Exhibition “The National Archives 100” in Tartu during the summer

Being a part of the National Archives’ centennial celebrations in 2020, the exhibition was opened in the National Archives’ gallery in Tallinn last summer. Now, the exhibit “The National Archives 100” visits our main building in Tartu during this summer season.

The National Archives preserves a significant part of Estonia’s written memory from the 13th century until today. A total of 10 million records are stored across 100 kilometres of shelf space. It is home for the most important records of Estonian nationhood and the place for researching your ancestry. Parish registers contain important family events since the 18th century and parish court transcripts tell stories about the feuds and bickering of the 19th century ancestors. Some are lucky to find a photo of their grandmother or old film footage of their home village.

But still, how do documents reach the archives, how are they preserved and why is access in some cases restricted? How many buildings does the National Archives have and which services do we offer? This exhibition aims to answer these and several other questions. Also, the exhibit offers tangible copies of some of our most special, most common, oldest and newest records to give an insight of what kind of treasures one can find in our storages and databases.

The exhibition is compiled by the National Archives’ employees Maarja Hindoalla, Tiina Männapsoo, Maarja Savan, Kati Sein, Liisi Taimre and Kadri Tooming, and designed by the company Pult.

The exhibition is open from 14 May to 8 October, 2021, in the National Archives’ in Tartu, Nooruse 3, from Monday to Friday at 9–19, at 10–15 on Saturdays, and from 23 June to 31 August at 9–17 on working days only. Visit is free of charge.

You are most welcome to visit our exhibition in Tartu!