August Kerem
August Kerem (born September 19 July / October 1, 1889 greg. On the Mähkli manor, rural community Karula , Livonia Governorate ; † May 28, 1942 near Soswa , Sverdlovsk Oblast , Soviet Union ) was an Estonian politician.
Early years
August Kerem graduated from the Polytechnic Institute in Riga, the capital of Livonia, as an agricultural economist in 1916 . He took part in the First World War as a soldier . Then Kerem fought in the Estonian War of Independence (1918-1920) against Soviet Russia .
politics
In the young Estonian state, Kerem rose quickly in politics. In 1919/20 he was department head in the newly established Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Estonia. Kerem played a major role in implementing the radical land reform adopted in 1919 . They expropriated the large estates of the Baltic Germans and distributed land to the Estonian small farmers. The redistribution created the basis for the still largely agrarian Estonian state of the interwar period .
Kerem joined the Estonian People's Party ( Eesti Rahvaerakond ). It was close to value conservative national ideas. A popular Estonian patriotism should overcome the separation of society into social classes. His party stood for the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law on the western model. Despite a conservative attitude, she advocated a social market economy under liberal auspices. Their following consisted largely of intellectuals, the educated urban bourgeoisie, but also some of the farmers. The party was particularly strong in southern Estonia.
In the interwar period, Kerem belonged to all five legislative periods of the democratically elected Estonian parliament ( Riigikogu ) during the interwar period. He was a multiple minister and belonged to a total of twelve Estonian cabinets:
| cabinet | Department | Term of office | Political party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tõnisson I | Minister of Agriculture | July 30, 1920– October 26, 1920 | HE |
| Father II | Minister of Agriculture | August 2, 1923– March 26, 1924 | HE |
| Akel I | Minister of Agriculture | March 26, 1924– December 16, 1924 | HE |
| Jaakson I | Minister of Agriculture | December 16, 1924– December 15, 1924 | HE |
| Teemant II | Minister of transport | July 23, 1926– March 4, 1927 | HE |
| Teemant III | Minister of transport | March 4, 1927– December 9, 1927 | HE |
| Tõnisson III | Minister of transport | December 9, 1927– December 4, 1928 | HE |
| Strandman II | Minister of Agriculture | July 9, 1929– February 12, 1931 | HE |
| Father III | Defense Minister | February 12, 1931– February 19, 1932 | HE |
| Teemant IV | Defense Minister | February 19, 1932– July 19, 1932 | RKE |
| Binding I | Defense Minister | July 19, 1932– November 1, 1932 | RKE |
| Tõnisson IV | Defense Minister | May 18, 1933– October 21, 1933 | RKE |
In connection with the sale of the Estonian destroyers Lennuk and Vambola to Peru in 1933, Defense Minister Kerem was accused of corruption in January 1934 and, together with the Chief of the General Staff , Major General Juhan Tõrvand (1883–1942), was indicted by Prosecutor General Richard Räägo (1893–1941) . The State Court of Justice ( Riigikohus ) acquitted both of them on December 9, 1934 of all allegations. It is still unclear whether Kerem was rightly accused of irregularities in the processing of the arms deal or whether the allegations were a targeted campaign by his political opponents Konstantin Päts and Johan Laidoner .
economy
With his retirement from active politics in 1933/34 Kerem went into the free economy. From 1933 to 1940 he was director of the largest Estonian bus company OÜ Mootor, founded in 1926 . 1939/40 Kerem was also managing director of the newly founded Estonian airline AS Ago .
death
In the summer of 1940 the Red Army occupied the Baltic States . The Soviet authorities arrested Kerem on June 4, 1941 and took him inside the Soviet Union . In May 1942 he was executed in the Sevurallag “reform and labor camp” (officially Северо-Уральский исправительно-трудовой лагерь) in Sverdlovsk Oblast .
Private life
August Kerem was the older brother of the Evangelical Lutheran clergyman Arnold Aleksander Kerem (1893–1942).
August Kerem was married to Eva Kerem and had three children.
literature
- Eesti elulood. Tallinn: Eesti entsüklopeediakirjastus 2000 (= Eesti entsüklopeedia 14) ISBN 9985-70-064-3 , p. 153
Web links
- Short CV (Estonian)
Individual evidence
- ↑ from January 1932 National Center Party ( Rahvuslik Keskerakond )
- ↑ as of December 14, 1927 also deputy state elder
- ^ Postimees , December 10, 1934, p. 3
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kerem, August |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Estonian politician, member of the Riigikogu and agronomist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 1, 1889 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Grange Mähkli, rural community Karula , Governorate of Livonia |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 28, 1942 |
| Place of death | near Soswa , Sverdlovsk Oblast , Soviet Union |