Bernhard Weber
Bernhard Weber (1874–1922) was an amateur poet.
He was born in Tartu and attended the local elementary school and county school. He worked at Rõngu in Tartu County as an assistant to the parish clerk. Later, he worked as an accountant at a factory in Harju County and lived at Hageri.
Weber’s poems appeared in the newspapers Olevik and Postimees and in the magazine Linda. Three of his poems were published in the anthology Eesti luule (‘Estonian Poetry’, 1910) compiled by K. E. Sööt and G. Suits. A characteristic feature of his verses is dramatic sentimentalism. One of Weber’s poems, Millal ilmub kepisäädus? (‘When Will the Law of the Cane be Enacted’, on abolition of corporal punishment at manors) was published in the anthology Eesti luuleilm (‘Estonian Poetic World’) in 1913.
Bernhard Weber compiled the first Estonian-language school yearbook Torupill (‘Bagpipe’), which came out from 1903–1906. Weber, together with the initiator of the yearbook, poet, journalist and playwright Otto Grossschmidt (1869–1941), his wife Liina Grossschmidt (1872–1952), poet Ernst Enno and some other literati belonged to the literary circle that emerged at Raigaste village school in the initial years of the 20th century.
Weber has translated German literature into Estonian, most importantly some works by the Baltic German poet Leopold von Schroeder.
L. P. (Translated by I. A.)
