Kristijonas Donelaitis - Early Life

Early Life

Donelaitis' parents were free peasants who owned the land that they cultivated. His father died in 1720, leaving seven children (4 sons and 3 daughters). One of his three brothers, Friedrich, became a goldsmith in Königsberg. Another brother, Michael, inherited the father's farm. His third brother, Adam, became a blacksmith and innkeeper.

In 1731, Donelaitis began attending the cathedral school in Kneiphof, a section of Königsberg. He lived in a pauper's dormitory and often went hungry for days. After graduation, he received a scholarship in 1736 to study at the University of Königsberg. For four years he studied Lutheran theology. His world view was shaped by the classical curriculum, required Lithuanian studies, and the Pietism movement. He learned the Greek, Latin, French, and Hebrew languages, and studied the writings of classical authors such as Homer, Hesiod, Horace, and Virgil. After graduation, he was appointed as a cantor in Stallupönen (now Nesterov, Kaliningrad Oblast). After the school rector died, Donelaitis took over his position. In 1743, he passed the required examination to became a pastor in Tollmingkehmen (now Chistye Prudy, Kaliningrad Oblast).