Austris Grasis, a well-known linguist, folklorist, educator, and community worker, was born on June 1, 1942. His family emigrated to Germany in 1944, and Grasis lived in exile for nearly sixty years. He completed his education at the Latvian Gymnasium in Münster and pursued studies in art history and archaeology at the University of Münster, African ethnology, European folklore, and ethnography at the University of Munich. Grasis earned a master's degree in philology from Uppsala University and later taught Baltic languages at the University of Bonn. In 1987, he founded the Latvian People's University "Abrene" in Tura, France.

Grasis's work took him around the globe, giving lectures and performing concerts focused on Latvian folk costumes and language, alongside his brother Uldis Grasis. He became a key figure in promoting Latvian culture abroad. In the year 2000, he returned to live in Latvia, where he continued his efforts to foster Latvian identity and community. His contributions to the Latvian diaspora were recognized in 2012 when he was awarded the Three Stars Order and again in 2019 when he received an award from the Cabinet of Ministers for his significant contributions to the formation of the Latvian community and national identity.