Mi naskiĝis, en la jaro 1909, en Rigo, la ĉefurbo de Latvio (tiam provinco de Rusio). Miaj gepatroj estis laboristoj. Preskaŭ mian tutan infanecon mi pasigis en Rigo. En tiu urbo mi ankaŭ travivis ĉiujn malfacilaĵojn kaŭzitajn de la mondmilito. Dum la revolucio mi vidis, ke la popolo fratece kun la soldatoj renversis la caran potencon. Mi ĉiam rememoros tiujn glorindajn tagojn, kiam regis la popolo mem. Mi ankaŭ memoras la alvenon de l’blankuloj (naciistoj, monarkistoj k.a.), iliajn fiagojn, la pastran potencon k buĉadon al miloj da laboristoj. De tiuj tagoj, kvankam infano, mi iĝis kontraŭulo de l’pastraj religiaj dogmoj k sendiulo. Pro malbonaj vivcirkonstancoj en la urbo, la gepatroj forlasis ĝin k ekloĝis en provinco. La patro dungigis sin ĉe iu bienposedanto kiel laboristo k mi ĉe alia kiel paŝtisto.
Laborante de sunleviĝo ĝis sunsubiro, vidante la vivon, kian vivis la mastro, mi ekkomprenis la diferencon inter mi k li, inter ekspluatatoj k ekspluatantoj. De tiu tempo mi favoris al ĉiuj tielnomataj laboristaj partioj. Poste mi translokiĝis al la urbo Jelgava k aktive partoprenis en la socialista junulara sportmovado (en 1927).
Post mallonga tempo mi ekvidis, ke la gvidantoj, kiuj estis en oficejoj, parolis ĉe amaskunvenoj pri revoluciaj agoj, sed dum membrokunvenoj penis agiti al kunlaborado kun burĝoj en ŝtataj oficejoj. Mi komencis malkredi al ili. Sed kiam post malsukcesa ribelo en Litovio kontraŭ la faŝistojn litovaj politikaj elmigrantoj kolektiĝis en Polio, mi aliĝis al ili k neleĝe transiris la latva-polan limon por batali kontraŭ la litoviaj faŝistoj (en 1927).
En la jaro 1928 mi transiris la litovian limon portante kun mi kontraŭfaŝistan literaturon kaj estis arestata. Rezulto estis kondamno je 15 jaroj da malliberejo. Estante malliberulo mi eklernis esperanton k ricevis unuajn informojn pri anarkismo k SAT. Post 30 monatoj okazis amnestio k mi revenis Latvion. Nun mi estis rigardata kiel suspekta homo. Trifoje oni arestis k reliberigis min. Post la reveno mi estis elektita kiel komitatano de l’Laborista Sport-memdefenda Asocio en Jelgava (socialdemokrata). Mi penis en mia organizo fortigi la klasbatalan konscion, rompi la kompromisan politikon : tiam la ĉefkomitato volis min eksigi. Sed la membroj kontraŭstaris tion, k la gvidantoj malsukcesis.
Poste mi mem iom post iom malproksimiĝis de la socialdemokratoj. En iu malnova esperanta gazeto mi trovis la adreson de l’Anarkista Junular-Internacio. Mi tuj aliĝis ĝin k abonis ĝian „Informservon". Poste mi ekabonis al „Libera Laboristo", organo de Ligo de Esperantistaj Senŝtatanoj. En aŭgusto ĉi-jare mi aliĝis al SAT k abonis „Sulo"n. Nun dank’al esperanto mi havas interrilatojn kun K-doj en kelkaj landoj k esperanto helpis al mi trovi vivcelon - Anarkion !
A. Neselbergs
el Sennaciulo, la 17an de decembro 1931
el Sennaciulo, la 17an de decembro 1931
I was born in the year 1909 in Riga, the Capital of Latvia (then a
province of Russia). My parents were workers. I passed most of my youth
in Riga. In this city I also lived through many difficulties caused by
the World War. During the Revolution I saw, the people fraternising with
the soldiers and overturned the Tsars power. I will always remember
those days when the people ruled themselves. I also remember the arrival
of the Whites (Nationalists/Monarchists) their shameful power and
butchery of thousands of workers. From these days though still a child I
became an opponent of their religious dogma and an atheist. Because of
the poor living conditions in the city my parents left for the
countryside, settling in the provinces. My father hired himself out as
farm labourer and I was employed as a Sheppard.
