Liepāja Gymnasium Explained

Liepāja Nicolai Gymnasium was a six-year (later seven) gymnasium (high school) in Liepāja (Libau), Courland Governorate, Russian Empire.

It was established in 1865 on the basis of a school that traced its roots to 1848.^[1] The school was named in honor of Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsesarevich of Russia. The school building was constructed in 1883–1885 by architect Paul Max Bertschy.^[2] The school was diverse in students' religious and ethnic background. For example, in 1884, out of 398 pupils, 161 were Evangelical Lutherans (41.2%), 130 Jews (33.3%), 76 Catholics (19.4%) and 22 Eastern Orthodoxs (5.6%).^[1] The curriculum devoted substantial attention to the Latin and Greek languages. The language of instruction was switched from German to Russian in 1887.^[1]

The school continued to function until its evacuation to Petrograd during World War I (1915).

Principals

School principals were:^[1]

• Karl Lessevs (Carl Lessew, 1865–1869)
• Nikolai Lenstrēms (Nicolai Lenström, 1870–1883)
• Albert Volgemuts (Albert Wohlgemuth, 1883–1905)
• Nicolai Papilov (1905–1908)

Prominent students

Many prominent Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, and German people studied at the gymnasium, including:^[1]

• Leonas Bistras, Prime Minister of Lithuania
• Balys Dvarionas, Lithuanian composer
• Oswald Külpe, German psychologist
• Gabriel Narutowicz, President of Poland
• Stanisław Narutowicz, Signatory of the Act of Independence of Lithuania
• Issai Schur, Jewish mathematician
• Salomėja Stakauskaitė, one of the first group of women parliamentarians in Lithuania
• Konstanty Skirmunt, Polish diplomat and Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Aleksandras Stulginskis, President of Lithuania
• Juozas Tūbelis, Prime Minister of Lithuania
• Antanas Vienuolis, Lithuanian writer
• Max Weinreich, Jewish linguist

Notes and References

1. https://www.irliepaja.lv/lv/raksti/liepajnieki/nikolaja-gimnazija-atskatoties-uz-dibinasanas-150-jubileju/ Nikolaja ģimnāzija – atskatoties uz dibināšanas 150. jubileju
2. http://www.lvt.lv/par-mums/vesture/ Liepājas Valsts tehnikums, dibināts 1920. gadā