# Jaan Tõnisson

_Estonian politician and lawyer (1868–1941)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/jaan-tonisson
Last updated: 2026-11-08

> Jaan Tõnisson was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920, as State Elder from 1927 to 1928 and in 1933, and as Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 22 December 1868 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Surva ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P19))
- **Died:** 1941 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P570))
- **Place of death:** Tallinn ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Russian Empire; Estonia ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; diplomat; lawyer; journalist; sportsperson; editor ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P106))
- **Political party:** Estonian People's Party; National Centre Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P102))
- **Education:** Gustav Adolf Grammar School; Imperial University of Dorpat ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P69))
- **Positions held:** State Elder (18 May 1933 – 21 October 1933); President of the Riigikogu (19 July 1932 – 18 May 1933); State Elder (9 December 1927 – 4 December 1928); Minister of Foreign Affairs (23 October 1925 – 19 July 1932); President of the Riigikogu (7 June 1923 – 27 May 1925); Prime Minister of Estonia (30 July 1920 – 26 October 1920); Prime Minister of Estonia (18 November 1919 – 28 July 1920); member of the Estonian Constituent Assembly (23 April 1919 – 20 December 1920); Member of the State Duma of the Russian Empire; Member of the Russian Constituent Assembly; member of the Riigikogu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P39))
- **Awards:** Order of the White Star, 1st Class; 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle; Estonian Red Cross Order First Class; Cross of Liberty; honorary citizen of Tartu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956#P166))

## Questions

**When was Jaan Tõnisson born?**  
Jaan Tõnisson was born on 22 December 1868 in Surva.

**What positions has Jaan Tõnisson held?**  
Positions held by Jaan Tõnisson include: State Elder (1933–1933); President of the Riigikogu (1932–1933); State Elder (1927–1928); Minister of Foreign Affairs (1925–1932); President of the Riigikogu (1923–1925).

**Where did Jaan Tõnisson study?**  
Jaan Tõnisson was educated at Gustav Adolf Grammar School, Imperial University of Dorpat.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Jaan Tõnisson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaan_T%C3%B5nisson) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q710956](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q710956) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Jaan Tonisson1928.jpg by Karl Akel (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jaan_Tonisson1928.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Jaan Tõnisson, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Jaan Tonisson1928.jpg — Karl Akel, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Jaan Tõnisson". DigiNepal. Last updated 8 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/jaan-tonisson. Retrieved 8 November 2026.