Alide Ertel (also Aliide Ertel; pseudonyms E. Tammistu and Heiti Lehtme, – December 20, 1955) was an

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

prose writer, playwright, and poet.

Life

Alide Ertel was born in Kiviküla in the

Governorate of Livonia The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, Baltic Governorate-General until 1876. Governorate of Livonia bordered Governorate of E ...

in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. She graduated from the Salomon Higher School for Girls in

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

in 1893 as a private school teacher. From 1894 to 1896, she operated a small private school at her father's farm. From 1896 to 1899, she worked as a private school teacher in the

Kostroma Governorate Kostroma Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, which existed from 1796 to 1929. Its administrative center was in the city of Kostroma. Administrative division Kostroma ...

in Russia. She spent 1899 to 1900 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where she originally wanted to study medicine, but her plans fell through. She then worked alternately in agriculture and education in Estonia, and at the time of the

Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...

she traveled to

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. From 1911 to 1914 she worked again as a private tutor, this time in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. In 1914 she returned to Estonia and became the director of a primary school in

Otepää Parish Otepää Parish () is a rural municipality (Estonia), rural municipality in Valga County, southern Estonia. It includes the town of Otepää, which is referred to as the "winter capital" of Estonia. The parish was formed in 2017 by merging of t ...

. From 1921 to 1925 she was a teacher in

Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...

and then for two years in

Kärdla Kärdla (; ; ) is the only town on the island of Hiiumaa, Estonia. It is the capital of Hiiu County and the administrative center of Hiiumaa Parish. The Chairman of the District Council of Kärdla is Tõnis Paljasma. Geography Kärdla is located ...

Hiiumaa Hiiumaa ( , ) is the second largest island in Estonia and is part of the West Estonian archipelago, in the Baltic Sea. It has an area of 989 km2 and is 22 km from the Estonian mainland. Its largest town is Kärdla. It is located within ...

. She later lived in

, Pärnu, and

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

before moving to Elva in the late 1930s. She spent her last years in Arula, where she also died.

Work

Ertel began her literary activity at the end of the 19th century, when her texts appeared in various daily newspapers. Her book debut came in 1910 with the story ''Rooste'' (Rust), which describes the miserable life in a poorhouse. She also often dealt with social issues and marginalized social groups in her other works. However, whereas ''Rooste'' was positively received by critics, the later works received much more reserved reviews.

Bibliography

*''Rooste'' (Rust). In: ''

Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper established on 5 June 1857, by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. In 1891, it became the first daily newspaper in Estonia. Its current editor-in-chief is Priit Hõbemägi. The paper has approximately 250 employees. ''P ...

'', Tartu, 1910. 99 pp. *''Allegooriad'' (Allegories). Tartu, 1919. 72 pp. *''Kiirte pärg. Muinasdraam'' (A Wreath of Rays. An Ancient Drama). Tartu, 1919. 84 pp. *''Lilla lehekesed. Ajalooline romaan'' (Purple Leaflets. A Historical Novel). Tartu, 1919. 124 pp. *''Pühajärv. Muinasdraam'' (Sacred Lake. An Ancient Drama). Tartu, 1919. 60 pp. *''Moodne daam. Kolm novelli'' (The Modern Lady. Three Short Stories). Tartu, 1919. 87 pp. *''Muinelmad'' (Memories). Tartu, 1929. 32 pp.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ertel, Alide 1877 births 1955 deaths People from Valga Parish People from Kreis Dorpat Estonian women dramatists and playwrights Estonian women short story writers 20th-century Estonian women writers