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Baltic studies: Baltic Video Archive

This guide provides an introduction to Baltic studies and helps with finding resources on Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian history, literature, and culture.

The Baltic Video Archive

The Baltic Video Archive of Stanford Libraries consists of four oral history collections, each of which tells the story of the Baltic countries through video testimonies of the Baltic peoples. The testimonies touch on the Second World War in the Baltic region, the Nazi and Soviet occupations and repressions as well as the story of Baltic refugees.

The archive also includes stories told by the more recent generation, the so-called “digital nomads,” or the “Estonian mafia,” who have migrated to and established enterprises in California's Silicon Valley.

The testimonies in this archive thus reflect on the past, present, and the future of the Baltic states.

Kogu Me Lugu

The Kogu Me Lugu: Digital Video Interviews, 2014 collection consists of oral history interviews with members of the Estonian diaspora who lived under or fled from the Soviet and/or German occupation in Estonia; or migrated as a result of acts committed by these regimes.

The interviews focus on the interwar Estonia and World War II events in the region, the interviewees' escape from the country during the war, and their life in German DP camps and the Western countries (United States, Sweden, Australia).

Interviewees also reflect on what it means to be an Estonian, their ties with Estonia, national identity and all else concerned with Estonia.

Subjects covered include Estonia, Estonian history, Baltic history, interwar Estonia, World War II (1939-1945), Soviet occupation, Nazi occupation, Soviet Army, crimes against humanity, refugees, DP camps, and the Estonian diaspora.

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Audiovisual Archive

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Audiovisual Archive, 1994–2014 consists of more than 2,200 digital copies of videotaped oral history interviews with Latvians and other nationalities who lived under or fled from the Soviet and/or German occupations in Latvia.

The interviews focus on the interwar period in Latvia and World War II events in the region, the interviewees' escape from the country during the war, and their life in German DP camps and Western countries (including the United States), the Soviet and Nazi deportations from Latvia, imprisonment in the GULAG, National resistance movement, etc.

The interviews were recorded by the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia from 1996 until the present. More interviews will be recorded and added to the collection in the future.

Subjects covered include Latvia, Latvian history, Baltic history, interwar Latvia, World War II (1939-1945), Soviet occupation, Nazi occupation, Soviet Army, crimes against humanity, Soviet deportations, refugees, DP camps, Latvian diaspora.

The Museum of Occupations in Tallinn, Estonia Audiovisual Archive

The Museum of Occupations in Tallinn, Estonia Audiovisual Archive, 2001-2003 consists of 149 oral history interviews that were recorded in 2001-2003 by the Museum with people who lived under or fled from the Soviet and/or German occupation in Estonia. The interviews focus on the interwar Estonia and World War II events in the region, the interviewees' escape from the country during the war, and their life in German DP camps and the Western countries (United States, Sweden, Australia).

The interviewees also reflect on what it means to be Estonian, their ties with Estonia, national identity and all else concerned with Estonia.

Subjects covered include Estonia, Estonian history, Baltic history, interwar Estonia, World War II (1939-1945), Soviet occupation, Nazi occupation, Soviet Army, crimes against humanity, Soviet deportations, refugees, DP camps, Estonian diaspora.

Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom (until 2018 The Museum of Occupations) is a private museum in Tallinn, Estonia that collects, processes, studies and presents the history of the occupations of Estonia (1940-1991), the national resistance movement, and the return of independent statehood. The museum educates and involves the people of Estonia and its visitors and encourages everyone to think about the recent past, to sense the fragility of freedom, and to stand for freedom and justice.

The museum was founded in 1998 by the Kistler-Ritso Estonian Foundation. Its purpose is to collect, process, study and present the history of the occupations of Estonia (1940-1991), the national resistance movement, and the return of independent statehood. The museum provides a comprehensive overview of the Estonian society during the three periods of occupation: the first Soviet occupation (1940–1941), the German occupation (1941–1944), and the second Soviet occupation (1944–1991).

No Boundaries - The Digital Nomads of Estonia Collection

The No Boundaries - The Digital Nomads of Estonia collection consists of oral history interviews with Estonians whose lives have been changed by the intersection of the country’s digital revolution and its rejoining of the free world; ranging from key people involved with initiating and shaping the policies that made the digital revolution possible, to those who grew up with, and were able to make full use of, the new possibilities to learn, create and live in the new, interconnected world, focusing on Estonians who have migrated to California’s Silicon Valley.

The interviews focus on the time just prior to Estonia’s regained liberty and up until the present, exploring different viewpoints on how the country was changed by the openness and opportunities made possible by these events coinciding so fortuitously with the digital revolution, and how this has impacted Estonian culture, identity, and outlook. Interviewees reflect on how the openness and new global opportunities have affected Estonia and their personal lives, their hopes and fears for the future, what being an Estonian means to them, their ties with Estonia, national identity, and Estonian cultural traits.

Subjects covered include Estonia, Estonian history, interwar Estonia, World War II (1939-1945), Soviet occupation, Nazi occupation, the Estonian diaspora, the digital revolution, entrepreneurship, creativity and resiliency, and Estonian identity in the future.

The project is an initiative by Stanford Libraries, centered around the amazing Estonian recovery following the regained independence and the country’s rejoining of the free world, and how this affects national identity, as told through the perspective and personal stories of a number of successful, innovative Estonian entrepreneurs and creatives, mainly those who have gone on to live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area.