Rūdolfs Blaumanis

Rūdolfs Blaumanis was born in Ērgļi, in the Governorate of Livonia (now Latvia) 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 parish. He studied there until 1875. Then he traveled to Riga 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 [German language] newspaper 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 knowledge. In 1885, he became a secretary in the Koknese 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.

Portrait of Rūdolfs Blaumanis by Janis Rozentāls

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 and later several more of his works was published in Estonia. After father's death in 1894 he again lived in Braki homestead in his native Ērgļi parish for four years and tried to become a farmer. Later he briefly worked in the New Current's main newspaper Dienas Lapa where he published satire against romanticism. In 1898 he returned to Riga and together with Aspazija and Jānis Poruks worked in one of the biggest journal (home guest]] In 1900 he together with his friend Andrievs Niedra 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 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 Janis Rozentāls. 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 sanatorium for tubercular patients in Finland. He was buried in his native Ērgļi village.

His homestead in Braki has been turned into a museum and memorial.

• 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.

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  "Braki"
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  Monument in Riga Park
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  Postage stamp of the USSR, 1963
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  Postage stamp of Latvia, 2013

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rūdolfs Blaumanis.

• Baltics Online profile of the Janis Rozentals and Rudolfs Blaumanis Museum