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[Text in Estonian]
Villem Reiman (1861-1917) was a clergyman, public figure and histo-
rian. After graduating from the theological faculty of the University of Tartu,
he worked as the parson of Jaani (St. John's) Church in St. Petersburg, and
since 1889 until his death as a curate and parson in Kolga-Jaani. He was
among the founders of several important Estonian cultural associations (the
Estonian Students Society, the Estonian Literary Society and the Estonian
National Museum). Villem Reiman was the first and foremost interested in the
problems of culture, history and ethics, and as Jakob Hurt before him, he
focused on the study of the earlier stages of Estonian literature and literary
language. He published articles in temperance in the newspaper
"Postimees" and was the leader of the entire anti-alcohol movement.
The monument to Villem Reiman by sculptor Amandus Adamson was
unveiled in 1931. It was destroyed in 1950 for political reasons. The
monument was restored according to the draft of sculptor Matti Varik and
inaugurated on its former site on June 29 in 2004.
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