Karl Aleksandrovich Shmidt (Russian: Карл Александрович Шмидт; German: Karl-Ferdinand Alexander Schmidt; Romanian: Carol Schmidt[1] 25 June 1846 – 11 April 1928) was an Imperial Russian politician active in the Bessarabia Governorate. A Bessarabian German, he was the longest serving mayor of Kishinev (now Chișinău, Moldova), serving from 1877 by 1903. He contributed greatly to its modernization and is considered one of the best mayors the city ever had.[2][3][4] He was the father of Alexander Schmidt, who served as mayor of Kishinev between 1917 and 1918.
Karl Shmidt | |
|---|---|
 Schmidt on a 2016 Moldovan stamp | |
| Mayor of Kishinev | |
| In office 1877–1903 | |
| Preceded by | Clemante Șumanski |
| Succeeded by | Leopold Siținski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 June 1846 Beltsy, Bessarabia Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 11 April 1928 (aged 81) Chișinău, Kingdom of Romania |
| Spouse | Maria Cristi |
| Relations | Ioan V. Cristi (father-in-law) |
| Children | 5, including Alexander Schmidt (1879–1954) |
| Alma mater | Imperial Novorossiya University |
Biography
editBorn in Bălți, in the family of Alexander Schmidt Senior, German Bessarabian, surgeon at the Medical Directorate of Bessarabia. Carol Schmidt's mother was of Polish origin.
Career
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In 1857–1863 he studied at the Regional Gymnasium of Kishinev, in 1863–1864 he studied at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of St. Vladimir University in Kiev. In 1865 he was admitted at the Faculty of Law of the Imperial Novorossiya University, which he graduated with the degree of doctor in legal sciences.
He becomes a candidate, then an assistant of the investigator in Tigina, then head of the investigation sector in Kishinev. Criminal investigator of the District Court of Kishinev (1870). Honorary peace judge of Kishinev (1872–1908). Mayor of Kishinev (elected in 1877 and then, re-elected successively by 1901). In 1903, after the pogrom against the Jews, he resigned from the position of mayor.
"The pogrom against the Jews in Kishinev in April 1903 was the last drop that filled the glass and caused Carol Schmidt to resign. He, who had done so much for the europeanization of the city, could not conceive that here the inhabitants can have such a wild mentality. This was the reason for his resignation. A sensitive and cultured man like him was incompatible with the Black Hundreds that dictated the political fashion of the day. Another lesson could be given to the town citizens except the resignation ..."— Pantelimon V. Sinadino, "Our Kishinev" (Russian, Наш Кишинев), 1903–04.
Activity and reforms
editHe contributed to the construction of the chapel in the Râșcani district and several houses for the people with disabilities (1877–81). With his contribution the streets were paved, an asylum was opened (1899), the popular Amphitheater with the performance space was built (1900), the bust of Pushkin was unveiled, the first tram lines were opened (1881–95), the first aqueduct was built and the city's sewerage network, street lighting was introduced, numerous buildings were built (Royal School (1886), Princess Natalia Dadiani's Girls' Gymnasium (1900), County History Museum (1889), the current headquarters of the City Hall (1901), etc.).
He was a member of the Bessarabian Committee for the Protection of Orphanages, president of the Kishinev Directorate of the Young Students Aid Society, epitropist of the High School of Commerce and of the Royal School.
He initiated to open a museum of schools, of the Harmony Music Society and of the city school of Fine Arts (1894, today – the College of fine arts Alexandru Plămădeală).
Family
editHe was married to Maria Cristi, the daughter of Bessarabian nobleman Ioan V. Cristi, president of the local zemstvo, and of Alexandra Nelidov (niece of Russian diplomat Aleksandr Nelidov). Karl Shmidt and his wife had 5 children, one of them, Aleksandr, serving as mayor of Kishinev in 1917–1918.
Legacy
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Shmidt's popularity was such that he became the only mayor after whom the citizens renamed a street while he was still alive.[5] In 1902, after 25 years as mayor of Kishinev, the former Gostinnaia street (Russian: Гостинная), on which he lived, was renamed Shmidt street (Russian: Шмидтовская). Today one part of the street is named after Metropolitan Varlaam and the other part after Metropolitan Dosoftei. The house in which Karl Shmidt lived has survived until today and is located on Metropolitan Varlaam street no. 84 (at the intersection with Mihai Eminescu str.). A memorial plaque in Romanian and German was installed on that building.
On 10 May 2014 a bust of Karl Shmidt by Moldavian sculptor Veaceslav Jiglitski was inaugurated in front of the National Philharmonic in Chișinău, near the house where the former mayor lived. All expenses were covered by the embassies of Germany and Poland.
The location of Karl Shmidt's grave is unknown. In 1937, a decade after his death, Gheorghe Bezviconi wrote in the magazine From our past that the grave of the great mayor was in poor condition and only a modest wooden cross was guarding him. Due to the wooden cross rotting away the location was lost and the grave can no longer be identified.
References
edit- ^ Placă comemorativă Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine pe zidul primăriei orașului Chișinău
- ^ "Bustul lui Carl Schmidt, inaugurat la Chișinau. "A fost cel mai bun primar din istoria capitalei"". Protv.md. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
- ^ (in Romanian)
... orașul nostru n-a avut niciodată un primar ca neîntrecutul Carol Schmidt.
— Pavel Cuzminschi, "Din amintirile lui Pavel Cuzminschi", în revista "Viața Basarabiei", 1934, nr. 9. - ^ "Un bust al fostului primar al Chișinăului, Carol Schmidt, a fost dezvelit în capitală". Publika .Md. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
- ^ "Meritele lui Carol Schmidt, evocate într-o conferinţă aniversară", archive.ph, 25 June 2016, archived from the original on 25 June 2016, retrieved 5 March 2020
Bibliography
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- Kovarski, Brighita (1997). Enciclopedie. Chișinău. Chișinău: Editura Museum.
- Colesnic, Iurie (2005). Basarabia necunoscuta, vol. VI. Chișinău: Editura Museum.
- Brescanu, Iulian (2013). "Karl Schmidt – Geschichte eines deutschen Humanisten aus Bessarabien". Jahrbuch der Deutschen aus Bessarabien. 64: 201–204.