Ado Birk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ado Birk
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| 3rd Prime Minister of Estonia | |
| In office 28 July 1920 – 30 July 1920 |
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| Preceded by | Jaan Tõnisson |
| Succeeded by | Jaan Tõnisson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 November 1883 Mõnnaste, Tarvastu Parish, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire |
| Died | 2 February 1942 (aged 58) Sosva, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR |
| Nationality | Estonian |
| Political party | People's Party National Centre Party later none |
| Alma mater | Saint Petersburg Theological Academy University of Tartu Saint Petersburg State University University of Leipzig |
| Profession | lawyer |
Ado Birk (also known as Aadu Birk or Aado Birk) was an Estonian politician. He was born on November 14, 1883. He is remembered for being the Estonian Prime Minister for a very short time. This was from July 28 to July 30, 1920. He passed away on February 2, 1942.
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Ado Birk: A Short but Important Life
Ado Birk was an important figure in early Estonian politics. Even though his time as Prime Minister was brief, he held many other key roles. He helped shape Estonia during its early years as an independent country.
Early Life and Education
Ado Birk was born in a village called Mõnnaste. This was in the area of Tarvastu Parish. He went to school at the Theological Seminary in Riga. This is a school for religious studies.
He continued his education at several universities. He studied law at the University of Tartu, Saint Petersburg State University, and the University of Leipzig. This strong education prepared him for a career in public service.
Starting His Political Career
After finishing his studies, Ado Birk worked in different roles. From 1911 to 1912, he was the head of the Statistical Bureau in Tallinn. This office collected important information about the country.
He then worked as a legal assistant for a lawyer named Jaan Poska. This experience helped him understand the law and government.
In 1917, Estonia was going through big changes. Ado Birk became a secretary for the Estonian Province Assembly. This was an important step in his political journey. In 1918, he became Estonia's representative in Helsinki, Finland. This meant he helped manage Estonia's relationship with Finland.
Prime Minister and Other Roles
From 1918 to 1919, Ado Birk was the chairman of the Estonian Province Assembly. He also led the committee for elections to the Constituent Assembly. This assembly was responsible for creating Estonia's first constitution.
From 1919 to 1920, he was the vice chairman of the Constituent Assembly. He also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This role meant he was in charge of Estonia's relationships with other countries.
His time as Prime Minister was very short, just three days in July 1920. He also served as Foreign Minister again in 1925. Beyond politics, he was active in community work. He was chairman of the Tallinn Voluntary Society of Firemen. He also led the All-Estonian Union of Firemen for several years.
Later Life and Tragic End
From 1922 to 1926, Ado Birk worked for Estonia in Russia. Later, in the 1920s, he became very involved with the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church. He was the Ecumenical Secretary for the church from 1939 to 1940. He was also a businessman in Tallinn during this time.
During World War II, the Soviet Union took control of Estonia in June 1940. Ado Birk was arrested by the Soviet authorities. Many other Estonian leaders were also arrested at this time. He was taken to Soviet Russia.
On January 23, 1942, Ado Birk was sentenced to death. He died while in Soviet captivity in a prison camp in Russia.
