On 30 May 1919, units of the Northern Latvia Brigade’s 2nd Cēsis Infantry Regiment entered Valmiera under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Krišjānis Berķis. This moment became the spark for the creation of the Cēsis Regiment’s Schoolchildren’s Company – senior pupils from Valmiera and the surrounding area had already been inspired by the example of the Estonian schoolboys’ company, and soon about 70 young people volunteered to defend the emerging Latvian state with weapons in hand.

During the Latvian War of Independence, Latvian units in Northern Latvia worked closely with the Estonian Army. The story of the Schoolchildren’s Company became one of the most vivid symbols of youth patriotism on the eve of the Battles of Cēsis.