The Estonian Literary Museum (ELM) is a
national scientific and research institution administered by
the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Estonia. Its task
is to collect, preserve, study, and display the national cultural
heritage of Estonia.
According to its charter, the ELM is the
central archive of Estonian literature and folklore. It consists
of the following components:
To accomplish its aims, the ELM organises
collection campaigns, conferences, exhibitions and seminars.
In its archives collected items are systematised and studied,
and also made available to a broader circle of literary enthusiasts
through publications, manuscripts, photos, catalogues, and electronic
issues. The ELM functions as a public institution where anyone
may use materials stored at the archives or order copies of items
in public funds.
The history of the ELM began in the year
1909, when the Estonian National Museum and the Archival Library
as its subdivision were founded in Tartu. The other archives
of the ELM were also created as subdivisions of the Estonian
National Museum first: thus, the year 1921 saw the birth of the
Estonian Bibliography Foundation (now the bibliography department
of the Archival Library), 1927 that of the Estonian Folklore
Archives, and 1929 the Estonian Cultural History Archives.
In
1924, the Estonian National Museum purchased a private house
in Aia (now Vanemuise) Street for filing archival materials.
The collections of the Archival Library, as well as those of
the later folklore and cultural history archives, were placed
there. Today it is the main building of the ELM, to which two
extensions have been since added.
In 1940, the Estonian National Museum Foundation
was divided into two state museums: the Estonian Ethnography
Museum and the Estonian Literary Museum. The Estonian Folklore
Archives and the Estonian Cultural History Archives were renamed
as departments of the ELM.
Between 1946 and 1997, the ELM was the
only museum that belonged to the institutions of the Academy
of Sciences. During that period it functioned as a scientific
establishment in which the study and publication of materials
were as important as their gathering and storage. On January
1, 1995, the historical names of the departments of the ELM as
independent archives were restored.
The Estonian Literary Museum produces a
yearly almanac - an assortment of articles and source publications
called "Paar sammukest" (Some Small Steps), the 15th
issue of which was published in 1998.
As of 1957, the Literary Museum holds an annual two-day conference
for researchers of Estonian literature and folklore in December
of each year, which are called the Kreutzwald Days in honour
of the founder of Estonian national literature.
