablonskis, Senn, Sezeman, Strauch, Studeraus, Tamošaitis, Tumas, Volteris, Yčas; at Leipzig: Driesch, Dittrich, Gerullis, Heinze, Hertel, Junker, Krueger, Meyer, Trautmann. However, by no means was everything rosy. The events of the last few months are reflected in A. Salys’s petition of July 17, 1929, to His Excellency the Minister of Education. “Yesterday I submitted my final dissertation, ‘The Samogitian Dialects. Part I. The History of the Samogitian Dialect Area,’ to the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Leipzig. The work could have been completed almost two months ago. I could not submit it because the Germans created difficulties by preventing me from taking the examinations. As a result, I even had to appeal to our Legation in Berlin.” Salys goes on to write that he would have to take his oral examinations in the first days of August, but had no money of his own to pay the examination fees (200 marks), and therefore had the honor of requesting His Excellency to grant him an allowance of 500 litas for the examinations. His request to extend the scholarship by one month was granted: “30 dollars have been sent to you through the Bank of Lithuania for the last time, to pay the scholarship for July of this year,” together with a warning: “No further scholarship payments will be sent to you” (Secretary A. Daniliuskas). The Leipzig University archive preserves documents relating to A. Salys’s dissertation defense: a notice on a special form, No. P. 91, announcing the defense of a doctoral dissertation in philosophy, listing the enclosures (the aforementioned curriculum vitae, a declaration (“Erklärung”), and three testimonials (“Zeugnisse”)) and, most importantly, the dissertation opponents’ reports (“Referat”—in our old terminology, a review). The reports are written on a special form that sets out the requirements concerning the abilities a candidate must possess to undertake independent research, the criteria for evaluating the content of the work, and the assessment grades (Noten). Here is the text of the first report. Mr. Salys, being a Samogitian, wished to investigate the description of the Samogitian dialects. The history of the Samogitian dialect area emerges from the historical-philological introduction to this dissertation. This is precisely because most linguistic and historical assertions concerning the extent of the Samogitian dialect area rest on mere conjecture, which is often mistaken, especially when based on Russian or Polish sources. Salys examined all the German, Russian, and Polish sources currently available, and also personally interviewed Samogitians throughout the region. He now presents a history of the extent of the Samogitian dialect area that is well supported by historical and philological evidence (the identification of names), and is, moreover, the first of its kind. This is a work of scholarly value. It substantially enriches our knowledge in this field. Its approach and presentation demonstrate independent, methodical thinking. I therefore propose awarding the highest grade, notwithstanding occasional irregularities in the German very good July 13, 1929 Gerullis 18 Here is the shorter recommendation by the second examiner, Prof. R. Trautmann: I fully agree with the substance of the first examiner’s report on a truly valuable study of a fragment of one important Baltic settlement area July 15, 1929 R. Trautmann The dissertation was graded “very good” (“Mit Note I”) and approved with the signatures of 18 council members. He was also permitted to take the oral examinations. On July 23, 1929, Prof. Gerulis graded the examination in Baltic studies “sehr gut”; the examination in Indo-European linguistics was also passed with “ausgezeichnet” (Prof. Junkeris); the philosophy examination on July 25 was graded “sehr gut,” and Prof. Driesch described it in these words: “Sound knowledge and pleasing independent thought” (“Sicheres Wissen und erfreuliches eigenes Denken”). Here, too, is the resolution of A. Hofmann, dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, and the traditional stamp marking the completion of studies: “The oral examinations have been passed with a very good grade (Demnach ist die mündliche Prüfungen bestanden mit Note I”). Leipzig, July 25, 1929.” The same document records that a provisional certificate confirming the defense of the doctoral dissertation was issued on July 26, 1929, and the doctoral diploma on June 21, 1930. The file concludes with the final stamp, dated July 26, 1930. Thus ended Antanas Salys’s studies in Germany. After returning to Kaunas, Dr. Salys was invited in early 1930 to take up a position as docent at the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy. “On January 6 he delivered his inaugural lecture, ‘Phonetics and Orthography,’ and in the spring semester he will teach phonetics and an introduction to Baltic linguistics,” wrote Židinys, 1930, No. 1. Antanas Salys’s independent scholarly career and intensive teaching work at Vytautas Magnus University began. 19