Ādolfs Alunāns
Adolfs Alunāns (11 October 1848 – 5 July 1912) was a Latvian actor, director and playwright. For his efforts and hard work in progressing Latvian Dramaturgy he received the title "father of Latvian theater". In 1968, the Jelgava's Adolf Alunans memorial museum was built.
Ādolfs Alunāns

Dedris · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Ādolfs Alunāns
- Born
- 11 October 1848 Jelgava, Russian Empire (currently Latvia)
- Died
- 5 July 1912 Jelgava, Russian Empire (currently Latvia)
- Occupation
- Playwright, actor, director
- Spouse
- * Karolīne Klau,
- Nationality
- Latvia · Russian Empire
- Education
- Academia Petrina
- Languages
- Latvian
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Adolfs Alunāns (11 October 1848 – 5 July 1912) was a Latvian actor, director and playwright. For his efforts and hard work in progressing Latvian Dramaturgy he received the title "father of Latvian theater". In 1968, the Jelgava's Adolf Alunans memorial museum was built.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Ādolfs Alunāns. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q2671918 · wikipedia · Ādolfs Alunāns
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ādolfs Alunāns • Born — 11 October 1848 Jelgava, Russian Empire (currently Latvia) • Died — 5 July 1912 Jelgava, Russian Empire (currently Latvia) • Occupation — Playwright, actor, director • Spouse — * Karolīne Klau, • Angelika Buhta • Children — Artūrs, Marija, Pēteris, Kolmārs, Elza, Zuzanna, Paula, Valda Valeska, Emīlija, Oļģerts • Father — Peter Allunans • Mother — Otīlija Alunāne
Childhood
Childhood
Adolfs Alunāns was born in Jelgava, a town in Russian Empire (in present-day Latvia). His parents were Peter Alunāns, a well-known Latvian journalist, and Otilia Alunāne, daughter of the mayor of Jelgava. In youth Alunāns went to the Academia Petrina gymnasium and in his free time was strictly schooled by his uncle Juris Alunāns (a famous Latvian poet). After finishing the gymnasium, he was very well educated. He often went to the city theater with his grandfather Julius Felcke, who was a big theater admirer. These theater attendances gave Alunāns a big interest in theater art, that he will be driven by his whole life.
Career
Career
From 1866, he started working as an actor in German theater in Reval (now Tallinn) until 1870, when he was invited to lead the Latvian theater in Riga. While working in the Latvian theater he translated German plays to Latvian language and wrote his own, searched for new actors and organized their learning. In 1885, Alunāns stepped down and returned to live in his hometown Jelgava, where he continued to work as an actor, writer and journalist. In 1896, he created his own theater, which successfully worked until 1904, when his health got worse. The artist died on 5 July 1912, in Jelgava where he was buried in cemeteries Jāņa Kapi (today Park d'Alunāns). In 1913, a monument was erected on its burial. Stolen twice in the time of independent Latvia, the bronze bas-relief executed by the sculptor Burkards Dzenis, the twice was found by the police in the spinning of scraps.
Most notable plays
Most notable plays
• "Pašu audzināts" (1869) • "Priekos un bēdās" (1871) • "Mucenieks un muceniece" (1872) • "Icigs Mozes" (1874) • "Džons Neilands" (1881) • "Kas tie tādi, kas dziedāja" (1888) • "Lielpils pagasta vecākie" (1888) • "Seši mazi bundzenieki" (1889) • "Visi mani radi raud" (1891) • "Pārticībā un nabadzībā" (1893) • "Mūsu senči" (1905) • "Draudzes bazārs" (1911)
Other works
Other works
• "Zobgala kalendārs" (1892—1912) • "Ievērojami latvieši" (1–2, 1887–1890) • "Jura Alunāna dzīve" (1910) • "Atmiņas par latviešu teātra izcelšanos" (1924)
Identity
Identity
What the record establishes about Ādolfs Alunāns. Ādolfs Alunāns is recorded with the occupation theatre manager. Ādolfs Alunāns is recorded as a citizen of Russian Empire. Ādolfs Alunāns is recorded as a citizen of Latvia. Ādolfs Alunāns is recorded as actor, director, playwright and theatre manager.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1912
Ādolfs Alunāns died on 5 July 1912.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2671918: Ādolfs Alunāns
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Ādolfs Alunāns”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,814 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Adolfo DávilaPerson
- Adolfo DoringPerson
- Adolfo Fernández BustamantePerson
- Adolfo MarsillachPerson
- Adolph ZukorPerson
- Adolphe MenjouPerson
- Adonis KyrouPerson
- Adoor BhavaniPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Ādolfs Alunāns?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.