The National Archives of Estonia holds various materials for genealogical research. These include information about births, deaths, marriages, places of residence and much more — there are numerous personal files (for instance the files of university students, files from legal proceedings and files on victims of repression) that can offer insights into your ancestors’ everyday lives and personalities.

It is possible to do family research on your own, free of charge in the Saaga portal. All the main family history sources held in the National Archives of Estonia are already accessible there. In order to start, you just have to register as a user. Documents not available in Saaga are all described in the archival information system AIS and are accessible in our reading rooms.

Before you begin, gather your ancestors’ names and their dates and places of birth and death, going as far back as possible. Marriage dates and places of residence can also provide useful leads. Ask older relatives, visit the clergy at your local church, and examine old civil registration certificates, memoirs, and notes on the last page of the family Bible or on calendar pages kept in your family archive. Local cemeteries often provide precise birth and death dates. There is also a database of Estonian cemeteries (not yet complete) and a separate one for the cemeteries of Tartu.

Once you have gathered enough information and drawn up a basic family tree, you can begin more detailed family history research.

Archival sources most commonly used in family history research

Church records (parish registers, parish member lists, lists of confirmands, church certificates, communion lists). In order to find your relatives in church records you should know which congregation the family or the person belonged to. In these records you can find information about important dates in your ancestors’ lives, their occupations, their children and changes in their place of residence. Quite often the local pastor has also recorded more detailed information, such as a person being blind or breaking the 6th Commandment (committing adultery).

Documents recording the population’s obligations and tax accounts (wacka-books, revision lists of population or so-called soul revision lists, lists of rural community members). The oldest wacka-books in the National Archives are from the beginning of the Swedish era. These list farms and their obligations. Each estate’s list records the size of its farms, their obligations in labour, kind and money, and often the number of people and cattle on each farm. Soul revision lists were compiled by county, manor community, village and family, and provide concise information about the whole family. The lists of rural municipality members are a logical continuation of the soul revision lists.

Military service documents. The first call-up of recruits on Estonian territory took place in 1797, the last one in 1874. On 1 January 1874 general compulsory military service was enacted in Russia. In the lists of recruits the following was entered: date of entries, first name, father’s name and surname of the recruit, age in years and height in arshins and vershoks. The shape of the face and nose, eye and hair colour, and distinguishing features (such as birthmarks, scars and injuries) were recorded in special columns. The recruit’s place of residence, social background and marital status were also recorded, together with the number of children if he was married. The records also noted the recruit’s abilities — literacy and skills in some handicraft or profession.

You should also keep in mind the files of high school or university students, court files, files of inheritance issues, materials in the Communist Party archive (files of repressed people, personal files of Estonian Communist Party members, files compiled for obtaining permission to travel abroad), personnel documents of different offices, materials of real estate offices (real estate registers and files), cartographic materials.

To see what archival records there are in the above-mentioned categories and also to find information about a specific family or person, we recommend using the Archival Information System of Estonia called AIS. All our records have already been described there (reference codes, titles etc.). The search form is currently available only in Estonian, but a more advanced version is being developed. You can search using different keywords (a person's name, place name etc., the records' titles are usually in the same language as the records, i.e. in German, Russian, Estonian etc., also — sometimes it is better to use * instead of some letters which may vary) The results show the titles of records containing these keywords. Click a title to see which fonds the record belongs to (i.e. which institution created it) and where it is held. You can also see whether a record has already been digitised - if there is a blue link "Vaata dokumenti" (= "View the document") - this is a direct link to the Saaga portal. You can also place a reading room loan order or a copy order directly via the link "Telli" (= "Order").

Practical help with further research

Several databases and additional materials compiled by our archivists can help. Genealogical researchers also make extensive use of data collections compiled and maintained by other memory institutions or individuals, such as the Personal name indexes of Lutheran parish member lists, the Place Names Database (KNAB) of the Institute of the Estonian Language, the database of Estonian family names Onomastics and the Portal of Estonian Manors.

