Kārlis Rūdolfs Leonīds Blaumanis (1 January 1863 – 4 September 1908) was a

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

n writer, journalist and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

. He is a renowned writer in Latvian history and a master of realism. The building of a flat in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

that he once lived in has been converted to a memorial museum named partially in his honor, the

Janis Rozentāls Janis Rozentāls (March 18, 1866 – December 26, 1916) was a Latvian people, Latvian painter. Life Rozentāls was born in Bebri Farmstead, Saldus parish, Courland Governorate in the Russian Empire. He was the son of a blacksmith. He recei ...

and Rūdolfs Blaumanis museum.

Biography

Rūdolfs Blaumanis was born in

Ērgļi Ērgļi is a small town in the Ērgļi Parish of Madona Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia on the banks of the Ogre river. It serves as the administrative center for Ērgļi Parish. Ērgļi had 2,769 residents as of 2017. History ...

, in the

Governorate of Livonia The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, Baltic Governorate-General until 1876. Governorate of Livonia bordered Governorate of E ...

(now

) on December 20, 1862. His father Matīss Blaumanis was a cook in the local manor and his mother Karlīne was a housemaid. He loved writing ever since he was a little child. Blaumanis started his education in a private school in the

Ogre An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the world ...

parish. He studied there until 1875. Then he traveled to

and started studies in a German merchant school until 1881. After graduation he started to work as a clerk in a trading enterprise. During this period he started to write his first works. First publication – a story ''Wiedergefunden'' was published in 1882 in erman languagenewspaper ''Zeitung für Stadt und Land''. In 1882, he returned to his native ''Braki'' homestead and lived there until 1885. In this period he deepened his

Latvian language Latvian (, ), also known as Lettish, is an East Baltic languages, East Baltic language belonging to the Indo-European language family. It is spoken in the Baltic region, and is the language of the Latvians. It is the official language of Latvia ...

knowledge. In 1885, he became a secretary in the

Koknese Koknese () is a town in Aizkraukle Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, on the right bank of the Daugava River. It has a population of nearly 3,000. According to the provisions of the 2021 Latvian administrative reform, Koknese gained ...

manor and studied to become a steward. He spent there two years. In 1886, was published his first work in the Latvian language — the poem ''Nakts'' (Night). From 1887 until 1889 he again lived in the ''Braki'' and wrote several novels in Latvian and also German languages. Rozentals Blaumana portrets

In 1889, he moved to Riga and after two years started to work in editorial office of ''Zeitung für Stadt und Land'' where he wrote about Latvian cultural life. In 1890, his first play ''Zagļi'' (Thieves) was staged in Riga. In the following years several more of his plays was staged with good success. In 1892 collection of his novels was translated into

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

and later several more of his works was published in

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

. After father's death in 1894 he again lived in ''Braki'' homestead in his native

Ērgļi parish Ērgļi is a small town in the Ērgļi Parish of Madona Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia on the banks of the Ogre (river), Ogre river. It serves as the administrative center for Ērgļi Parish. Ērgļi had 2,769 residents as of 2017 ...

for four years and tried to become a

farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer ...

. Later he briefly worked in the New Current's main newspaper '' Dienas Lapa'' where he published

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...

against

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

. In 1898 he returned to Riga and together with

Aspazija Aspazija was the pen name of Elza Johanna Emilija Lizete Pliekšāne (née Elza Rozenberga; 16 March 1865 – 5 November 1943), a Latvian poet and playwright. Aspazija is the Latvian transliteration of Aspasia. Biography Aspazija was born ...

and

Jānis Poruks Jānis Poruks (13 October 1871 – 25 July 1911), was a Latvian poet and writer could be considered as a founder of the romantic branch of Latvian literature. Biography Jānis Poruks was born in Druviena parish, in the Kreis Walk of the G ...

worked in one of the biggest journal (home guest'' In 1900 he together with his friend

Andrievs Niedra Andrievs Niedra ( old orthography: ''Andreews Needra''; 8 February 1871 – 25 September 1942) was a Latvian writer, Lutheran pastor and the Prime Minister of the German puppet government in Latvia between April and June 1919, during the Lat ...

