Karl Soonpää

Karl-Johannes Soonpää (born Karl-Johannes Soonberg; 2 March 1895 in Pangodi Parish (now Kambja Parish), Kreis Dorpat – 15 June 1944 near Elva, Estonia) was an Estonian politician and civil servant.

Soonpää participated in the Estonian War of Independence as a lieutenant and received the Cross of Liberty for his service.

Soonpää studied at the Faculty of Religion and the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Tartu, graduating in 1926. Afterwards, he became involved in politics, joining the Settlers' Party, then after the 1932 party merger, the Union of Settlers and Smallholders. He was a member of the III, IV and V Riigikogu. He also served as the Minister of Labour for a year, from 1927 until 1928, the Minister of Agriculture from 1928 until 1929 and the State Auditor from 1929 until 1940.Political offices:

Following the reoccupation of Estonia by the Soviets in 1944, Soonpää was killed in June, aged 49, when he tried to capture Soviet saboteurs with two men at night in the forest near Elva. He was buried in Elva Cemetery.