News archive

In March 2009 two employees of the National Archives of Estonia – Gristel Ramler and Birgit Nurme – described the archival materials of the Estonian Archives in the United States at the Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) in Minneapolis.

On April 25th 2009 the National Library of Sweden (Kungliga Biblioteket) hosted the seminar Mapping and Preserving the Audiovisual Heritage of the Baltic Diaspora in Sweden which was organized by the Baltic Heritage Network in co-operation with the Baltic Audiovisual Archival Council (BAAC), National Library of Sweden and the Estonian National Congress in Sweden. The event was supported by the Compatriots Programme (Ministry of Education and Research, Estonia) and the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) offers grants of up to $500 to assist scholars traveling to conduct research at the IHRC. The deadline for applications for 2009-2010 grants is June 1, 2009.

The Belgian small town Mechelen hosted the conference for non-governmental organizations active in the field of heritage – Heritage Care through Active Citizenship – on March 23-24 2009.

The BaltHerNet and BAAC seminar “Mapping and Preserving the Audiovisual Heritage of the Baltic Diaspora in Sweden” will take place in Stockholm on April 25, 2009 at 10.00 at the National Library of Sweden (Kungliga Biblioteket, Humlegården park)

Many Estonians who had to abandon their homes during the Second World War are known to have buried objects underground, hoping to return and recover them later. In addition to valuables, these family treasures often included items that were important for reasons other than their pure economic value.

The conference is organized by the NPO Baltic Heritage Network, the Estonian National Museum, the Estonian Literary Museum, and the Estonian National Archives. The conference will be held on July 7-10, 2009, at the Estonian Literary Museum in Tartu.

The Society for the Advancement of Estonian Studies in Canada (SAESC) elected a new board (see photo) at its general meeting on January 11, 2009.

A comprehensive work on Estonian literary history, Eesti kirjandus paguluses XX sajandil (Estonian Literature in Exile in the 20th Century), edited by Piret Kruuspere, has been published recently.

There are plans to open a museum about Latvian emigration and of Latvians abroad in five years. To achieve this goal, an association, „Latvians Abroad – Museum and Research Center” (LA-MRC) has been founded. In November, 2008 the organization launched a website, www.diasporamuseum.lv, which provides information about the development of the museum.