Science

(By Professor Janis Stradins, President of the Latvian Academy of Sciences) In Latvia, the history of science has a sufficiently long-standing and famous tradition, especially natural and exact sciences. Already since Livonian times and the Reformation, the reception of Western ideas have been observed, which has been well documented. The funds of Bibliotheca Rigensis (pres. Latvian Academic Library) founded in 1524. In 1775, the first Latvian school of higher education - Academia Petrina was founded in Mitau (Jelgava), at the end of the 18th - the beginning of the 19th century, active learned (scientific) societies started their development. G. F. Stender, the enlightener and popularizer of science, D. H. Grindel, a physician and pharmaceutical chemist, T. Grotthuss, the author of famous electrochemical and photo-chemical theories, were active here, too. Latvia was strongly influenced by Dorpat (Tartu) University. In Latvia, science was represented by Baltic Germans, and in scientific and technical relations the Baltics was a bridge between the Western Europe and Russia. Riga Polytechnic School, the first polytechnic university in the Russian Empire, was founded in 1862, in 1896 it was reorganized into the Riga Polytechnical Institute (since 1990 - the Riga Technical University). Such prominent scientists as W. Ostwald (one of the founders of physical chemistry, later the Nobel Prize Winner), P. Walden, E. Arnold, A. Toepler, also worked there, F. Zander started his studies in rocket engineering and astronautics. The ethnically Latvian first scientists started their career outside Latvia. The Science Committee of the Riga Latvian Society founded in 1869 (reorganized into Academia Scientiarum Latviensis in 1932) was a pioneer (in development) of the Latvian humanities (linguistics, ethnography, folklore studies). In 1894-1915, K. Barons published a collection of Latvian folk songs “Latvju dainas” with the support of St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

After the establishment of the independent state of Latvia, the first (general profile) national University of Latvia was founded in 1919 (on the basis of the former Riga Polytechnical Institute), among the lecturers was linguist J. Endzelìns who was particularly prominent. In 1939 the Academy of Agriculture was established in Jelgava too. Unfortunately in 1944, the majority of Latvian academic intellectuals went into exile, some of them became remarkable professors in the universities of the USA, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Germany, and other countries.

In Latvia, the university education and science had to be developed almost anew, yet a certain historic succession and traditions had been preserved. Of great importance was the Latvian Academy of Sciences (LAS), which was founded in 1946. It covered the achievements of Latvian scientists in several fields of chemistry, physics, mechanics,