Friedrich Akel

Friedrich Akel
Friedrich Akel in 1924
5thState Elder of Estonia
In office 26 March 1924(1924-03-26)– 16 December 1924(1924-12-16)
Preceded by	Konstantin Päts
Succeeded by	Jüri Jaakson
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
In office 2 June 1936(1936-06-02)– 9 May 1938(1938-05-09)
Preceded by	Julius Seljamaa
Succeeded by	Karl Selter
In office 23 July 1926(1926-07-23)– 11 November 1927(1927-11-11)
Preceded by	Ants Piip
Succeeded by	Aleksander Hellat
In office 2 August 1923(1923-08-02)– 26 March 1924(1924-03-26)
Preceded by	Aleksander Hellat
Succeeded by	Otto Strandman
Personal details
Born	Friedrich Karl Akel (1871-09-05)5 September 1871 Kaubi parish,Kreis Pernau,Governorate of Estonia,Russian Empire
Died	3 July 1941(1941-07-03)(aged 69) Tallinn,Estonia
Cause of death	Execution by shooting
Political party	Christian People's Party

Friedrich Karl Akel(5 September [O.S.24 August] 1871in Kaubi (nowPornuse) village,Mulgi Parish– 3 July 1941 inTallinn) was anEstoniandiplomat and politician who served asState Elder of Estoniain 1924.

Early years

Akel was born in Kaubi village (nowPornuse) inMulgi Parish.He attended the Alexander Gymnasium inTartu,and studied in the department of medicine of theUniversity of Tartuin 1892–1897. After graduating, he worked as an assistant at the Tartu University Clinic before being employed as a doctor at Reimers ophthalmology clinic inRigain 1898. The following year, he started working as a doctor in the Ujazdów military hospital inWarsaw.In 1901, he continued his studies inBerlin,PragueandLeipzig.

After briefly returning as a doctor at Reimers ophthalmology clinic, Akel practiced a privateophthalmologistinTallinnbetween 1902 and 1912, with an exception for 1904–1905, when he served as an army physician in theRusso-Japanese war.In 1907 he was one of the founders of the Private Clinic of Estonian Physicians, and in 1912 he founded his own eye clinic. He was also a member and chairman of theTallinnMunicipal Council, and honoraryjustice of the peacein the Tallinn-Haapsalu Peace Council.

Akel was a member the board of the Northern Baltic Union of Physicians and the Tallinn Popular Education Society, chairman of the sports society "Kalev", building society of "Estonia" theatre and the Estonian Society "Estonia" in Tallinn, member and chairman of the council and member of the Board of the Tallinn Loan and Savings Society (later the Tallinn Credit Bank) and vice president of theconsistoryof theEstonian Evangelical Lutheran Churchin 1920–1922.

Political career

Akel was Estonia's Elder of State between March and December 1924. During his term as Elder of State, theCommunist Party of Estoniacarried outa failed coup d'état attempton 1 December; while Akel escaped unharmed, Minister of TransportKarl Karkwas killed.

Akel was alsoMinister of Foreign Affairsin 1923–1924, 1926–1927 and 1936–1938, and EstonianenvoytoSwedenandDenmarkin 1928–1934 and Germany and theNetherlandsin 1934–1936. In 1927–1932, Akel was Estonia's representative to theInternational Olympic Committee.

From 1926 until 1929, Akel was a member of theIII Riigikogu,representing theChristian People's Party.Later, he was a member of theEstonian National Assembly(Rahvuskogu) in 1937, and of theRiiginõukogu(the upper chamber of Parliament) in 1938–1940.

Arrest and execution

Following the June 1940Soviet invasion and occupation of Estonia and the other Baltic statesin June 1940, Akel was imprisoned by theNKVDin October 1940. He was executed by shooting in Tallinn on 3 July 1941. His wife, Adele Karoline Tenz, was deported to the USSR in June 1941 and died there in 1944.

Honours

National honours

• Estonia:Knight of theOrder of the Estonian Red Cross,2nd class (1927)
• Estonia:Knight of theOrder of the Cross of the Eagle,1st class (1935)
• Estonia:Knight of theOrder of the Estonian Red Cross,1st class (1936)
• Estonia:Knight of theOrder of the White Star,1st class (1938)

Foreign honours

• Latvia:Order of the Three Stars(1925)
• Sweden:Commander Grand Cross of theOrder of the Polar Star(1934)
• Poland:Order of the White Eagle

References and sources

References

Sources

• Friedrich (Karl) Akel
• Ülo Kaevatset al. 2000.Eesti Entsüklopeedia,volume 14. Tallinn: Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus,ISBN978-9985-70-064-8