Gustavs Zemgals

Gustav Zemgals ( born August 12, 1871 in the rural community Dzukste, today Tukuma Novads, Circle Tukums, Latvia, † January 6, 1939 in Riga ) was a Latvian politician and the second President of Latvia.

Life

After attending primary school in Saka Zemgals went to the Nikolai Gymnasium in Riga. In 1899 he obtained a degree in law from the University of Moscow. He returned to Latvia back, was a lawyer and newspaper editor and was active politically.

In 1904, during the Russo -Japanese War Zemgals was called to the front, where he remained for one and a half years and was promoted to captain. Having returned to Latvia in 1905, Zemgals was one of the founders of a new liberal newspaper Jaunā Dienas Lapa ( " The New Tageblatt" ) and became its editor. He was also the successor newspaper this sheet, Musu Laiki ( "Our Times" ), and collaborated on a magazine Domas ( "thoughts" ). Soon after Zemgals with other founded the Latvian Democratic Party.

With the outbreak of World War Zemgals was drafted again. First, he came to an infantry division in central Latvia, later to Finland. 1917 Zemgals returned again to Riga back and was elected chairman of the city. At that time he was an active member of the Latvian radical democratic party.

From 1918 to Zemgals was in the Provisional Latvian National Congress, where he dealt with the issue of the occupied areas of Latvia. As a member of the Latvian radical democratic party, he was second vice chairman of the Tautas Padome ( People's Council ), a representative transitional parliament of political parties and organizations of Latvia. In this office he sat at November 18, 1918 prior to the meeting of the National Council, which declared the independence of Latvia. On 3 December 1919, he was elected chairman of the City Council of Riga.

Later, he sat for the Demokratiskā Centra Partija in the Latvian Parliament, the Saeima and was minister in several governments. After the death of Jānis Čakste 1927, he was elected President of Latvia. As president, he mingled little in the legislation of the Saeima, and only once had a law on the revision go back, but he used his right to grant amnesties, extensively. 648 persons were pardoned by him, 172 of which the sentence was entirely adopted. He remained President until the end of his term in 1930, although many asked him to, he refused to run for a second term of office.

After the end of his presidency Zemgals took his political career again and was elected to the Saeima fourth, where he participated in various commissions. He has published articles in the newspaper Jaunākās zinas ( Latest News ). On January 6, 1939 Zemgals died and was buried in Riga. In 1990 it was erected in honor in his birthplace Dzukste a monument.