Aspazija Today

Aspazija (1865–1943, born Johanna Emīlija Lizete Rozenberga) – is a famous Latvian poet and playwright, publicist and representative of Latvian feminism movement and the life companion of the famous Latvian poet and politician Jānis Rainis (1865 – 1929). Aspazija is one of the most challenging and fascinating personalities in Latvian literary and political history. Her activities in developing a feminine public space and her political legacy make Aspazija one of the most controversial representatives of the 19^th and 20^th century Latvian culture and society. The biography of Aspazija presents a story of a Latvian woman, poet and a person who was extremely politically active. Aspazija's life was far from tranquil, and her name is still surrounded with legends. Aspazija's literary and political legacy plays an important role in the development of the Latvian literary history, as well as in general intellectual development, such as debates on human existence and intimate reflexions on the sense of life of a human being and a poet. Other aspects of Aspazija's literary work were linked to such matters as the feminist movement, national past and contemporary society, debates on the idea of a nation and a state. Doubtlessly, the content and diversity of Aspazija's texts can amplify interest in her biography, and the wish to revisit her literary work, political activities and fragments of her thoughts again and again thus emphasizing the great appeal of her vibrant personality.