Valdemārs Klētnieks

Valdemārs Klētnieks
Born(1905-12-04)December 4, 1905
Vaive parish, Cēsis District, Latvia
DiedAugust 17, 1968(1968-08-17) (aged 62)
Three Rivers, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationAuthor, Scouting official
Alma materLatvian University
Period1925–1968
GenreYoung adult literature
Notable works
  • Fire in the Great Camp (1925)
  • Vadītājs; rokas grāmata skautu vadītājiem (Latvian Scout Handbook, 1933)
  • Pētījums par chronologijas problēmām Latvijā XVI-XX gadsimta (1947)
  • Latviešu skautisma trīsdesmit gadi, 1917-1947 (1947)
  • Latviešu skautisma četrdesmit gadi, 1917-1957 (1960)
  • Senču raksti: latvju raksti bērniem (1963)
  • Klintenieši: stāsts trimdas jauniešiem (1963)

Valdemārs Klētnieks (December 4, 1905 – August 17, 1968), also known as Voldemārs Klētnieks and Valdis Klētnieks, was a Latvian writer and national Scout Commissioner for Latvia before World War II.[1][2][3] When the Soviet Union occupied Latvia in 1940, the Latvian Scout Organization was banned. Klētnieks eventually fled Latvia for a displaced persons camp in Germany, where he remained for five years following the end of World War II. In 1950, he settled with his wife and children as refugees in the United States, where he continued to write books in the Latvian language and joined the Boy Scouts of America national staff.

The pre-war years

Klētnieks was born on December 4, 1905, in Vaive parish, a village in what was then the Cēsis District of Latvia, when that country was still part of Czarist Russia. During World War I, Latvian boys who had been evacuated to Tartu, Estonia, were introduced to Scouting there. Upon their return to Latvia in 1917, they formed the earliest Boy Scout troops in Latvia.[4] Among them was Arvīds Brēdermanis, a future foreign service officer with the Latvian government.[5][6] Klētnieks joined a newly formed Boy Scout troop soon after as a 13-year old.[7][8] In 1924, he graduated from the Cesis Bērzaine State Secondary School (now the Cēsis State Gymnasium) and then began studies at Latvian University, eventually earning a degree in mathematics in 1942.[2][8][9]

When Latvia gained its independence from Russia in 1920, the Latvian Scout Organization, Latvijas Skautu Organizācija, was established, led by Kārlis Goppers as president of the movement in the newly independent Baltic republic. Klētnieks began writing articles for the group's Latvian Scout magazine in 1925, soon after his graduation from secondary school.[6] In 1928, he wrote a children's book, Fire in the Great Camp.[9] He went to England in 1929, the birthplace of world Scouting, for Wood Badge advanced training for Scouting leaders at Gilwell Park.[2][4] Upon his return, he was instrumental in introducing the Rover Scout program to Latvian Scouting.[7] In 1933, he co-authored the Latvian Scout handbook, Vadītājs; rokas grāmata skautu vadītājiem, published in Riga.[10] He also contributed to the Journal of the Latvian Institute of History, published in Riga in 1939.[11] Klētnieks served as national Scout Commissioner and later executive director of the Latvian Scout Organization, alongside Kārlis Goppers as president. Klētnieks' wife served as head of the Latvian Girl Guides until both groups were forcibly disbanded in mid-1940 when Latvia lost its independence.[4][6][7][12]

