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Between National and Academic Agendas Ethnic Policies and ‘National Disciplines’ at the University of Latvia, 1919–1940

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Between National and Academic Agendas Ethnic Policies and ‘National Disciplines’ at the University of Latvia, 1919–1940 BETWEEN NATIONAL AND ACADEMIC AGENDAS Ethnic Policies and ‘National Disciplines’ at the University of Latvia, 1919–1940 PER BOLIN Other titles in the same series Södertörn Studies in History Git Claesson Pipping & Tom Olsson, Dyrkan och spektakel: Selma Lagerlöfs framträdanden i offentligheten i Sverige 1909 och Finland 1912, 2010. Heiko Droste (ed.), Connecting the Baltic Area: The Swedish Postal System in the Seventeenth Century, 2011. Susanna Sjödin Lindenskoug, Manlighetens bortre gräns: tidelagsrättegångar i Livland åren 1685–1709, 2011. Anna Rosengren, Åldrandet och språket: En språkhistorisk analys av hög ålder och åldrande i Sverige cirka 1875–1975, 2011. Steffen Werther, SS-Vision und Grenzland-Realität: Vom Umgang dänischer und „volksdeutscher” Nationalsozialisten in Sønderjylland mit der „großgermanischen“ Ideologie der SS, 2012. Södertörn Academic Studies Leif Dahlberg och Hans Ruin (red.), Fenomenologi, teknik och medialitet, 2012. Samuel Edquist, I Ruriks fotspår: Om forntida svenska österledsfärder i modern historieskrivning, 2012. Jonna Bornemark (ed.), Phenomenology of Eros, 2012. Jonna Bornemark och Hans Ruin (eds), Ambiguity of the Sacred, 2012. Håkan Nilsson (ed.), Placing Art in the Public Realm, 2012. Lars Kleberg and Aleksei Semenenko (eds), Aksenov and the Environs/Aksenov i okrestnosti, 2012. BETWEEN NATIONAL AND ACADEMIC AGENDAS Ethnic Policies and ‘National Disciplines’ at the University of Latvia, 1919–1940 PER BOLIN Södertörns högskola Södertörns högskola SE-141 89 Huddinge www.sh.se/publications Cover Image, taken from Latvijas Universitāte Illūstrācijās, p. 10. Gulbis, Riga, 1929. Cover: Jonathan Robson Layout: Jonathan Robson and Per Lindblom Printed by E-print, Stockholm 2012 Södertörn Studies in History 13 ISSN 1653-2147 Södertörn Academic Studies 51 ISSN 1650-6162 ISBN 978-91-86069-52-0 Contents Foreword ....................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Nationalising Academia .......................................................................................................... 9 2. From Imperial to National Universities The University System in the Russian Empire 1800–1919 .................................................. 45 3. Creating a ‘Castle of Light’ The Forming of the University of Latvia during the First Republic ................................... 57 4. Language Matters the Question of Tuition Language ......................................................................................... 117 5.“Foreign Elements” Demarcation and Conflict between Latvian and Jewish Students at the University of Latvia, 1919–1940 .................................................................................. 129 6. Making an Impression the Official University Journal ............................................................................................... 173 7. Developing ‘National Disciplines’ Archaeology, Folklore, History, Latvian Linguistics and Literature, 1919–1934 .................................................................................................................................. 183 8. The University under Dictatorship Changes in National Policies and the Academics under the Ulmanis Regime, 1934–1940 ................................................................................ 259 9. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 295 Appendix ................................................................................................................................... 311 References .................................................................................................................................. 317 Literature ................................................................................................................................... 327 Foreword … only he is called upon and should attempt to write the history of a nation who belongs to the makers of that history – who belongs to that particular nation. Kārlis Ulmanis, President of Latvia, Inaugural address to the First Conference of Baltic Historians, Riga, 15 August 1937 I have not followed Kārlis Ulmanis’ advice. During the last decade I have tried to understand and contribute to modern Latvian history, in spite of my being Swedish. I have done this in the belief that all scholarship benefits from the constant exchange of ideas and interpretations between ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’, between historians belonging to different nations and different scholarly traditions. In this endeavour I would not have made much progress