Vytautas

Grand Duke of Lithuania

1350 Senieji Trakai, Grand Duchy of Lithuania

October 27, 1430(1430-10-27) (79–80) Trakai, Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Incumbent

Grand Duke of Lithuania For other uses, see Vytautas (disambiguation). Vytautas (c. 1350 – October 27, 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great (Lithuanian: Vytautas Didysis  (help ·info ) , Belarusian: Вітаўт , Vìtaŭt, Polish: Witold Kiejstutowicz, Witold Aleksander or Witold Wielki Ruthenian: Vitovt, Latin: Alexander Vitoldus, Old German: Wythaws or Wythawt) from the 15th century onwards, was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians. He was also the Prince of Grodno (1370–1382), Prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), and the postulated king of the Hussites. In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revered as a national hero and was an important figure in the national rebirth in the 19th century. Vytautas is a popular male given name in Lithuania. In commemoration of the 500-year anniversary of his death, Vytautas Magnus University was named after him. Monuments in his honour were built in many towns in the independent Lithuania during the interwar period from 1918 to 1939. It is known that Vytautas himself knew and spoke in the Lithuanian language with Jogaila.