Artura Baumanlcedil;a personības dažādās šķautnes

The name of Arturs Baumanis (1905-1989) has been written in the annals of Latvian literary history with the voluminous cycle of cultural and historical novels The Herrnhuterians (1975), however his complex personality has encouraged the author to examine his creative activities that so far have been overlooked. The article focuses on Arturs Baumanis' literary quests-in poetry, short prose, as well as drama. His activities in literary criticism have also been analysed drawing special attention to his reflections on Latvian writers, reviews on the books published and theatre plays staged at the time, his plans to work on the literary lexis, as well as his activities as a teacher, curator and librarian. A poet, critic, author of stories and novels, editor, teacher, curator and librarian-such fields of interests can be spotted over certain years of Arturs Baumanis' life in Latvia, as well as during the exile period in Germany and the USA. The aim of this article is to map his diverse talents and less known interests, which reveal and attest to his interest in Latvian literature, national history and its points of intersection, Latvian culture (in contact with other cultures), pedagogical work and preservation of the cultural and historical heritage, as well as the world of a young poet. However, his voluminous novel The Herrnhuterians will not be examined in this article, since it has been analysed more extensively in relation to the research of the Herrnhuterian movement. In terms of his personal traits, he was always quiet and reserved, however his life was long, active and extraordinarily productive. Arturs Baumanis' professional activities and areas of interest manifest his personality and the importance he attached to the significance of facts and their systematic collection.