Valters Nollendorfs

Dr. Valters Nollendorfs is a Professor Emeritus of German language and literature of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is Chairman of the Board of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.[1] Nollendorf is recipient of the Order of the Three Stars[2] and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.[3]

Valters Nollendorfs in 2011

Nollendorfs was born 22 March 1931 in Riga, Latvia,[4] into the home of his father Kārlis Nollendorfs, a police officer in the old town of Riga.[5] At the age of 13, together with his family, he fled Latvia to Westfalia, Germany, where he spent almost six years in a displaced persons camp.[6] In 1950 Nollendorfs emigrated to Texas.[4] In 1954 he finished a B.S. in pedagogy at the University of Nebraska, and a M.A. in German language and literature in 1955. In 1962 he achieved a Ph.D. in German literature at the University of Wisconsin. Nollendorfs then worked as an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[7]

At the age of 24, Nollendorfs became the first editor of the Latvian language magazine Jaunā Gaita (New Tide).[5] In the late 1950s he was in charge of the American Latvian Youth Association. He worked for the children's magazine Mazputniņš, the publishing company Ceļinieks and led many courses for the youth in North America. During the school year 1988/89, Nollendorf was the leader of the only full-time Latvian high school in the Free World – the Münster Latvian High School in Germany.[5]

After many years living abroad, Nollendorfs visited his motherland the first time in 1988. In 1990 he became one of the first Fulbright lecturers in Latvia. Nollendorfs is a member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences since 1990 and member of the President of Latvia's Historians Commission since 1998.[8] From 1996 to 2000 he was director of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies' Baltic office.[5]

Over the years Valters Nollendorfs has authored two books, has edited at least 15 books (amongst them the book by Sandra Kalniete – With Dance Shoes in Siberian Snows). He was also the editor of several scholarly magazines (amongst them the German language Monatshefte at the University of Wisconsin-Madison).[5]

Awards

Valters Nollendorfs was awarded Knight of the Order of the Three Stars on 2 May 1997,[2] and Officer of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on 5 December 2017.[3]

gollark: Basically.
gollark: I'm continuously using copypasta, by assembling messages from characters copied from previous messages.
gollark: ↑ thanks wikipedia
gollark: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology
gollark: I assume so, but probably not for visible light.

References
  1. "Contacts". Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  2. "Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis par darbu Latvijas labā" (in Latvian). Latvijas Vēstnesis. 6 May 1997. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. "Verleihung des Bundesverdienstkreuzes 1. Klasse an Prof. Valters Nollendorfs" (in German). Embassy of Germany in Riga. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. "Okupācijas muzeja biedrības vadītājam Valteram Nollendorfam – 85" (in Latvian). Delfi. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. "PBLA balva Valteram Nollendorfam" (in Latvian). Pasaules Brīvo Latviešu Apvienība. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  6. Aziza Freutel (1 June 2004). "Repatriate gives back to Latvia, his first home". The Baltic Times. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  7. "Patiesību meklējot" (in Latvian). Jaunā Gaita. 1966. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  8. "Commission of Historians". President of Latvia's Office. Retrieved 2 January 2018.

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