The 1940s and World War II's aftermath

Occupation of Latvia and suppression of Scouting

The Cēsis State gymnasium, where Klētnieks attended secondary school

In June 1940, the Soviet Union's occupation of Latvia took place. Scouting was suppressed and Klētnieks' Scout handbook was destroyed by communist agents appointed to abolish Scouting.[7] A wave of arrests followed the Soviet takeover. "The Soviet repressive authorities regarded all organizations and parties of independent Latvia, including the Boy Scouts, as fascist or counterrevolutionary", concluded a University of Latvia study in 2005.[13] The Latvian Scout president, Kārlis Goppers, was executed after a Stalinist show trial and Scouting went underground. Arvīds Brēdermanis was arrested as a spy and imprisoned in a Soviet gulag for fifteen years. With Scouting officially disbanded in Latvia, Klētnieks resumed his studies at Latvian University, earning a degree in mathematics in 1942.[7] Between 1941 and 1944, Nazi Germany occupied Latvia during World War II, forcing Soviet withdrawal. By October 1944, the Red Army had regained control of most of Latvia, including its capital, Riga, and Klētnieks was in a German displaced persons camp. After the war ended, he remained at Camp Kathann near Hersbruck, in the American occupation zone of divided Germany. A former Nazi concentration camp, it was used for Latvian displaced persons in the postwar Latvian diaspora. Klētnieks served as Scout Executive-in-exile for the 4,000 Latvian Scouts there until 1950.[6][7][14][15] While in Germany, he resumed writing, including magazine articles for fellow Latvian exiles and a book, Latviešu skautisma trīsdesmit gadi, 1917-1947 ("30 Years of Latvian Scouting, 1917–1947"), published in 1947.[8][16] Also that year, his research into Latvian chronology issues from the 16th to the 20th centuries, Pētījums par chronologijas problēmām Latvijā XVI-XX gadsimta ("An examination of the problems of chronology in Latvia from the 16th to the 20th centuries"), was published.[17]

In the United States

Klētnieks and his family went to the United States as refugees in May 1950, sponsored and given shelter by a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) official, E. Urner Goodman, at his Bondville, Vermont, summer home, Innisfree.[12][18] Goodman was the BSA's National Program Director at the time, as well as the celebrated founder of the Order of the Arrow. While staying with the Goodmans, the Klētnieks family appeared at a Brattleboro, Vermont, church in December 1950, where they spoke of their wartime experiences as exiles and recalled Christmas in Latvia, singing the songs of their homeland to the delight of those who heard them.[12][19] After Goodman's retirement from the BSA in 1951, Klētnieks remained at Innisfree to help in the running of his host's summer camp for boys. He also served as a local troop's Scoutmaster. In 1954, Klētnieks began working for the Boy Scouts of America, serving as a campmaster in Chicago and later as camping director at the BSA's National Training Center, located at the Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation in New Jersey.[20]

Postwar writings

As an émigré to the U.S., Klētnieks continued writing about Latvian history, including a second, expanded edition of his 1947 book, Latviešu skautisma trīsdesmit gadi, 1917-1947, published in 1960. The 414-page illustrated work, 40 Years of Latvian Scouting, 1917-1957, is a comprehensive history of the Scouting movement in Latvia during a turbulent period of two world wars, invasion, oppression, and exile.[6] In the 1950s, he also wrote Ugunskurs ("Campfire"), a publication for Latvian exiles.[8] Later, he wrote Klintenieši: stāsts trimdas jauniešiem ("The Klintins: a story for young people in exile") in 1963, about those who used their Scouting skills to survive in the forests of Latvia during the Soviet occupation of 1940–1941.[7][9][21] He also wrote another book that year, Senču raksti: latvju raksti bērniem, about Latvian ancestral figures.[22] It was re-published posthumously in Riga in 1990, after Latvia regained its independence from the Soviet Union and the present-day Latvian Scout and Guide Organization, Latvijas Skautu un Gaidu Centrālā Organizācija, was formed.[3][22]

