Lauri Vahtre (born 22 March 1960) is an Estonian politician, historian, translator and writer.
Lauri Vahtre was born in Tartu. He graduated from Tartu Secondary School Nr 2 in 1978 and from Tartu University history department in 1984 (1988 PhD). From 1983 to 1985 he worked as a senior research fellow in the Estonian Open Air Museum, then continued his postgraduate studies. From 1988 to 1992 he worked as a senior researcher in the Institute of History of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, from 1989 to 1992 as a senior teacher at the Tartu University. As a historian, Lauri Vahtre is known as a populariser of history and a co-author of several schoolbooks. His research work has concentrated on the history of Estonian Bar Association and Soviet time mentality among other topics. [1] 2015-2020 Vahtre lead a group of historians, creating 2-volume research "History of the Estonian War of Independence" which was published 2021. See: https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eesti_Vabadussõja_ajalugu
Lauri Vahtre joined politics during the Singing Revolution together with his university mate Mart Laar. Just before graduation Vahtre was expelled from the Tartu State University because of his patriotic views and activities, so he had to complete his studies as an extern. [2] Together with Laar and other patriots they formed a political association, which in 1992 developed into a National Coalition Party "Pro Patria" (Rahvuslik Koonderakond "Isamaa"). Vahtre was a member of the Congress of Estonia and from 1991 to 1992 a member of the Constitutional Assembly. [1] In 1992, as a result of the victory of Pro Patria in the national elections, Lauri Vahtre was elected member of the VII Riigikogu. He became one of the political leaders of the party and was re-elected to the parliament in 1995 and 1999. In 2003 the party faced a loss in the parliamentary election and Vahtre did not get elected. He returned to the parliament again in 2007 and became a member of the parliamentary Committee on Cultural Affairs as well as the National Heritage Association.
In the parliament Lauri Vahtre was a member of the Estonia-India Parliamentary Group as well as the Estonia-Croatia Parliamentary Group. He also belonged to the Taiwan and Tibet Support Groups. [3] From 2001 to 2003 Lauri Vahtre was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He was a rapporteur on Moldova (together with Josette Durrieu). [4]
3rd class Order of the National Coat of Arms (2001) [5]
Lauri Vahtre's father was the historian Sulev Vahtre. His brother is the artist Silver Vahtre.
Lauri Vahtre is a member of Estonian Students' Society, [6] member of Isamaa.
Mart Laar is an Estonian politician and historian. He served as the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2002. Laar is credited with having helped bring about Estonia's rapid economic development during the 1990s. He is a member of the centre-right Isamaa party.
The Estonian resistance movement was an underground movement to resist the occupation of Estonia by Nazi Germany, 1941–1944 during World War II. Due to the unusually benign measures implemented in Estonia by the German occupation authorities, especially in contrast to the preceding harsh Soviet occupation of Estonia (1940–1941), the movement was slower to develop effective tactics on a wide scale than in other occupied countries.
Jaan Anvelt, was an Estonian Bolshevik revolutionary and writer. He served the Russian SFSR, was a leader of the Communist Party of Estonia, the first premier of the Soviet Executive Committee of Estonia, and the chairman of the Council of the Commune of the Working People of Estonia. Imprisoned during Joseph Stalin's Great Purge in 1937, he died from the injuries sustained during a beating by Aleksandr Langfang while in NKVD custody.
The Estonian Workers' Commune was a government claiming the Bolshevik-occupied parts of Republic of Estonia as its territories during the Estonian War of Independence and the Russian Civil War. It was recognised as an independent state only by Russian SFSR on December 7th, 1918.
The Battle of Lihula or Battle of Leal was fought between invading Swedes and Estonians for the control of a castle in Lihula, Estonia in 1220. The exact date remains uncertain, though some historians suggest that the battle took place on August 8. The event is described in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia and the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle.
The Estonian Students' Society is the largest and oldest all-male academical student society in Estonia, and is similar to the Baltic German student organizations known as corporations (Corps). It was founded in 1870 at Tartu. It has over 900 members in Estonia and abroad.
Jüri Talvet is an Estonian poet and academic. He is the author of various literary works including poetry, criticism, and essays.
Andrus Kivirähk is an Estonian writer, a playwright, topical satirist, and screenwriter. As of 2004, 25,000 copies of his novel Rehepapp ehk November had been sold, making him the most popular 21st-century Estonian writer. His book Mees, kes teadis ussisõnu (2007) has been one of the top selling books in Estonia. He has been a member of the Estonian Writers' Union since 1996.
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the Republic of Estonia.
Lilli Suburg was an Estonian journalist, writer and feminist. In 1882, she established a private primary school for Estonian girls in Pärnu, in 1885 she moved it to Viljandi where the number of pupils expanded. In 1887–1894, she founded and began publishing the first women's magazine in Estonia, Linda. When forced to sell her journal, Suburg moved to Latvia and headed a school there until 1907.
Karl Säre was a Soviet and Estonian communist politician. He was the first first secretary of the Central Committee of the Estonian Communist Party. During World War II, he was arrested by Nazi Germany and taken to Sachsenhausen concentration camp, where he died in 1945. The Soviet government avoided the mention of Säre's name in any public sources, as he was suspected of treason by disclosing to Nazi Germany information about the Stalinist officials and pro-Soviet agents who had remained in German-occupied Estonia during the war.
Kaur Alttoa is an Estonian art historian and cultural historian.
Kärt Jänes-Kapp was an Estonian research journalist and editor.
Electoral district no. 10 was one of the multi-member electoral districts of the Riigikogu, the national legislature of Estonia. The district was established in 1992 when the Riigikogu was re-established following Estonia's independence from the Soviet Union. It was abolished in 1995. It was conterminous with the county of Tartu.
Peeter Ernits is an Estonian zoologist, journalist and politician. He has been member of XIII and XIV Riigikogu.
Jaan Jung was an Estonian educator, cultural personnel, archeology and history enthusiast.
Juhan Maiste is an Estonian art historian.
Henrik Kalmet is an Estonian actor, comedian, and television personality. Kalmet began his career in 2010 and has appeared as an actor on stage, television, and films. He is also a stand-up comedian and has appeared as a judge and presenter on several Estonian television series. In 2011, he was a cofounder of the theatre troupe Kinoteater.
Enn Tarvel was an Estonian historian.
Mihkel Aitsam was an Estonian writer, journalist, and local historian.