Estonia, History, Legislation, Post Office, Transport

Photo: valitsus.ee

Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said at the presentation of the postage stamp that he was glad that the new stamp was dedicated to a great statesman and politician, whose contribution to the everyday life of Estonians has been bigger than we could imagine.

“Thanks to Kaarel Eenpalu we have the police, in whom the Estonian population has high confidence. Eenpalu laid the foundations for the creation and development of the police, as a result of which it is one of the most highly regarded organisations among the Estonian population,” Ansip said.

“Eenpalu also established Victory Day as a nationally important and publicly anticipated event. He may also be considered as the initiator of Estonians' culture of home decor, as it was Eenpalu who invited people to repair and decorate their homes,” Ansip added.

Prime Minister Ansip also expressed his gratitude to the creators of the postage stamp and its artist Lembit Lohmus.

Kaarel Eenpalu (known as Karl August Einbund until 1935) was the Head of State from July 19, 1932, to November 1, 1932, the Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister from 1934 to 1938, and the Prime Minister from May 9, 1938, to October 12, 1939.

Eenpalu was the Auditor General in 1919-1920 and the Minister of the Interior in 1920, 1921-1924 and 1924-1926, and he is considered as the founder of the Estonian police. Over the period of 1926-1934 he intermittently acted as the Speaker of the third, fourth and fifth Riigikogu, a member of the Estonian Constituent Assembly in 1919-1920, a member of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth Riigikogu in 1920-1934 and a member of the Chamber of Deputies in 1938-1940.

The postage stamp dedicated to Kaarel Eenpalu is the ninth in the series ‘Estonian heads of State 1918-2018’.