Kronvaldu Atis - Sigulda, Latvia
N 57° 09.913 E 024° 51.027
35V E 370011 N 6337826
This statue of Kronvaldu Atis (or Atis Kronvalds), a Latvian writer, linguist and educator, is located outside Sigulda New Castle in Sigulda, Latvia.
Waymark Code: WMPNZ0
Location: Latvia
Date Posted: 09/28/2015
Views: 2
ABOUT THE STATUE:
This life-size bronze statue of Kronvaldu Atis depicts him with his hair falling below his ears and a long beard and mustache. He is wearing a suit topped by an unbuttoned knee-length overcoat. His right arm is raised outward and a bit higher than his head. His left arm and hand rest along his left side. His right leg is about a foot forward of his left. He stands atop an approximately 5-foot tall stone plinth. The inscription on the front of the plinth reads: "Kronvaldu Atis 1837-1875".
"In 1938, the monument of Kronvaldu Atis, made by Teodors Zalkalns, was unveiled at the front of the New Castle. Kronvaldu Atis was a teacher and a publicist and helped initiate the second wave of the New Latvian movement.
Between 1841 and 1871, Šveices/Swiss house was the site of the Latvian Teachers conferences. At the conference of 1869, Kronvaldu Atis, for the first time in history, read a paper affirming the rights of the Latvian language. At this time in the 19th century, the educational system created by the elite class expressed disheartening preferences towards German language. This monument was originally installed in front of the White Castle which was then Sigulda High school."
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ABOUT THE MAN:
"Atis Kronvalds or Kronvaldu Atis (15 April 1837 – 17 February 1875) was a Latvian writer, linguist and pedagogue, as well as a prominent member of the Young Latvia movement.
Early life
Kronvalds was born to a tailor family, but was raised by priests of Durbe. After studies in Liepaja he became a private teacher. In 1860 he started to study medicine at the University of Berlin; however, he left after half a year when he ran out of money. He returned to Latvia, where he resumed work as a private teacher in Durbe.
Participation in "Young Latvians" movement
After returning to Latvia, Kronvalds joined the Latvian nationalist movement "Young Latvians" and became a passionate advocate of Latvian rights, language, and culture. In 1865 he moved to Tartu to study pedagogy at the University of Tartu. In 1868 he became a teacher at the teacher seminary there. He participated in the social activities of local Latvian society; notably, he renewed the "Latvian evenings" tradition begun by Krišjanis Valdemars. He also wrote works of educational theory and several articles on education and linguistics. In 1872 he wrote Nationale Bestrebungen, the manifesto of the Young Latvians. In 1873 Kronvalds moved to Vecpiebalga, where he worked as a teacher in a local school; he also participated by delivering two speeches, in the first Latvian Song and Dance Festival in the same year. He is one of the most famous Latvian authors of all time."
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