Vilis Olavs
Encyclopedia
Vilis Olavs was a Latvian political theorist, writer, and humanitarian who participated in the First Latvian National Awakening
of the 19th century.
, Russian Empire
, to local farmers. His surname changed to Olavs in 1890. Olavs graduated from the University of Tartu
in 1892 with a degree in theology, and from 1895 to 1897 he taught in Riga
, but was banned from lecturing after expressing his liberal views. In the meantime, he continued his studies for several years at the Riga Technical University
, until founding his own private school of commerce for young women in Riga, 1904.
Olavs was very active in Latvian politics, especially well-known for his writings and social commentary on Latvian society and the First Latvian National Awakening
. In the National Awakening, Latvian nationalism and the desire for self determination began to emerge. Against them stood the German gentry, who had controlled all social and economic affairs in the Baltic since the 13th century. As a student, Olavs published a prize-winning essay in which he called for peaceful opposition of the German gentry. Further writings and editings of his included "Latvju vēsturi līdz 12. gadsimta beigām" ("Latvian History Before 1200") and "Sēta, Daba, Pasaule" ("The Farmstead, Nature, and The Earth"). In the 1890s, Olavs was an active member of the Latvian Society of Riga, and in 1896 he organized the first-ever, Latvian ethnographic exhibit. As the editor of several journals, such as "Baltija" (published in St Petersburg), his commentary was widely read by the Latvian population.
For his support of the 1905 Russian Revolution, the Russian Imperial government tried Olavs and sentenced him to endure a year in prison. Olavs wrote "Galvenos virzienus ētikā" (Today's Trends in Ethics) while in prison (1908–1909), a sharp jab against those responsible for his incarceration.
During World War I
Olavs helped the Latvian nation in the time of its greatest need. As the war rolled over Eastern Europe, Olavs organized and assumed chairmanship of the Latvian Refugee Central Committee, giving aid to hundreds of Latvian refugees in Russia. Olavs died in sanatorium in Vyborg
, Finland in 1917, and was re-buried at the Forrest Cemetery in Riga in 1921, where a monument was built in his honor in 1927.
Latvian National Awakening
The Latvian National Awakening refers to three distinct but ideologically related National revival movements:* the First Awakening refers to the national revival led by the Young Latvians from the 1850s to the 1880s,...
of the 19th century.
Biography
Vilis Olavs was born as Vilis Plute on 18 May 1867 in BauskaBauska
Bauska is a town in Bauska municipality, in the Zemgale region of southern Latvia. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Mūsa and Mēmele where they form the Lielupe River...
, Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, to local farmers. His surname changed to Olavs in 1890. Olavs graduated from the University of Tartu
University of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
in 1892 with a degree in theology, and from 1895 to 1897 he taught in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, but was banned from lecturing after expressing his liberal views. In the meantime, he continued his studies for several years at the Riga Technical University
Riga Technical University
Riga Technical University is located in Riga, Latvia.- Riga Polytechnical Institute, 1862-1918 :...
, until founding his own private school of commerce for young women in Riga, 1904.
Olavs was very active in Latvian politics, especially well-known for his writings and social commentary on Latvian society and the First Latvian National Awakening
Latvian National Awakening
The Latvian National Awakening refers to three distinct but ideologically related National revival movements:* the First Awakening refers to the national revival led by the Young Latvians from the 1850s to the 1880s,...
. In the National Awakening, Latvian nationalism and the desire for self determination began to emerge. Against them stood the German gentry, who had controlled all social and economic affairs in the Baltic since the 13th century. As a student, Olavs published a prize-winning essay in which he called for peaceful opposition of the German gentry. Further writings and editings of his included "Latvju vēsturi līdz 12. gadsimta beigām" ("Latvian History Before 1200") and "Sēta, Daba, Pasaule" ("The Farmstead, Nature, and The Earth"). In the 1890s, Olavs was an active member of the Latvian Society of Riga, and in 1896 he organized the first-ever, Latvian ethnographic exhibit. As the editor of several journals, such as "Baltija" (published in St Petersburg), his commentary was widely read by the Latvian population.
For his support of the 1905 Russian Revolution, the Russian Imperial government tried Olavs and sentenced him to endure a year in prison. Olavs wrote "Galvenos virzienus ētikā" (Today's Trends in Ethics) while in prison (1908–1909), a sharp jab against those responsible for his incarceration.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Olavs helped the Latvian nation in the time of its greatest need. As the war rolled over Eastern Europe, Olavs organized and assumed chairmanship of the Latvian Refugee Central Committee, giving aid to hundreds of Latvian refugees in Russia. Olavs died in sanatorium in Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
, Finland in 1917, and was re-buried at the Forrest Cemetery in Riga in 1921, where a monument was built in his honor in 1927.