Marta Lepp
Estonian writer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marta Sophia Lepp Utuste (born Marta Kirschbaum; 12 November 1883 – 11 November 1940), also known as Sophia Vardi and Maarda Lepp-Utuste, was an Estonian writer, editor, educator, and political and religious leader.
12 November 1883
Marta Lepp | |
|---|---|
Marta Lepp, photographed as a young woman, from a 1936 book | |
| Born | Marta Kirschbaum 12 November 1883 |
| Died | 11 November 1940 (aged 56) Tartu, Estonia |
| Other names | Sophia Vardi (pseudonym), Marta Kirschbaum (after 1913), Marta Utuste or Maarda Utuste (after 1927) |
| Occupations | Writer, editor, educator, political leader |
Early life
Lepp was born in Varbola, the daughter of Priidik Lepp and Maria Sassi Lepp. She attended schools in Tallinn and trained as a teacher in Saint Petersburg.[1]
Career
For her revolutionary activities,[2] Lepp was imprisoned in Siberia in 1905, 1907, and 1910; she escaped at least once before her official release in 1910.[3] In 1917, she returned to Estonia, where she taught Estonian language and history in Tallinn; she was also head of a women's political organization, and was editor of a newspaper, Our Free Land.[4] She and her husband were adherents and leaders of Taaraism, an Estonian neo-pagan religion.[5][6] Her writing included short stories, an opera libretto, a novel, and a three-volume memoir.[1]
Personal life
Lepp married soldier Gustav Vladimir Kirschbaum (later known as Kustas Utuste) in 1913. Their son Reljo Utuste was born in Tallinn in 1923. Their nephew was writer Henn-Kaarel Hellat. She died in 1940, the day before her 57th birthday, in Tartu.[1] There is a collection of her papers at the University of Minnesota.[7]