Kristupas Lekšas

Kristupas Lekšas (31 August 1872 – 30 March 1941) was a Prussian Lithuanian activist from Klaipėda Region.

Born to a farmer's family in East Prussia, Lekšas completed only primary education. He joined Prussian Lithuanian political and cultural life. He campaigned for pro-Lithuanian candidates to the Landtag of Prussia and Reichstag of Germany and attempted to establish a political party in 1914. After World War I, he supported the unification of the Klaipėda Region with Lithuania. As a representative of the National Council of Lithuania Minor, he was coopted by the Council of Lithuania in March 1920. During the Klaipėda Revolt in January 1923, Lekšas became a member of the first pro-Lithuanian Directorate of the Klaipėda Region and was later elected to the Parliament of the Klaipėda Region until 1938. Lekšas supported and represented small farmers, and helped organizing a number of local farmers' associations.

Lekšas wrote poetry and published it in various Lithuanian periodicals. A collection of his poetry Rūtų vainikėlis was first published in 1908 and republished in 1922. He also wrote religious hymns. His hymnal Ziono varpelis was published in 1919 and republished in 1932.

Biography Early life Lekšas was born on 31 August 1872 in Strilai in , East Prussia (present-day Šilutė District Municipality). His parents were affluent farmers, but he only attended a local primary school and hired private tutors. He worked at his family's farm until 1901.