Lithuania proper

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Map showing changes in the territory of Lithuania from the 13th century to the present day
Map showing changes in the territory of Lithuania from the 13th century to the present day

Lithuania proper (Lithuanian: Didžioji Lietuva) is a term used to contrast the main Lithuanian territory with the Lithuania Minor (Lithuanian: Mažoji Lietuva).

Lithuania Proper consisted of three Voivodeships of Grand Duchy of Lithuania initially inhabited by ethnic Lithuanians: Samogitian eldership, Vilnius Voivodeship and Trakai Voivodeship.

The territory of the Lithuania 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 (Klaipėda) and Klaipėda Region (former German: Memelland), is part of 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 also used only in historical context. It can be found only in history books.

Historians of Lithuania often used term Lithuania proper to refer to lands inhabited by ethnic Lithuanians as opposed to lands controlled by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, inhabited also by Ruthenians (later split to nations of Belorusians and Ukrainians), Russians, Poles, Jews or many other nationalities.



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