If you need help reading or interpreting sources, would like to contact other people interested in genealogy, or want to hear about family gatherings, we recommend joining the Family History Forum administered by the Estonian Biographical Center. Books and articles by other genealogical researchers can also provide information and encouragement. You can find them in libraries and bookshops. Branches of the Estonian Genealogical Society have published their studies for years.

You can find further information and links in the Estonian version of VAU (since not all articles have been translated into English yet), e.g. about the records concerning Baltic Germans.

Many of the sources most commonly used for family history research in Estonia are available in the digitised records portal Saaga.

The Archival Information System AIS allows you to search for references to all records preserved in the National Archives of Estonia (all our records have been described there). Each of the archives has its own abbreviation, for example EAA is for the National Archives in Tartu, ERA for the National Archives in Tallinn, VAMA for the National Archives in Valga. Documents from the period before 1917 are mostly held in Tartu, materials of later years are in Tallinn and in Valga and Rakvere.

For biographical information from 1 July 1926 onwards, when the Family Law Act entered into force and civil registration was separated from the Church in Estonia, consult the archival fonds of the county governments and fond ERA.5201 "Population Facts Department of the Estonian Ministry of the Interior".

The church records of Tallinn and the family lists (from ca 1926–1944) of Tallinn are held in the Tallinn City Archives but many of the parish registers of Tallinn are also already digitally available in the Saaga collection.

Use of original records

Preserving original documents is a priority for the archives. Original records are therefore available on loan only if they have not been digitised. This helps preserve them for as long as possible. Records may be used only in the reading rooms and must not be taken outside.

Compiling a family tree requires extensive research, so the National Archives cannot offer this service. Family history research and other research services are provided by the Estonian Biographical Center.

The National Archives’ structural units issue archival notices containing the biographical information a person needs to certify their rights.

All of us have our own name. It is like a business card that accompanies us throughout our lives. Names are thought to be as old as language itself: spoken language allowed people to use names to identify one another and interact. With the development of writing and record-keeping, names became an essential means of identification. Today, it seems natural for a person’s name to consist of one or more first names and a family name. However, it has not always been the case. How did Estonian names develop? What kind of information can be found on names in archival sources?

Before surnames

Names can be found in almost all archival documents. Before the second quarter of the 19th century, people of high status (the nobility, the clergy) and a few peasants who had been freed in exchange for a variety of services had family names. Most Estonians had only a first name and an additional name.

Most of the first names or baptismal names had been derived from the names found in the Bible and saints’ names, i.e. their local adaptations (Katarina became Kadri, Johannes Jaan) as the traditional pre-Christian names had almost disappeared. Newly derived names became more widespread only at the beginning of the 20th century, during the Estonianisation of names. Family history researchers often encounter many people named Jaan and Jüri or Liisu and Mari, as families reused favourite names over generations. Therefore, information which has been gathered from sources should be treated carefully and, if there is any doubt, other known data should be used to verify a person’s identity (father’s name, place and date of birth, etc.). Some names were widespread throughout the country, while others were used only in some areas (e.g. Ingel on the islands and in western Estonia, Hip in Hargla and Karula parishes).

