Garlieb Merkel
 Garlieb Helwig Merkel (1 November [O.S. 21 October] 1769 in Lēdurga Volmar County – 9 May [O.S. 27 April] 1850 in Riga) was a Baltic German writer and activist and an early Estophile and Lettophile.Merkel was born into the family of a rural priest in Livonia. From the age of 17 he worked as a tutor for upper-class families. In 1790 he joined the circle of Riga intellectuals.