Ansis Pommers papers, 1929-2012

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Pommers, Ansis
Abstract:
The Ansis Pommers Papers contain materials pertaining to the history of the Latvian emigration after World War II, from the experience of Latvians in Displaced Persons camps in Germany immediately after the war to their subsequent lives as immigrants in the United States, Canada and other countries. In particular, the collection has numerous publications that reflect the efforts of Latvian Americans to sustain their culture through various community based institutions and publications.
Extent:
23 manuscript boxes (7.6 Linear Feet)
Language:
In Latvian and English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ansis Pommers papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The Ansis Pommers Papers contain materials pertaining to the history of the Latvian emigration after World War II, from the experience of Latvians in Displaced Persons camps in Germany immediately after the war to their subsequent lives as immigrants in the United States, Canada, and other countries. In particular, the collection has numerous publications that reflect the efforts of Latvian Americans to sustain their culture through various community based institutions and publications.

The two edited works by Pommers in the papers describe the lives of Latvians in the Displaced Persons camp in Fischbach, Germany, where Pommers and his family were among the camp residents. The first of these works, FisĢ†bachas virsĢ†os 1945-1950, provides a comprehensive account of life in Fischbach, including the numerous cultural activities that took place in the camp. The work describes the educational institutions in the camp, and, in particular, the Kārlis Skalbe elementary school and high school. The second edited work, Lāpa 15, describes the final period of the Skalbe schools and includes many short biographies of the schools' graduates, with details on their later careers in the countries they emigrated to.

The Printed matter series in the collection contains many serial issues, most of them emanating from Latvian American organizations. These include numerous issues of the newsletter of the Northern California Latvian Association. There are also many issues of Jaunā Gaita, the most prominent Latvian cultural journal in North America, as well as all the issues of Lāpa, published by former Fischbach students. Other serial issues relate to academic life in the Latvian emigration (Akadēmiska DzÄ«ve), Latvian military history (Kadets and Latvju KaravÄ«rs), and a Latvian church in San Francisco (Zelta Vārtu Vēstis). There are also two journals published by young Latvian Americans in Sacramento, California (Dzirksts and Sakramento LatviesĢ†u Jaunatne). In addition, this series contains copies of programs for various Latvian song festivals and theatre productions.

The Organizations file series includes minutes of meetings and other records of the Baltic Alliance of Northern California, a group whose members advocated for the independence of the three Baltic States during the period immediately prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The collection also contains a recording of an extensive interview with Pommers in which he describes his own formative experiences, his participation in Latvian-American community life, and recounts some of the political controversies that divided Latvian Americans during the Cold War.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1935
Born, RÄ«ga, Latvia
1945-1949
Lives with family in the Displaced Persons camp in Fischbach, Germany
1950
Emigrates with family to the United States
1955
Awarded A.A. degree, Sierra Community College
1966
Awarded B.S. degree, Sacramento State College
1966-1992
Works as an engineer for Link Flight Simulation Systems
1970
Awarded M.S. degree, Santa Clara University
1992
Starts own technical writing business
2007
Publishes FisĢ†bachas virsĢ†os 1945-1950
Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2007, with subsequent increments
Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 6 series: Edited works; Writings by others; Organizations file; Printed matter; Sound recording; Photograph

Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ansis Pommers papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
Website