Gunārs Bērziņš
Gunārs Bērziņš (born July 4, 1927 in Daugavpils ; † June 30, 1999 Tukums ) was a Latvian cartoonist .
Life
Bērziņš was born on July 4, 1927 in Dünaburg . His father Edgars Bērziņš was a career officer in the Latvian army . During the occupation of Latvia by the Red Army in 1940 Gunārs Bērziņš lost his parents' house. In 1942 he graduated from school and in 1943 studied at the Riga State Technical College . In 1944, at the age of 16, he volunteered for the Latvian Legion . His father was at that time commander of the artillery regiment of the 15th Latvian SS Division . Gunārs Bērziņš fell on May 2, 1945 in Berlin into Soviet captivity . Here it passed through various filtration camps in Germany, Poland and the Soviet Union until August 16, 1946 . In 1947 he was able to return to Latvia. Until 1948 he worked in the Riga puppet theater as a decorator, then for a building administration of the Latvian Academy of Sciences . From 1981 to 1991 he was employed by the satirical magazine Dadzis (Distel). He died in 1999.
plant
Berzinš has been drawing since his school days. During the war, the first caricatures about life on the front lines and later in captivity were made. In 1948 his drawings were published for the first time in “Asā slota” (sharp broom), a satirical supplement to the newspapers “Cīņā” and “Padomju Jaunatnes”. In the following decades he became the most famous caricaturist in Latvia. From the first number in 1957 to the last one in 1995, his drawings were an integral part of the satirical magazine "Dadzis". In their unmistakable style, they were known to generations of Latvians from childhood.
Most of his work featured simple people in everyday situations. With indestructible humor, he also took a look at the less pleasant qualities of his fellow citizens. A recurring black cat played a special role . His characteristic humorous crowd scenes were also popular.
In addition to his graphic work, Berzinš also designed the doll costumes for the cartoon “Sivēns sivēnam draugs”. After his death, his partner Biruta donated the wartime drawings to the Latvian Occupation Museum, where they are on display today.
Web links
- Vents Dubrovskis: Ar smaidu par karotājiem
- Latvian Occupation Museum
- Kristīne Melne: Padomju gūsts karavīra karikatūrās
- Gunārs Bērziņš: Person and Life
literature
- Gunārs Bērziņš “Melnā Kaķa bruņinieks” Valters un Rapa 2002, ISBN 9789984595788
- Dainis Breikšs: The Soviet Latvian Caricature, Riga 1985
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bērziņš, Gunārs |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Latvian cartoonist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 4th July 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Daugavpils |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 30, 1999 |
| Place of death | Tukums |