Personal life and death

Klētnieks and his wife had three children: two daughters and a son.[12][20] In the 1960s, they retired to Constantine, Michigan, where Klētnieks was a community leader at Garezers, a lake resort in nearby Three Rivers popular with Latvian-Americans. While building a campfire there, he was stricken by a heart attack and died on August 17, 1968.[4][9] His grandson and great-grandson became active in American Scouting and, as of 2006, his daughter lived in Riga. Many of his documents and publications covering the Latvian Scout movement prior to 1940 as well as the postwar Latvian diaspora are now preserved at the Latvian State Archives.[15] In 2012, his remains were reburied in Vaive parish, the place of his birth in Latvia.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Klētnieks, Valdis, 1905-1968". Library of Congress. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "Valdemārs Klētnieks" (in Latvian). Cēsu Centrālā Bibliotēka. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Valdemārs Klētnieks (1905–1968)". WorldCat. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "Läti Skaudijuht V. Klietnieks". Vaba Eesti Sõna (in Estonian). Vol. XX, no. 35. New York. August 29, 1968. p. 10. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  5. ^ Jēkabsons, Ēriks; Ščerbinskis, Valters (2003). Latvijas ārlietu dienesta darbinieki 1918–1991: Biogrāfiskā vārdnīca (in Latvian). Riga: Zinātne. ISBN 9984-698-80-7.
  6. ^ a b c d e Klētnieks, Valdemārs (1960). Latviešu skautisma četrdesmit gadi: 1917–1957 (in Latvian). Skautu apgāds. OCLC 4104986.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Kesbers, Kārlis (August 31, 1968). "Ugunskurā Beidz Kvēlot Ogles". Latvija Amerika (in Latvian). p. 5. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d "Valdemārs Klētnieks". timenote.com. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d "Valdemārs Klētnieks" (in Latvian). Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia (ILFA). Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  10. ^ Vadītājs; rokas grāmata skautu vadītājiem. WorldCat. OCLC 42243822.
  11. ^ "Family History Research". Journal of the Latvian Institute of History (in Latvian). 3 (3). Riga: 403–440. 1939. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d Block, Nelson R. (2015). A Thing of the Spirit. Irving, TX: Boy Scouts of America. pp. 90–91. OCLC 49821673.
  13. ^ Nollendorfs, Valters; Oberlander, Erwin (2005). "The Hidden and Forbidden History of Latvia Under Soviet and Nazi Occupations 1940–1991" (PDF). Symposium of the Commission of the Historians of Latvia. 14. Institute of the History of Latvia, University of Latvia: 58 and 311 (footnote 39). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  14. ^ "Youth organizations". Camps in Germany (1944-1951) for refugees from Baltic countries. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "VĒSTURISKA IZZIŅA" (PDF). Latvian State Archives. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  16. ^ Latviešu skautisma trīsdesmit gadi, 1917-1947. WorldCat. OCLC 13371077.
  17. ^ Balys, Jonas P.; Jegers, Benjamins (Winter 1973). "Latvian Bibliographies: A Selective List". Journal of Baltic Studies. 4 (4): 376. JSTOR 43210515.
  18. ^ Goodman, E. Urner (1965). The Building of a Life. St. Augustine, Fla.: Standard Printing. pp. 10–11.
  19. ^ "Churches and Fraternal". Brattleboro Reformer. December 15, 1950. p. 5. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Bondville". Brattleboro Reformer. September 26, 1968. p. 9. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  21. ^ Klintenieši: stāsts trimdas jauniešiem. WorldCat. OCLC 23254743.
  22. ^ a b Senču raksti: latvju raksti bērniem. WorldCat. OCLC 165396520.

Read other articles:

Abu Sayyaf

Abu SayyafBendera Hitam ISIS, yang diadopsi oleh Abu SayyafPemimpinAbdurajak Abubakar Janjalani †[1] Khadaffy Janjalani †[2] Radullan Sahiron[3][4] Isnilon Totoni Hapilon †[5][6][7]Mahmur Japuri †[8]Waktu operasi1991[9]–sekarangMarkasJolo, Sulu, Filipina[10]Wilayah operasiFilipina, MalaysiaIdeologiIslamismeFundamentalisme IslamJumlah anggota150 anggota(Agustus 2018)[11&#...

 

Cinta yang Tertukar

Artikel ini bukan mengenai Jodoh yang Tertukar. Cinta yang TertukarGenre Drama Roman PembuatAmanah Surga ProductionsDitulis olehNucke RahmaSkenarioNucke RahmaSutradaraEmil G HamppPemeran Yuki Kato Leo Consul Kezia Karamoy Andrew Andika Shirin Safira Asha Shara Cut Mini Yadi Timo Moudy Wilhelmina Dwi Yan Gunawan Claudio Gege Elisa Ucup Nirin Naufal Ho Penggubah lagu temaRuri feat CynthiaLagu pembukaPesan dari Hati — Ruri feat CynthiaLagu penutupPesan dari Hati — Ruri feat CynthiaNegara asa...

