The Department of Commerce (Trade) at the Riga Polytechnic/Riga Polytechnic Institute (1868-1919) and the Contribution of Its Alumni to Latvia
Latvijas Zinātņu Akadēmijas Vēstis. A daļa 2017
Alīda Zigmunde, Dzintra Atstāja

National economy as any other sector needs good specialists. In 1868, the Department of Trade at the Riga Polytechnic was founded which became in 1896 the Department of Commerce at the Riga Polytechnic Institute (RPI). This department which has its roots in the Riga Polytechnic of 1868 has survived the transformation of the RPI into the University of Latvia in 1919, the revival of the RPI in 1958 and its transformation into the Riga Technical University (RTU) in 1990. In 2018 we will celebrate 150 years of higher education in economy and national economy. The successes of the Department of Commerce are reflected in the work of its alumni and the positions which they acquired based on the education they got in Riga. In almost 50 years (1871-1919) 1036 students have finished their studies at the Department of Commerce. In the second half of the 19th century they played an important role in the economy, the banks, in industry, in politic and the commerce of Latvia. They were present in pedagogy, in literature and wrote textbooks. Among the alumni of almost every year you can find personalities who were important for the People and the State of Latvia. Among them we have the ministers Ringolds Kalnings, Ādolfs Kuršinskis, Roberts Liepiņš, Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics, the editor Jānis Rapa, the president of Estonia (1922 – 1923) Juhan Kukk, the professors of the Latvian University Jānis Kārkliņš und Vilis Vītols, teachers, inspectors, and directors of different commerce schools, professional schools and high schools (Gymnasien) in Latvia. Some foundet private schools. The civil servant and publicist Vilis Olavs – founded a commerce school. The teacher Gustav Bienz – founded primary schools and secondary schools. Gustav Leopold Sodoffsky – founded Fröbel courses. Others worked in private enterprises or fonded private enterprises. Eleven of the alumni prepeared and defended a doctoral degree, among them the professor at the Latvian University Jānis Kārkliņš and the professor and rector of the Herder Institute Wilhelm Klumberg. The alumni did not only work in Latvia but also abroad but the aim of this artice is to take notice of those who worked in Latvia and for the State of Latvia.


Keywords
augstākā izglītība, komercizglītība, Rīgas Politehniskais institūts

Zigmunde, A., Atstāja, D. The Department of Commerce (Trade) at the Riga Polytechnic/Riga Polytechnic Institute (1868-1919) and the Contribution of Its Alumni to Latvia. Latvijas Zinātņu Akadēmijas Vēstis. A daļa, 2017, 71.sēj., Nr.3, pp.28-43. ISSN 1407-0081.

Publication language
Latvian (lv)
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