Evidently, additional names came into use before the arrival of foreign conquerors and were well established by the 16th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the name system for Estonian peasants was in general as follows: a name consisted of an additional name and a baptismal name written after it. The additional name may have been based on the name of the farm [Rabasaare (Bog Island) Jaak], a profession [Nahkuri (Tanner) Mats], the nickname [Venelase (Russian) Jaak], or the father’s name (Mardijaak`s Hans). Church records sometimes give names in greater detail: the additional name is followed by the grandfather’s, father’s and the person’s own baptismal names. For example, Ruga Hanso Jaani Peeter contained the farm name (Ruga), which also served as an additional name; Hans was the person’s grandfather, and Jaan was his father. Other family members received their names based on the name of the head of the household. If the aforementioned person had a son Andres, he was named Ruga Peeter`s son Andres in church records. When marrying, the wife took the husband’s name: Ruga Jaan`s daughter Liso became Allika (Water Spring`s) Mihkel`s Juhan`s wife Liso, but when the husband died, she became Allika`s Juhan`s widow Liso. Eventually, some names became additional names and were at the same time the name of the farm (Jaan`s Jaak`s Ants` son Mihkel became Jaaniku`s Ants` Mihkel). The situation is complicated further by the fact that some families had two additional names at the same time, for example, a man who lived on Makkari farm and was an overseer bore the names Overseer Tomas and Makkari Tomas. The additional name was unofficial but functioned more like a person’s address. Thus, a man called Hanso Jaan`s farmhand Toomas may have become Jürihanso Jaan`s farmhand Toomas in a later entry. The names of people who could roam more freely, such as farmhands and cottagers, could be rather changeable. Observations show that the additional names that stood out from others were quite stable, whereas the names of patronymic origin were rather temporary. The structure of the additional names of peasants and townspeople was somewhat different. According to the town tradition, as a rule, the baptismal name was written before the additional name [Jaan Kott (Bag)]. According to the peasant tradition, the baptismal name came after the additional one [Koti (Bag`s) Jaan].

Assigning surnames

Only a small minority of Estonians had family names, or surnames, at the beginning of the 19th century. Surnames were assigned on a large scale during the abolition of serfdom. Assigning surnames to the population was also a concern throughout the German cultural sphere.

The assignment of surnames began in Livonia. The 1819 Peasantry Law required church records to include the surnames of all men and women by 1 August 1826. However, in northern Estonia, the Peasantry Law (1816) did not address the assignment of surnames. Surnames were assigned in 1830—1835, following Livonia’s example. In Livonia, names were assigned parish by parish, while in Estonia they were assigned within each manor’s boundaries.

The main sources for the assignment of surnames are the interim revisions of 1826 in Livonia (documents are preserved in the collection of the revision papers of the Governorate of Livonia, EAA.1865), and the 1835 surname registers in Estonia (in the collection of the revision papers of the Governorate of Estonia, EAA.1864). All these are available in digitised form in Saaga. Some records of assigned surnames can be found in archival document collections (e.g. in collections of congregations, rural municipality governments, city councils). Unfortunately, not all documents recording the assignment of surnames have survived. Whether the documents of a manor still exist can be checked in the register of soul revision. Less well-known sources are lists of peasants who became free. These were drawn up in the first half of 1820 and can be found in the collections of parish courts. The lists record farm names and the first names and surnames of all peasants who were freed. Such records of names were kept only in Livonia.

Professor Aadu Must and a working group have compiled Onomastics I, a database of the original locations of Estonian surnames, based mainly on the interim revisions of 1826 and the data included in the lists of surnames of 1835. A search can be conducted in the database using a name’s standardised form (the form of the name we probably use today). The search result will display the rural municipality and parish where the name was given and a map of its distribution.

Following the Tartu Peace Treaty (1920), most of the population in Petseri County and the land situated to the east of the Narva River, the areas incorporated into Estonia, were not given surnames until the spring of 1921 pursuant to a law passed by the Government of the Republic of Estonia (see the State Gazette of 1921, issues 26 and 58). Also, many Russian-sounding first and family names were Estonianised (Ivan became Ivo, Feodorov Kägu). Until then, only a minority of the population in that area had had surnames as others had been identified in church records and other records based on their first and father’s names and place of residence.

Registers of assigned surnames from the years 1921 – 1923 and surname catalogue cards created mainly in 1950 – 1951 in order to facilitate the use of records are preserved in the collection of Petserimaa and the land situated to the east of the Narva River population’s surname committees (EAA.5433).

Records of assigned surnames were compiled by town, municipality and village. They list everyone aged 18 or over who was assigned a surname (the new name was automatically adopted by the spouse and children under the age of 18). The catalogue cards list surnames in alphabetical order. Each card records the town or municipality where the surname was assigned and the number of the surname register.