 

Pertunjukan paruh waktu

Marching band sekolah menengah atas tampil di pertunjukan paruh waktu Chick-fil-A Bowl 2006. Amy Gilliom bernyanyi pada pertunjukan paruh waktu Hawaii Bowl 2007. Pertunjukan paruh waktu (Inggris: halftime show) adalah pertunjukan hiburan pada waktu istirahat, antara paruh pertama dan paruh kedua suatu pertandingan olahraga. Pertunjukan seperti ini tidak dilakukan pada cabang olahraga yang durasi satu babaknya tidak pasti, misalnya: tinju atau bisbol. Pertunjukan paruh waktu zaman modern b...

Visa requirements for New Zealand citizens

Administrative entry restrictions Visa requirements for New Zealand citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of New Zealand. As of 2024, New Zealand citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 190 countries and territories, ranking the New Zealand passport 5th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.[1] Visa requirements map Visa requirements for New Zealand citizens holding ordinary passports   ...

 

Hide (skin)

Animal skin treated for human use A hide or skin is an animal skin treated for human use. The word hide is related to the German word Haut, which means skin. The industry defines hides as skins of large animals e.g. cow, buffalo; while skins refer to skins of smaller animals: goat, sheep, deer, pig, fish, alligator, snake, etc. Common commercial hides include leather from cattle and other livestock animals, buckskin, alligator skin and snake skin. All are used for shoes, clothes, leather bags...

 

No. 121 Squadron RAF

Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force No. 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAF121 (Eagle) Squadron, RAF, 1940Active1 April 1918 - 17 August 1918 14 May 1941 – 29 September 1942Country United KingdomAllegiance United Kingdom United States (September 1942)Branch Royal Air ForceNickname(s)EagleMotto(s)For liberty[1]InsigniaSquadron Badge heraldryAn Indian warrior's head with head dressSquadron CodesAV (May 1941 - September 1942)Military unit No. 121 Squadron was a Royal Air Force (RA...

كأس الاتحاد الكويتي 2007–08

يفتقر محتوى هذه المقالة إلى الاستشهاد بمصادر. فضلاً، ساهم في تطوير هذه المقالة من خلال إضافة مصادر موثوق بها. أي معلومات غير موثقة يمكن التشكيك بها وإزالتها. (مارس 2016) كأس الاتحاد الكويتي 2007–08معلومات عامةالرياضة كرة القدم الفترة 2008 تعديل - تعديل مصدري - تعديل ويكي بيانات أق�...

 

Tang Chun Man

Dalam artikel ini, nama keluarganya adalah Tang. Sesuai dengan kebiasaan Hong Kong, nama gaya Barat-nya adalah Jordan Tang dan nama gaya Tionghoa-nya adalah Tang Chun-man. Tang Chun ManInformasi pribadiKebangsaanHong KongLahir20 Maret 1995 (umur 29)Hong KongTinggi178 m (584 ft 0 in)[1]Berat74 kg (163 pon)PeganganKiriGanda putra & campuranPeringkat tertinggi2 bersama Tse Ying (28 Juni 2018)Peringkat saat ini5 bersama Tse Ying (8 November 2022...

 

Banana ketchup

Sauce made from bananas Banana ketchupBanana ketchup from Pasig, Philippines, with plantain tostonesAlternative namesBanana sauceTypeCondimentPlace of originPhilippinesAssociated cuisinePhilippinesCreated byMaria Y. OrosaMain ingredientsBanana  Media: Banana ketchup Banana ketchup, also known as banana sauce (in export markets), is a Philippine fruit ketchup condiment made from banana, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Its natural color is brownish-yellow but it is often dyed red to resemb...

Guerres des mousquets

Les guerres des mousquets sont une succession de batailles entre plusieurs iwi maori néo-zélandais, ayant lieu au début du XIXe siècle. Surtout déroulés sur l'île du Nord, ces conflits furent directement influencés par l'acquisition de mousquets par les Maori. Les iwi du nord, dont les rivaux Ngapuhi et Ngati Whatua (en), furent les premiers à obtenir des armes à feu, s'infligeant de lourds dommages les uns aux autres ainsi que sur les iwi voisins, certains de ceux-ci n'ay...

