Ewelina Dobrowolska recalled that so far, if someone wanted and met the relevant requirements, he could change his name in official documents only in court. “We are talking about two groups of residents. One of them are mixed families, in which a Lithuanian woman married, for example, a Polish citizen and their children, and the other – national minorities, including Poles who are Lithuanian citizens” – said the head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice.
A beautiful gesture of Lithuania. A long dispute over Polish surnames ends
As she added, from the beginning of the month, Lithuanian Poles do not have to present additional documents, such as the marital status records of their grandparents or great-grandparents, who were citizens of the Second Polish Republic before the war. “The law provides that Poles only need to enter their Polish nationality in the Lithuanian data register,” emphasized Dobrowolska.
The name change procedure is simple. All you need to do is report to the record office or complete the appropriate online questionnaire. The same was done by the Minister of Justice of Lithuania, which is also a Lithuanian Polish woman. Her name and surname appear in official documents with the letter “v”. “I filled out the request and I am waiting, but I am sure that I will receive a positive decision” – she pointed out.
This issue has been discussed in the Lithuanian parliament for 30 years and aroused much controversy in Polish-Lithuanian relations. For many years, non-Lithuanian surnames were recorded in the documents in the Lithuanian version. Poles living in Lithuania have long demanded that the original form of surnames be recorded in documents, similar demands were made by Lithuanian women who entered into marriage with foreigners. However, the introduction of more liberal rules was opposed by the circles of politicians and citizens convinced that the introduction of the original spelling of foreign surnames would threaten the status of an official language.
The law passed by the Lithuanian parliament in January allows the use of the letters “w”, “q” and “x”, which are not in the Lithuanian alphabet, double characters – such as “sz” and “rz” and the correct spelling of names such as “Anna “, which is now spelled” Ana “. However, it excludes the use of diacritics such as “ł”, “ś” and “ć”.
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Source: Gazeta
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
