Klaipėdos universitetas

Significant changes in the social position of women in Europe, including Latvia, began in the 19th century, and peaked during the First World War. In Latvia, however, the momentum intensified during the War of Independence following the Great War, as women became increasingly involved in political, social and even military activities. They not only joined medical services and took on administrative roles, but also actively supported the Latvian army through their work with the Latvian Women’s Relief Corps (LWRC). Established in September 1919, the LWRC quickly became the most prominent and the largest women’s organisation in Latvia, earning recognition as the country’s first mass women’s association. This article discusses the founding and the activities of the LWRC during the Latvian War of Independence, including its contributions to supply, catering, sanitation, soldiers’ entertainment, social work, and more.

The government of the Republic of Latvia began creating a penal system as soon as it took control of the territory it claimed. According to the international understanding, imprisonment was not only seen as the isolation of a person, but also included serious steps in ‘correctional practices’. The article deals with the first stage of the creation of a penal system in Latvia, of which the end can be linked to the ‘Instructions for Prison Employees’, the first law regulating prisons in the Republic of Latvia, which was passed on 16 April 1921. This stage coincided with the period when Latvia switched to peacetime order after the end of the War of Independence. By presenting an overview of the creation of the state penal system, the author highlights the most important steps taken by the prison administration, and the conditions the state prison system faced.