Signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania

The signatories were elected to the Council of Lithuania by the Vilnius Conference in September 1917 and entrusted with the mission of establishing an independent Lithuanian state.

[1] The proclaimed independence was established only in late 1918, after Germany lost World War I and its troops retreated from Lithuanian territory.

After Lithuania lost its independence during World War II, six of the surviving signatories were sent to prison or executed by the Soviet government and six others emigrated to Western countries.

Four had been born to Lithuanian noble families: Donatas Malinauskas, Stanisław Narutowicz, Jonas Smilgevičius, and Mykolas Biržiška.

These groups were involved in promoting the illegal distribution of Lithuanian-language publications using the Latin alphabet, which was banned by the Tsarist government from 1866 to 1904, as well as fighting other attempts at Russification by the authorities.

Antanas Smetona, Steponas Kairys, Alfonsas Petrulis, and Mykolas Biržiška were expelled from their secondary schools for these activities.

[2] Jonas Basanavičius, the future chairman of the Council of Lithuania when the Act was signed, worked as a physician in Bulgaria and furthered the cause of public health there.

Jonas Vileišis served in the Lithuanian Parliament and as mayor of Kaunas;[10] Saliamonas Banaitis was involved in finance, opening several banks.

Those who did not emigrate to Western countries were arrested as political prisoners after Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union during World War II.