Vilis Hazners papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: IHRC184

Staff Only

Abstract

The papers (1926-1983) of Vilis Hazners consist of materials pertaining to the Committtee for a Free Latvia - by-laws, correspondence, financial records, acount books. Included are also documents by Vilis Hazners and others with information about occupied Latvia, articles, and speeches composed by Vilis Hazners. Collection contains clippings from newspapers and magazines from Soviet Latvia. There are also materials related to the Latvian Welfare Association.

Dates

Creation: 1926-1983

Language of Materials

In Latvian and English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use in the Elmer L. Andersen Library reading room.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

Vilis Hazners was born on July 23, 1905 in Vircavas district, "Ezerlauki" in Latvia. He was a social activist, agriculturist, publicist. He studied at Jelgava Agriculture High School in Latvia. Due to injuries during WWII he was in different hospitals in Denmark and Germany, and after the war he was in captivity of allied forces. From 1947 to 1951 he was the leader of the German Invalid Education Center in Klausstal, Cellerfield and Eversburg. He was an active board member of the Latvian Welfare Association, Latvian National Council, Latvian Welfare Association Bulletin. He was also involved in Scout activities and worked at Augsdurf DP camp from 1951 to 1956. Beginning in 1953, he was the Latvian representative in the Free Europe Committee, Committee for a Free Latvia (in Europe and in the U.S. -1956-1972(?) From 1956 to 1972 he was an active representative of the Committee for a Free Latvia in ACEN.

Committee for a Free Latvia (KLB-Komiteja Latvijas Brivibai) was founded on May 11,1951 and cooperated with Free Europe Inc. The Committee was headquartered in New York. The first name of the Committee for a Free Latvia was Latvian Consultative Panel. The goals of the committee were: to fight for Latvia's independence and give advice to the Free Europe Organiztion. The committee tried to expose misinformation about the Soviet occupation of Latvia. They also tried to promote the independence of Latvia, spread information about persons who played great roles in Latvia during Soviet occupation, gave information about situation in Soviet Latvia, promote the idea of Latvia's independence. The Committee for a Free Latvia cooperated with similar Lithuanian and Estonian organizations of those of other nationalities. In 1953, together with similar Lithuanian and Estonian organizations, the committee started the magazine "The Baltic Review". The Committee for a Free Latvia has been a co-founder of the Assembly of Captive European Nations (ACEN). The chairmen of the Committee for a Free Latvia were: A. Berzins, V. Hazners, A. Klive and P. Ramans. Other active members of the organization were: B. Abers, A. Blodnieks, R. Drillis, K. Dzilleja, E. Freivalds, O. Rancans, I. Liepa, V. Masens. The Committee for a Free Latvia members, including Hazners, were affiliated with other Latvian Exile organizations such as the World Federation for Free Latvians, Latvian Welfare Association, American Latvian Association, LAA, LNAK, LAK and others.

Vilis Hazners was chairman of the Latvian Welfare Association in the U.S. from 1962-1969. He was chairman of the Latvian Welfare Association worldwide from 1970-1972. He was vice president of ALA board from 1958 to 1960. He wrote many contributions to a number of periodicals and was on the editorial board of Latvian Welfare Association history ("Laiks, telpa, laudis " (Time, space, people- Vol.3.; 1974-1977.), "Latviesu karavirs Otra pasaules kara laika" (Latvian Soldier During the World War II - vol.6.;1978.), "Daugavas Vanagu Menesraksts" (Latvian Welfare Association Bulletin;1951-1976.) He published his memoir "Varmacibas Torni" (The Towers of Violence-1977). Vilis Hazners died on May 12, 1989 in the United States.

(Biographical sketch by Baiba Zukauska, 2005)