Please note that the spelling of names can vary considerably in earlier sources, before spelling was standardised in the period of the Republic of Estonia. Thus, the surname Sikk could have had the following spellings in different sources: Sikk, Sick, Siek or Sik. Conversion to Orthodoxy or back to Lutheranism contributed to confusion when names were transcribed: Leena became Jelisaveta, the surname Ketle was modified over several decades and became Kiidli. A name could also change when a person’s status changed [Jaan Rätsep (Tailor) became Johannes Schneider after graduation in town]. Therefore, when conducting a search in the Archival Information System AIS, name index or other finding aids, try different forms of the name as keywords. Searching for the name in Cyrillic may also produce more results.

The name index is a useful tool, containing mainly surnames indexed from the church records of Lutheran congregations. Names from the church records of Orthodox congregations have already been added, too. In the future, the database should evolve into a general name index which would facilitate finding information on families of interest in church records (regardless of denomination) as well as other sources most widely used by genealogists.

Changing names

Until the 1880s, the rules for changing names were rather unclear and the official procedure was complicated and costly. When the process was initiated, name changes were formalised in parish courts and the relevant legal documents were sent to the government of the governorate. These collections are worth browsing in order to find information on name changes. From 1891, name changes fell within the Emperor’s authority, and all local name-change procedures ceased. However, the sources indicate that sometimes a name was changed in municipality records and it remained in use afterwards.

References:

• Estonian History, V. From Abolition of Serfdom to War of Independence. Tartu 2010, pp 73–74.
• Kalle Lõuna. Petserimaa. The Integration of Petserimaa into the Republic of Estonia, 1920−1940. Tallinn 2003, pp 66–67.
• Marju Malmberg-Forssell. 15,000 New Family Names (1921) and Accepting the New Surname.
• Bachelor’s Thesis. Supervisor Annika Hussar. Tallinn: TPU 2002.
• Aadu Must. Sources of Estonians’ Family History. Tartu 2000, pp 39–99.
• Mare Selli. On Giving Surnames in Estonia in the Years 1822–1835. Diploma Thesis. Supervisor Prof
• Sulev Vahtre. Tartu 1968 (the manuscript can be found in the library of TU Institute of History and Archaeology).

During the period of the Republic of Estonia, the Estonianisation of names became an issue because many surnames assigned in the second quarter of the 19th century were foreign. Few name changes were registered in the first decade. The issue of Estonian names became topical in 1934, the year of the 100th anniversary of giving Estonians family names. The press called on people to Estonianise their names. The campaign focused on replacing German names with Estonian ones. In addition, many Russian (Smirnov), derogatory (Loll, Eng. Stupid), humorous (Koll, Eng. Bogey) and animal-related (Oinas, Eng. Ram) family names were Estonianised, as were first names (Erich became Juhan). Nearly 210,000 people changed their names in the mid-1930s.

The official files which contain the information on the changing of names in the period of 1920—1940 can be found in the archival fond ERA.5201 "The Population Facts Department of Estonian Ministry of the Interior". Requests to change names were published in the Appendix to the State Gazette (applicants’ places of residence and names were noted down, for a head of household the date and place of birth were also written down), and decisions on name changes were added one or two months later if no legal proceedings followed. The Appendices to the State Gazette can be browsed in larger libraries and the reading rooms of the National Archives.

Information on Estonianisation can be found in the database Onomastika II. A search can be made using the original name or the one given at the time of the name change. The result will display both names and data on the time and place of the change.

Catholicism prevailed in Estonia as the only denomination until the Reformation. Catholicism was banned under Swedish rule. The revival of the Catholic Church in Estonia began in the 19th century. At the end of the century, congregations were formed in Tallinn and Tartu, with mainly Polish and Lithuanian members. St Peter and St Paul Catholic Church and Roman Catholic Church of Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary were erected in Tartu. The church for the congregation in Valga was completed in 1907.

Today there are 8 active Catholic congregations in Estonia: the Catholic congregation of Saints Peter and Paul in Tallinn, St. John’s congregation in Pärnu, congregation of the Catholic church of Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tartu, the Holy Spirit congregation in Valga, St. Joseph’s congregation in Ahtme, St. Anthony congregation in Narva, St. George and St. Adalbert congregation in Sillamäe, and also Pirita Convent in Tallinn.

