Brīvības teksti, zemteksti un konteksti: brīvības koncepts Jāna Akuratera un Kārļa Skalbes pasaules uzskatā un mākslā
Texts, Subtexts and Contexts of Freedom: The Concept of Freedom in Jānis Akuraters’ and Kārlis Skalbe’s Worldviews and Art

Summary/Abstract: This article offers a comparative reading of freedom in the works and lives of Latvian Neo-Romantic writers Jānis Akuraters (1876–1937) and Kārlis Skalbe (1879–1945). Drawing on literary, journalistic, and biographical materials, it shows that despite marked differences in temperament, both authors foreground freedom as a central value at both individual and national levels. The analysis contrasts their strategies for attaining freedom – force versus nonviolent resistance – and their visions of its sustainable maintenance, while highlighting their warnings about threats to freedom. These perspectives are situated within key biographical contexts and the sociopolitical dynamics of their time. The study’s relevance is reinforced by contemporary global instability, including Russia’s aggressive policies. The article is grounded in the fundamental operations of hermeneutics – understanding and interpretation – acknowledging that the reader, including the researcher, is “involved in the formation of the experience of artistic truth” (Lasmane 2024: 72). It argues that both authors played a crucial role in shaping the discourse of freedom and Latvian statehood.

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