without the vital co- operation of two Latvian colleagues and friends, Vita Zelče and Aldis Pūtelis. Vita has for more than a decade given me advice, insights, and, what now amounts to, a minor library on Latvian history. She has scrutinized all my previous writings on Latvian issues, and somehow on this occasion too found the time to read the entire first version of this manuscript. Over the years Vita has saved me from making innumerable blunders. In addition to all of this she has very generously given me access to, and the use of, her collection of photographs concerning the University of Latvia and its academics. I am immensely grateful to her. Aldis Pūtelis, for an equal amount of time, has enlightened me with his knowledge of Latvian folklore. Early in our acquaintance he showed me the famous folklore collection of Krišjānis Barons in the Latvian Academy of Science, still kept in the original custom-built cupboard – an unforgettable experience. Aldis has continued to give me sound advice over the years, and also provided me with vital contacts among Latvian folklore researchers. For all this I remain deeply indebted. Other colleagues were also of great help. In Latvia, historian Aivars Stranga has on several occasions found the time to give me advice and direction. Among my colleagues here at Södertörn University, I am especially indebted to ethno- logist Mats Lindqvist and political scientist Fredrika Björklund. In the late 1990s we were part of a large research project, Nations and Unions, led by Mats, focusing on the reconstruction of national identity in Latvia. Many of the ideas in the present book originate from the work in this project, and over the years I have 5 BOLIN – BETWEEN NATIONAL AND ACADEMIC AGENDAS benefited enormously from discussions with the two of them. In Fredrika I also had a travelling companion; together we tried to understand the complexities of Latvian history and culture, besides exploring Riga’s café repertoire. Early versions of most chapters have been discussed at the Advanced History Seminar and the CBEES Advanced Seminar at Södertörn University. Comments from the participants advanced my work a great deal. Anu-Mai Kõll, Director of CBEES, has been very supportive of my work. The first version of the manu- script for this book was reviewed in great detail by historians David Gaunt and Lars Ekdahl, who suggested many improvements for the text. David has also commented on many earlier versions with his usual intellectual sharpness. For this I am beholden to him. My colleague at CBEES, Anna Storm, also gave me some sound advice for improving the final chapter. Many thanks! This book would have been impossible to write without the support of my teachers in the Latvian language: Anette Reinsch-Campbell, Lilita Zaļkalns and Juris Rozītis. Liels paldies! I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the librarians and archivists who have given me such excellent support. In Stockholm, invaluable assistance was provided by Dace Lagerborg and Michał Bron from Södertörn University library. In Riga, archivist Gunta Minde at the State Historical Archive (LVVA) has been incredibly helpful in my archival searches. To the many librarians at Misiņa Bibliotēka in Riga, I would also like to extend my gratitude for patiently supplying me with reading material over the years. Thanks indeed Patrick Hort, who has done a tremendous job of reading through the entire manuscript and transforming my sometimes less than elegant sentences into proper English. Two of the chapters have appeared in print previously, although in much shorter versions. An earlier version of chapter 2 was published in the anthology Re-inventing the Nation. Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Construction of Latvian National Identity, edited by Mats Lindqvist. In addition to that an early version of chapter 5 has previously been published in Latvian, in the historical journal Latvijas Arhīvi, under the title “‘Svešie elementi’. Latvijas Universitātes latviešu un ebreju studentu demarkācija un konflikts (1919–1940)”. The present versions have been considerably extended and – hopefully – improved. The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies (Östersjöstiftelsen) generously provided the financial means for this study, for which I am naturally very appreciative. Last, but certainly not least, I am beholden to Christina, who for several years now has patiently listened to my incessant ravings about obscure Latvian academics. She, herself a historian, has also given me a lot of sound advice. She may be rather peeved when she reads that I have not taken it all: In the end I 6 decided not to have a separate chapter on methodology. I hope she is able to forgive me. 7 CHAPTER 1 Nationalising Academia If we are not a nation, it is because we have no Colleges, no University, to create and cherish
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