News archive

On November 10th the 36th session of the Baltic Assembly and the 23rd Baltic Council gathered in Tallinn. Representatives of the Baltic countries’ parliament, speakers, and foreign ministers were present at the session. The Baltic Assembly was established in 1991 with the goal to promote the activities and collaboration of the Baltic parliaments. This time, the discussions considered questions regarding education, healthcare, security, and the protection of the European Union across borders.

On Saturday, November 11th at Tartu College, the Baltic Canadian Imprints partnership hosted a symposium titled Sharing Our Stories: Born in Canada. Members from all four Baltic communities, Baltic German, Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian, discussed the challenges and advantages of being first generation Canadian Balts. Three panels of first generation representatives from each of the communities shared their experiences with the audience. Special guest Dr. Jaak Rakfeldt (PhD, LCSW), Professor of Social Work at Southern Connecticut State University moderated the discussion and provided insight on the various topics the panelists touched on. This symposium was a continuation of the group’s work together and was open to all interested. The hall was full!

In October the exhibit “From the Village Road to the Red Carpet: A Hundred Years of National Fashion” was opened at the Estonian National Museum in Tartu. The exhibit focuses on patterns and elements borrowed from Estonian folk costumes that have been used in contemporary fashion beginning in the 1920s until today.

Baltic Heritage Network Conference “New Beginnings of Baltic Diaspora” 26.-29.06.2018 Tartu, Estonia   The Republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuanian are celebrating their 100th birthdays in 2018. For this occasion Baltic countries, as well as Baltic diaspora communities, are looking back in time and summing up the experience of a century. Such important anniversaries give us the opportunity to make conclusions of what has occurred, but also to look at what has yet to come and make goals for the future. The Baltic Heritage Network is celebrating the 100th birthdays of the Baltic countries with a conference: “New Beginnings of Baltic Diaspora.” The historical and present circumstances of the Baltic diaspora are like a garden of forking paths for both individuals and communities. New beginnings are taking place whether we are paying attention or not. This conference is an effort to look at the endings and new beginnings of communities and their archives both at present time and in retrospect. From oral history and family stories to the ever fluctuating flow of migration, from creating new collections to developing existing archives – how can we recognize change and convert endings into beginnings? Are we able to and how will we preserve these changes in archives and other collections? How will diaspora memory institutions survive these changes in society? The conference is open to presentations by academic researchers, memory institution specialists, representatives of diaspora communities, and anyone to whom the preservation of Baltic diaspora communities, capturing and understanding both the past and present is important.   The conference welcomes papers that discuss changes and shifting dynamics in the following areas of interest: – memory institutions of Baltic diaspora communities – collaborative efforts of diaspora communities and homeland in preserving, digitizing and researching the history of the Baltic diaspora – integrating the history of the Baltic diaspora into the discource of Baltic history – discourse of life writing – representation of diaspora topics through film and other media – diaspora publications – community life and belonging – psychology of diaspora – intellectuals of the Baltic diaspora – transnationalism and multinationalism   Please send abstracts (max. 500 words) by January 21, 2018 to piretnoorhani[at]gmail.com. The conference programming committee will notify you about your paper proposal by February 28, 2018.   Conference registration begins February 1, 2018.    

On Sunday, October 22, 2017 the newly appointed professor of the University of Toronto E. Tampõld Chair of Estonian Studies Dr. Andres Kasekamp gave an Estonian Studies Centre public lecture on the topic of How Estonia Leads Europe. The Opportunities and Challenges of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The lecture was followed by a reception to celebrate Prof. Kasekamp’s arrival.

The idea of possible restoration of their homeland’s state independence was highly important among Baltic diaspora all around the world during the whole time the three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – were under the soviet rule.

On Saturday, September 23rd, 2017 the Rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts gave the Dr. Vello Soots Memorial Lecture on the topic: Constructed Estonia. Houses as the Shapers of Identity. The lecture was followed by thanking of the participants of the life stories competition in Estonia, and a reception to celebrate Tartu College’s 47th birthday.

On Friday, September 22nd, 2017 at Tartu College, a symposium dedicated to the opening of the new exhibit “Building a Community. Estonian Architects in Post-War Toronto” took place. Speakers included the curator, Jarmo Kauge, Rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts, Mart Kalm, architect, Graeme Stewart, journalist Alfred Holden, and architect Thomas Tampõld.

The conference welcomes paper, poster, panel, roundtable, and workshop proposals from established and emerging scholars, including graduate students. We particularly encourage submissions of full panel and roundtable proposals on interdisciplinary and comparative topics. We especially encourage you to send your proposals to the special division of libraries, archives and museums! In 2018 the Baltic states will achieve an important milestone in their histories as states – 100 years since the establishment of the Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. At the same time more than 25 years have already passed since the renewal of independence of the Baltic states. As we pause and look back at these 100 years of our history we cannot be on the border between centuries and not have to look at the future as well, as the Baltic states enter their next 100 years. Memory institutions are by nature always on the brink between the past and the future – preserving the past, but having to face all the challenges of the modern, ever-changing world and the coming unknown future. Celebrating the first centenary and entering the next 100 years of Baltic history – what in this situation is the role and place of memory institutions? To search for this role and place of memory institutions, presentations on the following topics (but not limited only to these) are welcome: Celebrating 100 years of Baltic States: the use of diaspora historical sources as sources for researching Baltic statehood; Baltic cooperation: working together for the preservation of historical sources – challenges and achievements; Challenges for memory institutions in the Digital Age. Are traditional museums, archives, and libraries destined to disappear? New Baltic immigrants: how to preserve their stories and include them in the collection and preservation of our compatriots’ heritage; The role of memory institutions in the dissemination of cultural heritage; Memory and academic institutions: new ways for cooperation; Memory institutions as educators: mission (im)possible. The deadline for submissions is October 15, 2017. To submit your abstract, please visit the conference website: http://aabs2018.stanford.edu/divisions. All submissions must include an abstract of no more than 250 words and a short bio. Please note that all non-Stanford presenters must be AABS members by June 1, 2018. Those accepted for the conference who are not already members, can join at: http://aabs-balticstudies.org/aabs-membership-form The conference is free of charge to presenting participants, but attendees are responsible for their travel expenses. To assist with travel and accommodation costs, AABS expects to offer small travel grants to graduate students accepted to present at the conference. More info: http://aabs2018.stanford.edu/