News archive

The Estonian Expatriate Literature Centre (EELC) at the Academic Library of Tallinn University has announced Sander Jürisson as new head of the department. Jürisson has a masters degree in modern history from the University of Tallinn, with a thesis on Estonian migration to Brazil. So far, Sander has been working in the same department as senior the bibliographer. Former head of EELC, Dr. Anne Valmas, will continue as a researcher.

Two Baltic women who came to Australia as refugees after World War II have been honoured in contributions to the Australian Women’s Register by Ann Tündern-Smith. They are Salme Koobakene (1919-1998), originally from Valgamaa in southern Estonia and Zenta Liepa (1927 – 1987) originally from Riga, Latvia.

2013 is the year of cultural heritage in Estonia. The goal of this year’s theme is to promote cultural issues to the general public – to recognise that culture concerns us (in one way or another), and that it is worthy of appreciation and preservation. Throughout the year of cultural heritage, many events will take place to explain what cultural heritage is, introduce its importance and, broaden its understanding. You can read more about the year of cultural heritage at: www.parandiaasta.ee.

By the end of June this year (at the latest) a new book named the Atlas of Damage Descriptions of Archival Materials will be published in co-operation with the National Archives of Estonia and the National Archives of Latvia.

A hundred years ago there would have been no need to talk about whole food because no food was factory-made or processed, as so much is in our time. People knew and recognized their food and where it came from.

You are welcome to tune in for a live broadcast of the Estonian American symposium taking place today, May 15, 2013 at the University of Minnesota: www.youtube.com/embed/8AFa3vaTmFA

The New York Public Library is offering stipends of $2,000 and $4,000 to support short-term research in manuscript and archival collections by scholars working in the area of Food Studies.

Researching and Archiving the Estonians in America. A joint symposium of the Immigration History Research Center and Baltic Heritage Network on May 15th, 2013 (1210 Heller Hall).

Marika Blossfeldt’s charity dinner in support of VEMU took place on Saturday, 14th of April at Tartu College in Toronto. Individuals and organisations that have supported the building of the new VEMU museum were invited to the dinner. The dinner was similar to that held in 2012 with special guest chef Inga Paenurm, executive chef to the president of Estonia.

On Sunday, March 17th VEMU/ Estonian Studies Centre celebrated the Native Language Day. The theme for the day was “Married to Estonia?” The event was intended to draw attention to intermarriages and what it means for a non-Estonian speaker to be married to an ardent Estonian.