August Jakobson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

August Jakobson
August Jakobson ca, 1920.jpg
Born
Agustin Jakobson

(1904-09-02)2 September 1904
Pärnu, Estonia
Died23 May 1963(1963-05-23) (aged 58)
Tallinn, Estonia
NationalityEstonian
OccupationPlaywright, politician
Years active1927 –1958
Signature
August Jakobson signature.jpg

August Jakobson (2 September 1904 – 23 May 1963) was an Estonian writer and politician. He was the only Estonian playwright among his contemporaries whose plays were untouched by Soviet censorship and reached other Soviet states.[1] He has been described as the leading Stalinist in Soviet Estonian drama.[2] In the 1960s his work was described as "ideologically militant".[3]

Born Augustin Jakobson in Pärnu, he was the son of Mihkel Jakobson and Maria Jakobson (née Moritson). Jakobson graduated from school in 1926 in Pärnu, then studied economics at the University of Tartu from 1926 to 1929 and medicine from 1931 to 1935. However, he left school without acquiring a formal degree. His debut novel, Vaeste-patuste alev (1927), won the first place award in a literary competition sponsored by the publishing house Loodus.[4]

He was the head of the Estonian Writers' Union in 1939–1940 and in 1944–1946 (then known as Writers' Union of the Estonian SSR).[5]

From August 1940, Jakobson was a member of a Soviet censorship committee.[3] From 1950 to 1958 he was the head of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.[6]

Monument in Pärnu

Near the Endla Theatre in Pärnu stands a monument for Jakobson.[3]

Bibliography[]

  • Vaeste-patuste alev (1927) (novel)
  • "Elu tsitadellis" (1946) (play)
  • "Võitlus rindejooneta" (1947) (play)

See also[]

  • List of Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic

References[]

  1. ^ Gabrielle H. Cody; Evert Sprinchorn (2007). The Columbia Encyclopedia of Modern Drama, Vol 1. Columbia University Press. p. 429. ISBN 978-0-231-14422-3.
  2. ^ Kevin O'Connor (2006). Culture and Customs of the Baltic States. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 192. ISBN 0-313-33125-1.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Neil Taylor (2010). Bradt Estonia (Sixth ed.). Bradt Travel Guides. p. 236. ISBN 978-1-84162-320-7.
  4. ^ Linda Kaljundi (20 February 2009). "Eesti lugu: August Jakobson "Vaeste-patuste alev"". Eesti Päevaleht.
  5. ^ "Nõukogude tagalakirjanikud". Acta Historica Tallinnensia (in Estonian). Estonian Academy Publishers. 10: 155. 2006.
  6. ^ Toivo U. Raun (2001). Estonia and the Estonians (Second ed.). Hoover Press. p. 194. ISBN 0-8179-2852-9.
  • "Eesti kirjanduse ajalugu" part V, book 1. Eesti Raamat, 1987. pp. 162–172.
Retrieved from ""