Petras Avižonis (17 April 1875 – 17 October 1939) was a Lithuanian ophthalmologist, rector of the University of Lithuania (1925–1926) and a political figure.
Avižonis studied biology at the Saint Petersburg University but transferred to the Dorpat University to study medicine in 1897. As a student, he was active participant in the Lithuanian National Revival, collaborating with Povilas Višinskis, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė, Julija Žymantienė (Žemaitė). In 1897, he wrote a small Lithuanian grammar. In summer 1900, he worked with linguist Jonas Jablonskis to write a more substantial grammar, which became highly influential in creating the standard Lithuanian language. Avižonis served as an army doctor with the Imperial Russian Army in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I. He became interested in ophthalmology and completed his PhD in 1914. He particularly focused on treating and preventing trachoma. In independent Lithuania, he taught ophthalmology from 1920 to his death, organized ophthalmology section at the University of Lithuania, opened and headed a modern eye clinic, organized professional societies for doctors. Avižonis contributed to numerous Lithuanian periodicals, published separate brochures on medical and societal topics, and authored over one hundred academic articles. He attended international conferences and was elected to the board of the International Organization Against Trachoma in 1938. His main work, the 844-page guide to eye diseases, was unsurpassed for over fifty years.
Biography
Early life and education
Avižonis was born on in Pasvalys. His family owned about of land and had eight children (three sons and five daughters). His parents, active book smugglers who helped Jurgis Bielinis hide the books, wanted him to become a priest and sent him to a private four-year German school in Mitau (present-day Jelgava) in 1884. After the graduation, he refused to attend a priest seminary and instead continued his education at the Mitau Gymnasium which was attended by many other Lithuanian students, later prominent figures in Lithuanian politics and culture. These students organized an illegal student organization, which Avižonis reorganized into the Infant Society in 1890. The society promoted the Lithuanian national consciousness and helped distribute banned Lithuanian books. Upon graduation in 1894, Avižonis worked as a tutor for a year to save up money for university studies. He also received financial aid from Žiburėlis society. He chose biology at the Saint Petersburg University. Due to strict Russification policies, as a Lithuanian and non-Eastern Orthodox, Avižonis could only work in Lithuania if he became a priest, a doctor, or an attorney. Therefore, he transferred to the Dorpat University to study medicine in 1897 and graduated in 1900.
In Saint Petersburg, he became active among Lithuanian students, began contributing to Lithuanian periodicals Varpas and Ūkininkas, and helped Povilas Višinskis edit the first works of writer Julija Žymantienė (Žemaitė). In 1898, he published his first booklet, a popular explanation of some basic topics in earth science. In June 1898, Avižonis, Višinkis, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė, Jadvyga Juškytė and her sister Marija visited Vincas Kudirka, the publisher of Varpas living in Naumiestis in Suvalkija. They also visited Tadeusz Dowgird, archaeologist and artist, Petras Kriaučiūnas, teacher and book smuggler, and Kazimieras Jaunius, priest and linguist. In August 1899, Avižonis helped organizing the first Lithuanian-language theater performance, comedy America in the Bathhouse (Amerika pirtyje), in Palanga. After the performance, Liudas Vaineikis took Višinskis and Avižonis to Tilsit in East Prussia, the major publishing center of the illegal Lithuanian press. On their way back, they visited Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas in Kuliai and Sofija Pšibiliauskienė near Tryškiai.
He continued to correspond with linguist Jonas Jablonskis, former teacher at Mitau, and with his encouragement wrote a small Lithuanian grammar based on the German-language writings of Friedrich Kurschat and on works by Kazimieras Jaunius. It was the first work that used the Lithuanian alphabet as it is used today. When the book could not be printed, Antanas Smetona and made about 100 copies using a mimeograph in 1898. This grammar was insufficient for Lithuanian needs and in summer 1900 Jablonskis and Avižonis wrote a more substantial grammar, which became highly influential in creating the standard Lithuanian language. It was published in 1901 under the pen name Petras Kriaušaitis (Petras is Avižonis' first name and Kriaušaitis is Jablonskis' pen name).