Leon Wajland (Leonas Vailandas)

Leon Wajland (Leonas Vailandas) (1912–?) was born in Łódź. He graduated from a gymnasium in 1932 and applied to study at Poznań University that same year. His application was rejected, as he himself noted, “due to his origin”. Wajland worked as an assistant at a factory in Łódź. In 1933, he began studies in the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Poznań University. During his studies, he supported himself by taking on two positions – as a tutor and working in a factory – since he did not receive a scholarship. In 1939, he started writing his final thesis. After the outbreak of World War II, Wajland spent time in Vilnius, where he deepened his knowledge in the field of flax (as noted in his file), which was relevant to his thesis. In 1940, presumably as a war refugee from Poland, he applied to continue his studies in the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Vilnius University and was accepted into the seventh semester. On 24 May 1941, Wajland requested the temporary release of his birth certificate to apply for a passport. On 19 September 1941, he was expelled from the university by the Order of 17 September 1941 of the Department of Higher Education under the Board of Education, which was subordinate to the National Socialists. No further information on the fate of Wajland is known.

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