published collection of poetry. In 1901, he moved to St.Petersburg, where he worked as journalist and editor in Latvian newspaper ''Pēterburgas avīzes''. He led a satirical section of the newspaper. In 1904 due to the financial and health problems he returned to Latvia and until 1906 lived in ''Braki''. In this period he wrote some of his most famous plays. He was not directly involved in the

Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...

but supported writers who were. In 1906, he again moved to Riga and started to work in the newspaper ''Latvija'' where he led satirical section. During this period, he shared a flat in Riga with his close friend painter

. In 1908, his health started to decline. Due to the financial problems he was not able to undergo treatment. However, several fellow Latvian writers started a fundraising campaign and in late summer with the help of painters J. Rozentals Finnish wife Blaumanis was able to go to Finland. However that was too late and he died on 4 September 1908 in the

Punkaharju Punkaharju is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with the town of Savonlinna on January 1, 2013. It was located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region In geography, regions, otherwise ...

sanatorium for tubercular patients in

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. He was buried in his native Ērgļi village. His homestead in ''Braki'' has been turned into a museum and memorial.

Bibliography

Translations

* ''In the Lap of Happiness'', Translation by Tamāra Zālīte. Moscow: Foreign Languages Pub. House, 1969, 204 p.

Tales, short stories and noveles

* "Nezāle" (1887) * "Pērkoņa negaiss" (1887) * "Paradīzē" (1887) * "Aizvien lillā" (1888) * "Spijēnos" (1888) * "Kā vecais Zemītis pašu nelabo redzējis" (1889) * "Raudupiete" (1889) * "Īstā līgaviņa" (1890) * "Stāsts par cūku, kura runājuse" (1895) * "Laimes klēpī" (1898) * "Purva bridējs" (1898) * "Salna pavasarī" (1898) * "Andriksons" (1899) * "Nāves ēnā" (1899) * "Mopsis jeb Nelaime Tērbatas ielā" (1900) * "Dziru Miķelis" (1901) * "Stulbenis" (1904) * "Vecais cenzors" (1907) * "Mēmais precinieks" (1907) * "Kā Jānis mācījies par kalēju" (1907) * "Koka krusts" (1907) * "Velniņi"

Plays

* "Zagļi" (1891) * "Ļaunais gars" (1892) * "Pazudušais dēls" (1893) * "Maija" (1893) * "Zelta kupris" (1895) * "Trīnes grēki" (1897) * "Potivāra nams" (1897) * "No saldenās pudeles" (1901) * "Skroderdienas Silmačos" (1902) * "Indrāni" (1904) * "Ugunī" (1905) * "Sestdienas vakars" (1908)

Poetry

* "Tālavas taurētājs" (1902) * "Kā zagšus" * "Mana lūgšana" * "Memento!" * "Pērkons" * "Renatus" * "Šūpuļa dziesma" * "Tautasdziesma" * "Vēl tu nezini" * "Zelta jaunība" * "Ziedonis klāt" * "Ziema"

Feuilleton satirical prose

* "Labāko famīliju dzejnieks" (1894) * "Īsa pamācība mīlēšanā" (1907) * "Jocīgi kapu uzraksti" (1907)

Memory

* A museum dedicated to Rūdolfs Blaumanis, "Braki," was opened in 1959. * There is the Janis Rozentāls/Rūdolfs Blaumanis Museum (memorial apartment) in Riga on Alberta Street 12. * In Sigulda, at the crossroads of Darza and Parka Streets, a monument was built in 1988 by the sculptor I. Dobychin. File:Braki - R. Blaumaņa muzejs 1999-08-16.jpg, "Braki" File:Piemineklis rakstniekam R.Blaumanim, Rīga.JPG, Monument in Riga Park File:Pilsētas kanāla apstādījumi, piemineklis Rudolfam Blaumanim Rīga.JPG, File:The Soviet Union 1963 CPA 2837 stamp (Writers and poets of our Motherland. Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1863–1908), a Latvian writer, journalist and playwright).jpg, Postage stamp of the USSR, 1963

References

External links

Baltics Online profile of the Janis Rozentals and Rudolfs Blaumanis Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blaumanis, Rudolfs 1863 births 1908 deaths People from Madona Municipality People from Cēsis county Latvian dramatists and playwrights Latvian journalists Latvian male writers Latvian male poets Latvian satirists Latvian translators 19th-century dramatists and playwrights Writers from the Russian Empire Dramatists and playwrights from the Russian Empire Journalists from the Russian Empire