 

Municipal Buildings, Taunton

Municipal building in Taunton, Somerset, England Municipal Buildings, TauntonMunicipal BuildingsLocationCorporation Street, TauntonCoordinates51°00′53″N 3°06′16″W / 51.0148°N 3.1044°W / 51.0148; -3.1044Builtc. 1480Architectural style(s)Tudor style Listed Building – Grade II*Official nameMunicipal Building (West End) Municipal Buildings (East End) (incorporating The Old Grammar School)Designated4 June 1952Reference no.1060041 Shown in Somerset The Mun...

 

Guru Da Banda

2018 Indian Punjabi-language animated historical drama film This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.Find sources: Guru Da Banda – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2021) Guru Da BandaDirected byJassi ChanaWritten bySatnam ChanaProduced byJoginder Singh Bhangalia and Sonu BhangaliaCinem...

Voyageur Provincial Park

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (September 2021) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the French article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wiki...

 

Kronos Quartet

American string quartet This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (April 2024) Kronos QuartetKronos Quartet at the Musical Instrument Museum, 2020Background informationOriginSeattle, Washington, U.S.GenresContemporary classical, minimalismOccupation(s)Chamber ensembleYears active1973–presentLabels Nonesuch/Elektra Cantaloupe Dacapo Landmark...

 

Local Government Reform Act 2014

Law amending the structures of local government in Ireland Local Government Reform Act 2014Oireachtas Long title An Act to make further and better provision in relation to local government and, in particular, to amalgamate Limerick County Council with Limerick City Council, Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council and North Tipperary County Council with South Tipperary County Council, to provide for the position of chief executive in relation to each local authority, to dissolve t...

Vertical (film company)

American independent film distributor VerticalCompany typePrivateIndustryMotion pictureFoundedSeptember 2012; 11 years ago (September 2012)FounderRich Goldberg and Mitch BudinHeadquartersSanta Monica, California, United StatesKey peopleRich Goldberg, Peter Jarowey, Mitch Budin, Jason Pecora, Kristin Harris, and Christian DawahareProductsMotion picturesWebsitevert-ent.com Vertical (formerly Vertical Entertainment) is a global independent film distributor founded by producers Rich ...

 

Jaufré Rudel

La neutralità di questa voce o sezione sull'argomento scrittori è stata messa in dubbio. Motivo: Priva di fonti com'è, la voce si configura prevalentemente come ricerca originale. Per contribuire, correggi i toni enfatici o di parte e partecipa alla discussione. Non rimuovere questo avviso finché la disputa non è risolta. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. Questa voce o sezione sugli argomenti trovatori e poeti francesi non cita le fonti necessarie o quelle pres...

 

Frosinone Calcio 2004-2005

Voce principale: Frosinone Calcio. Frosinone CalcioStagione 2004-2005Sport calcio Squadra Frosinone Allenatore Dino Pagliari Presidente Maurizio Stirpe Serie C15º posto nel girone A. Maggiori presenzeCampionato: Mastronunzio (35) Miglior marcatoreCampionato: Mastronunzio (13) 2003-2004 2005-2006 Si invita a seguire il modello di voce Questa pagina raccoglie le informazioni riguardanti il Frosinone Calcio nelle competizioni ufficiali della stagione 2004-2005. Indice 1 Rosa 2 Risultati 2...

Hôtel Drouot

Si ce bandeau n'est plus pertinent, retirez-le. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus. Cet article peut avoir été modifié (voire créé) en échange d'une rémunération ou d’avantages non déclarés, ce qui constitue le cas échéant une violation des conditions d'utilisation de Wikipédia (octobre 2023). L'article doit être relu — et modifié si nécessaire — par des contributeurs indépendants pour apporter un regard critique aux contributions effectuées en violation des con...

 

Période des Printemps et Automnes

Vous lisez un « article de qualité » labellisé en 2012. Sauf précision contraire, les dates de cet article sont sous-entendues « avant l'ère commune » (AEC), c'est-à-dire « avant Jésus-Christ ». La période des Printemps et Automnes ou période Chunqiu (pinyin Chūnqiū sin. 春秋) désigne, dans l'histoire de Chine, la première partie de la dynastie des Zhou orientaux (Dong Zhou 東周, 771-256 av. J.-C.), c'est-à-dire une période allant d'envir...