Working from sun up to sun down, seeing the lifestyle of our master I began to understand the difference between him and me, between exploiter and exploited. From that time I supported all kinds of workers party. Later I moved to the city of Jelgava and actively took part in the Socialist Youth Sports movement (in 1927).
After a short time I began to see that although the leaders in party offices talked about mass demonstrations and revolutionary acts, but during membership meetings took steps to collaborate with the bourgeoisie and state officials. I began to lose faith in them. But after the failure of an anti Fascist uprising, Lithuanian political exiles gathered in Poland, I became linked with them and illegally crossed the Poland-Latvia border to fight Lithuanian Fascists (in 1927).[1]
In 1928 I crossed the Lithuanian border carrying anti-Fascist literature and was arrested. As a result I was condemned to fifteen years in prison. While a prisoner I began learning Esperanto and received my first information about Anarchism via SAT.[2] After 30 months I received an amnesty and returned to Latvia. Now I was regarded as a suspect person. Three times I was arrested, and then released. After my return I was elected to the committee of the Latvian Sport Self Defence Association (Social Democratic) of Jelgava. I took with me the strength of class struggle consciousness and broke up the compromise policy, in response the central committee wanted me expelled. But the membership opposed that measure and the leadership did not succeed.
Working from sun up to sun down, seeing the lifestyle of our master I began to understand the difference between him and me, between exploiter and exploited. From that time I supported all kinds of workers party. Later I moved to the city of Jelgava and actively took part in the Socialist Youth Sports movement (in 1927).
After a short time I began to see that although the leaders in party offices talked about mass demonstrations and revolutionary acts, but during membership meetings took steps to collaborate with the bourgeoisie and state officials. I began to lose faith in them. But after the failure of an anti Fascist uprising, Lithuanian political exiles gathered in Poland, I became linked with them and illegally crossed the Poland-Latvia border to fight Lithuanian Fascists (in 1927).[1]
In 1928 I crossed the Lithuanian border carrying anti-Fascist literature and was arrested. As a result I was condemned to fifteen years in prison. While a prisoner I began learning Esperanto and received my first information about Anarchism via SAT.[2] After 30 months I received an amnesty and returned to Latvia. Now I was regarded as a suspect person. Three times I was arrested, and then released. After my return I was elected to the committee of the Latvian Sport Self Defence Association (Social Democratic) of Jelgava. I took with me the strength of class struggle consciousness and broke up the compromise policy, in response the central committee wanted me expelled. But the membership opposed that measure and the leadership did not succeed.
Later I drifted little by little away from the social democrats. En some old Esperanto newspaper I discovered the address of the Anarchist International Youth organisation. I immediately joined it and subscribed to its information service. Later I subscribed to the Libera Laboristo (Free Worker) the organ of the Ligo of Esperantistaj Senŝtatanoj (League of Esperanto speakers without a state). In August this year I joint SAT and subscribed to there [rest of sentence is missing in original]. Thanks to Esperanto I have relations with comrades in several different countries and Esperanto helped me find the life goal of Anarchy.
Published in the Sennaciulo on the 17th of December 1931.
Footnotes:
1: In 1926 there was a coup that toppled the elected government and replaced it with the right wing Lithuanian Nationalist Union. Afterwards the regime faced sporadic uprisings and resistance for several years. Referring the Nationalist Union as Fascist today is considered rather controversial, as differences with Mussolini's Italy aside, the charge of Fascism was the justification used by the Soviet Union to conquer and occupy Lithuania in 1940.
2: The Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda (World Non-national Association) a world wide assocaiton of Esperanto speakers active in the Labour movement. Still active today. http://satesperanto.org/
