Community of Vilnius university Law faculty during the period of the big disturbance (1940-1945)

Straipsnyje apibūdinama iš Kauno Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto į Vilniaus universitetą 1940 metų pradžioje perkelto Teisių fakulteto profesūra ir studentija ir, panaudojus kai kuriuos naujai išaiškėjusius šaltinius, aptariami esminiai šios akademinės bendruomenės pokyčiai, įvykę per keletą pirmųjų metų ryšium su sovietine Lietuvos okupacija, su hitlerine ir su antrąja sovietine okupacijomis, kurių eigoje faktiškai neliko senosios profesūros, o vienas gausiausių ir jaunimo tarpe populiariausių fakultetų virto rekordiškai mažu akademiniu vienetu.The article pictures the community of Kaunas Vytautas Didysis University - professorate and students - that have been transferred to Vilnius University in 1940 after having worked for merely an incomplete semester. Based on certain newly discovered sources, the article describes essential changes to the academic community that have happened in relation to the Soviet occupation of Lithuania during the summer of 1940, Hitler's occupation during the summer of 1941 and the second soviet occupation in 1944. After having survived the first two reformations of the scientific staff and student body, due to the efforts of the active nucleus of the faculty to the personal constitution of the community, it was achieved that no unprepared people have been admitted to the staff of the faculty. The student body has been formed rather successfully, whereas the process of training the professionals has continued. The results speak for themselves - there have been 267 graduation diplomas issued by the weakened Vilnius University during the essential years of 1940-1944 until the second Soviet occupation. During the first years of the second Soviet occupation, the Law faculty of Vilnius University has lost 95 per cent of the previous professorate. One decade was sufficient for this professorate to disappear completely. During the years of 1944-1945 an unprecedented small number of students studied at the faculty - less than one hundred. This number has not increased during the following post-war year. The first five Soviet diploma were issued to the law graduates of Vilnius University in 1946, whereas the following three - in 1948. Once one of the best and most popular faculties among the young, the Law faculty of Vilnius University has become a dying academic unit. It took a number of years for the Law faculty of Vilnius University to regain authority and resume from shock as a fully-fledged academic unit