Stanisław Narutowicz (Lithuanian: Stanislovas Narutavičius pronunciationⓘ; 2 September 1862 – 31 December 1932) was a lawyer and politician, one of the 20 signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania.

As a student he joined socialist groups and organized publication of the Polish-language workers' newspaper Tygodnik Powszechny [pl], but soon withdrew from more active political work.

During the Russian Revolution of 1905, he was elected to a zemstvo (an institution of local self-government), participated in the Great Seimas of Vilnius, and was briefly arrested for his involvement in the anti-Tsarist activities in Alsėdžiai.

[4] His grandmother Anna Kossakowska acquired Brėvikiai Manor [lt] near Alsėdžiai in 1813 and brought it to the Narutowicz family as her dowry.

[7] Their father joined the unit of Antanas Mackevičius during the anti-Tsarist January Uprising of 1863 and served a year in prison.

[9] Narutowicz's mother Wiktoria née Szczepkowska and her two sons were taken in by Anton Rönne, owner of the Renavas Manor.

[9] In summer 1868, Rönne hired Laurynas Ivinskis, an activist of the Lithuanian National Revival, as tutor for the children.

[15] After living for a year in Liepāja under police supervision, Narutowicz decided to continue his law studies at Kiev University.

[16] There he joined a group of revolutionary minded students, known as the Commune of Polish Socialists (Gmina Polskich Socjalistów), and became one of their leaders.

[20] Together with Ludwik Krzywicki, he decided to establish Polish-language workers' newspaper Tygodnik Powszechny [pl] edited by Wiktor Gomulicki.

Narutowicz wrote very little for the newspaper, but organized its publishing matters, including obtaining financial support from graf Vladimir Zubov and brother of Liudvikas Janavičius [lt].

[21] However, he quickly became disillusioned with the newspaper – encounters with Russian censors, financial difficulties and personal debts, attacks by political opponents, etc.

[26] To earn some money for children's education, Narutowicz moved to Kalisz where he was director of Vereinigte Gaswerke (United Gasworks) in 1899–1904.

[28] During the Russian Revolution of 1905, the Vilna Governorate-General was allowed to organize a zemstvo (an institution of local self-government) and each uezd elected one representative.

[29] In preparation for the Great Seimas of Vilnius in December 1905, Narutowicz agitated residents of Alsėdžiai Volost to send representatives to the congress.

[31] Inspired by the Seimas, residents of Alsėdžiai decided to establish their own "republic" (oust Tsarist officials, stop paying taxes, organize their own police and court, introduce Lithuanian language at the local school, etc.).

[36] One of gymnasium students, the future writer Butkų Juzė, became severely ill with typhoid fever and pneumonia which left him paralyzed and unable to speak.

[43] In spring 1915, just as the German Imperial Army pushed towards Telšiai, his wife and children hastily evacuated to Russia while he remained in Brėvikiai to look after the manor.

For example, he acted as a secretary and interpreter during legal proceedings and assisted with the census count of Telšiai residents in January 1916.

The policy of open annexation was replaced by a more subtle strategy of creating a network of formally independent states under German influence (the so-called Mitteleuropa).

[50] After these meetings, Narutowicz traveled across Samogitia agitating and selecting delegates to the Vilnius Conference which was held on 18–22 September 1917.

[55] Starting with the meetings of the organizing committee, Narutowicz often disagreed with Antanas Smetona, the chairman of the council and the future President of Lithuania.

In an attempt to gain recognition of independent Lithuania from Germany, five members of the council (including Narutowicz) traveled to Berlin in March 1918.

[63] On 23 March 1918, Wilhelm II, German Emperor, recognized independent Lithuania but only on the basis of the Act of 11 December.

[64] Despite the recognition, the council could not organize the government or other state institutions due to the continued military occupation by the German troops.

[65] In attempt to block such a union, the presidium of the council decided to establish a constitutional monarchy and select Wilhelm Karl, Duke of Urach as the King of Lithuania.

[73] In spring and summer 1919, Narutowicz visited Vilnius and Warsaw and met with Leon Wasilewski and Józef Piłsudski (his cousin-in-law) who were organizing a coup d'état against the government of Lithuania to be carried out by the Polish Military Organisation (PMO).

[90] Contemporary commentators and later historians variously attribute his suicide to alienation and exclusion from public life on both sides of the Lithuania–Poland border,[3][91] family issues, and economic hardship.

[94] He was a supporter of independence of Lithuania rather than of restoring the old Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, mostly from fear that the far more populous Poland would gain the upper hand in such a union.

[96] In his vision, the Polish minority in Lithuania would gain a status similar to the Walloons in Belgium: with separate culture and language, but united with Lithuanians by what he called "state patriotism".