Anatols Dinbergs

Anatols Dinbergs ( 1911 – 9 November 1993) was one of the preeminent career diplomats of Latvia. He entered service in Latvia's Foreign Ministry in 1932. Dinbergs remained abroad when the Soviet Union occupied Latvia, serving in the Latvian Legation in Washington, D.C., after World War II ended. Dinbergs assumed the highest diplomatic post, that of chargé d'affaires, in 1970 and represented Latvia's sovereign interests in exile until Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991. As head of the Latvian diplomatic service abroad, Dinbergs was appointed Latvia's first ambassador to the United Nations and subsequently Latvia's first ambassador to the United States. After retirement, he served as Counselor to the Latvian Embassy in Washington, D.C., until his death in 1993.

Background and career With the upheavals of the Latvian War of Independence, the Dinbergs family fled Latvia, living as refugees in Vitebsk from 1914 to 1918.

Returning to a newly independent Latvia, Dinbergs' father, Alfrēds (1878–1941), was hired in 1919 as an engineer in Latvian Railways' technical directorate, later promoted to head its maintenance division. As a candidate for parliament, he was also elected to the Saeima from 1931 to 1934, representing the Railroad Workers' Association.

Anatols Dinbergs graduated from the Riga State Gymnasium No.1, from the French Institute, and obtained his degree in law from the University of Latvia.

Dinbergs entered service in Latvia's Foreign Ministry in 1932 while still completing his studies. His first post abroad was a junior position at the consulate in Łódź, Poland, from 1933 to 1934. From 1934 to 1935, he worked as correspondence secretary for the Western and Legal sections. In June 1937, he was appointed as assistant to the secretary in Latvia's New York consulate and promoted to attaché in September of that year.

Dinbergs declined to return home after the Soviet invasion of Latvia in June 1940 and was subsequently relieved of his duties by the Latvian SSR. With the emergency vesting of Latvian sovereign authority in the chief of the Latvian diplomatic service, Kārlis Zariņš (Charles Zarine) in London, the Latvian diplomatic corps continued to function in exile. U.S. envoy , head of the Washington, D.C., consulate, promoted Dinbergs to vice consul in September 1940, then transferred Dinbergs to Washington, D.C., in 1941, where he served as diplomatic attaché and head of the consular section. Meanwhile, Dinbergs also completed graduate studies for his doctorate in political science at Georgetown University in 1953, defending his dissertation "Latvia's Incorporation Into the Soviet Union, 1940-1941."

With Arnolds Spekke leading the Latvian diplomatic service in exile after the death of Kārlis Zariņš in London 1963, Latvia's diplomatic and consular headquarters shifted to the Legation in Washington, D.C. Dinbergs succeeded Spekke on 1 October 1970 upon Spekke's retirement (Spekke died in 1972). Dinbergs became general consul to the United States in March 1971. Later that year, on 17 September, the Latvian diplomatic corps met in Paris and unanimously elected Dinbergs chief of Latvia's diplomatic service. Dinbergs led Latvia's diplomatic service as chargé d'affaires until the restoration of Latvia's independence.

The Latvian Legation in 1940-1991 did not maintain any contacts with the foreign ministry of the Latvian SSR. It received its first visitors from Latvia (representatives of Latvian Popular Front) in December 1988. After the independence declaration of May 4, 1990, Dinbergs established unofficial contacts with the new leadership of Latvia. That year he also arranged for the visit to the U.S. by Latvian prime minister Ivars Godmanis and foreign minister Jānis Jurkāns.

In the spring of 1991, a working arrangement was agreed to among the Latvian foreign ministry, the legation in Washington, D.C., and the unified foreign diplomacy service which had been formed. At Dinbergs' initiative, a policy meeting was held in Washington, D.C., on 14–15 April, also attended by Jurkāns.

For the most part, Dinbergs' appointees abroad, in the U.S., France, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and Germany, continued on in their positions in Latvia's diplomatic and consular services.

Dinbergs retired from active diplomatic duties in December 1992

Dinbergs bequeathed his property to the Fraternitas Lettica, one of the oldest Latvian student fraternities, of which he was a member, to be used to fund a scholarship fund for Latvian students. The first scholarship given out by the Fraternitas Lettica Senior Association Anatols Dinbergs Fund was awarded to Aleksandrs Demčenkovs, a first-year student at the Riga School of Economics, in June 2005.

Legacy

Sandra Kalniete, foreign minister at the time, said the following of Dinbergs at the opening on January 28, 2004, of the exhibition "Latvijas valstiskuma sardzē: Latvijas diplomātiskā un konsulārā dienesta darbinieki okupācijas gados trimdā no 1940.gada 17.jūnija līdz 1991.gada 21.augustam" ("On Guard for Latvia's Statehood": Latvia's Foreign Service Staff in Exile During the Years of Occupation, June 17, 1940, to August 21, 1991 2016– : Andris Teikmanis

Latvian diplomatic representation in US during 1922 - 1948 was by the envoys, during 1948 - 1991 - by chargés d'affaires. The post of ambassador was created in 1991.

Latvian ambassadors to the United Nations (New York) Anatols Dinbergs, September 17, 1991 (credentials presented October 8, 1991) to December 5, 1991

Aivars Baumanis, December 5, 1991 (credentials presented) - 1997 Jānis Priedkalns, November 3, 1997 (credentials presented) - 2000 Gints Jegermanis, May 12, 2001 (credentials presented) - 2005 Solveiga Silkalna, August 6, 2005 (credentials presented) to ? Jānis Mažeiks, 2007 - 2011 and September 3, 2013 - 2018 Normans Penke, 2011 - 2013 Andrejs Pildegovičs, July 17, 2018 - 2023 Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes, August 22, 2023 - present