Frīdrihs Vesmanis

Frīdrihs Vesmanis (April 15, 1875 – December 7, 1941) was a Latvian lawyer and politician for the LSDWP and the first Speaker of the Saeima.

Frīdrihs Vesmanis
People's Council of Latvia
In office July 1919 – August 1919
Mayor of Jelgava
In office February 1920 – May 1920
Speaker of the Saeima
In office 7 November 1922 – 17 March 1925
President	Jānis Čakste
Prime Minister	Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics Jānis Pauļuks Voldemārs Zāmuēls Hugo Celmiņš
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Pauls Kalniņš
Latvian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
In office February 1925 – March 1932
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Kārlis Reinholds Zariņš
Senate of the Supreme Court of Latvia
In office March 1932 – 1934
Personal details
Born	15 April 1875 Rundāle Parish, Kurzeme, Russian Empire (now Latvia)
Died	7 December 1941 (aged 66) Usoļlags, Molotov Oblast, Russia
Nationality	Latvian
Political party	LSDSP
Alma mater	University of Tartu Saint Petersburg State University
Profession	Lawyer
Awards	Order of the Three Stars, 2nd Class (1926)

Early life

Vesmanis was born on April 15, 1875, in Rundāle Parish to Kārļa Vesmaņa and Elizabetes Vesmanes (née Straumanes).[1] After graduating from Jelgava Gymnasium, Vesmanis studied at the University of Tartu.[2] He was arrested in 1897, and after his arrest, emigrated to England in 1899, where he published in the newspapers Sociāldemokrāts and Latviešu Strādnieks.[2] In 1903, however, he was illegally returned to Latvia, but was promptly arrested and deported to a camp in Šiauliai.[1] In 1909, he graduated from St. Petersburg University. Until 1918, Vesmanis has been a lawyer in Jelgava and St. Petersburg, as well as working in journalism. In April 1918, he returned to Latvia. He married Berta Krisone.

Political career

In 1919, from July to August, Vesmanis was a member of the People's Council of Latvia.[1] In 1920, from February to May, he was the mayor of Jelgava, but later worked in the Constitutional Assembly of Latvia.[1][2] In 1922, after founding the Central Election Commission, Vesmanis was one of the eight original members.[3] He was elected to the 1st Saeima from the LSDWP and was the first Speaker of the Saeima. From February 1925 to March 1932, Vesmanis was the ambassador of Latvia in the United Kingdom. In 1927, after the death of Jānis Čakste, he was one of the candidates for the position of President.[4] He retired in 1937.[1]

He received the Order of the Three Stars 2nd Class in 1926.[5]

Deportation and death

On June 14, 1941, Vesmanis and his wife were arrested for being a "Socialist leader in [the] extreme right direction." Berta died two days later while on a train at Krustpils Station, while Vesmanis was sent to the Solikamsk Penitentiary, and died on December 7 at Umolya Penitentiary in Surmog.[1]

References

1. "Fridrihs VESMANIS" (in Latvian). Latvijas Republikas Ārlietu Ministrija.
2. "Vesmanis" (in Latvian). Saeima.
3. "Vēstures Fakti" (in Latvian).
4. "Prezidentu «zīlēšanas» starpkaru Latvijā" (in Latvian). astrologi.lv.
5. "Muzejā lekcija par valstsvīru, diplomātu un juristu Fridrihu Vesmani". zz.lv (in Latvian). 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2020-11-16.