In the National Archives, the church records of three Catholic congregations are preserved: Narva (Jamburg), Tartu and Valga. In addition, the documents of the Roman Catholic Church of Tallinn are preserved in Tallinn City Archives. The congregations themselves also hold materials of potential interest to family history researchers.

Although archives hold far fewer records of Catholic congregations than of Lutheran and Orthodox congregations, several other sources can be used to research biographical information about Catholics. The files on people who have studied and taught at Tartu University provide much information as these often contain copies of birth certificates received from a person’s congregation. Also, the University’s archival collection has special books on Catholic students (1850—1865, EAA.402.6.378).

Files on people who have converted to another religion can be found in the collections of consistories (e.g. on conversion from Lutheran to Catholic faith, EAA.1192.2.359)

When Tartu University was reopened in 1802, many Catholics of Polish and Lithuanian origin came to study and teach here. On 23 October 1849, a chapel for Catholic students, professors and other members of the Catholic Church opened at Tartu University with the approval of Emperor Nikolai I. On the orders of the Emperor, Tartu University employed a priest to conduct the services and his duties also included giving lectures on the Catholic faith. The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mohilev appointed Josef Beržanski to be the University Chaplain and a permanent priest in Tartu. The plan to build a Catholic church in Tartu was first discussed in 1852, but the project was rejected. Court adviser Stankiewicz offered the University Government his plot of land in Tähtvere as a gift, so that they could erect a church and rectory there. In 1861, a building permit for the church and rectory was obtained from the Baltic Governor-General on the condition that the congregation built those at their own expense. On July 2, 1862, the first cornerstone was laid, but the building of the church was not completed due to lack of money. In 1865, the rectory was completed, which housed the priest’s and church clerk’s living quarters and a large hall for services. In 1894, priest Friedrich Žyskar came to Tartu. He resumed construction of the church. In 1895, Professor August Rauber undertook to form a building committee. On December 8, 1899, Saint Petersburg’s Dean Witold Czeczott blessed the church and consecrated it to the mystery of faith of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and on August 29, 1904, Archbishop Wenclaw consecrated it. In 1852, 281 members belonged to the Tartu Catholic congregation, and in 1900, the congregation had 538 members.

The Roman Catholic church in Valga received its cornerstone in 1906. The church was completed in 1907. No information is available about the church’s design or architect. The church does not have a tower as the Russian Government did not give permission to build it. The number of Catholics in Valga increased substantially when railroads were built as many railroad workers were Polish or Lithuanian. The congregation had 300 – 400 members before World War I. Local Catholic railroad workers participated eagerly in building their own church, which was encouraged by and begun on Prelate Affanasowicz’s initiative. When their nation states were established, many Lithuanians and Poles returned to their home countries, which led to a decrease in the number of Catholics in Valga (50). As the priest left as well, the priest of the Roman Catholic Church in Tartu conducted services and other religious rites in Valga once a month. The congregation in Valga was a support congregation of the Roman Catholic congregation in Tartu.

The town of Jamburg (in 1922 it was renamed Kingissepp) belonged to the Governorate of Saint Petersburg in the Russian Empire. Very little information exists on the Roman Catholic congregation of Jamburg. Since the mid-19th century, the Catholic Chapel in Narva belonged to the Catholic congregation of Jamburg. The number of Catholics in Narva increased as the textile industry developed. Services were conducted in the Catholic Chapel in Narva by a priest from Jamburg. Later the Roman Catholic congregation in Narva became independent and, in 1907, the church of Saint Anthony’s congregation was consecrated. The design for the church was developed by architects in Saint Petersburg. The Neo-Gothic exterior of the church differed from other religious buildings in Old Narva. A massive two-storey rectory which housed the congregation school was erected next to it. The church had its own choir, conductor and organist. Services were held regularly until World War II.

All the Catholics in the Russian Empire were under the authority of the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Mohilev. Following the establishment of the Republic of Estonia, the Catholic congregations in Estonia were subordinated to the Diocese of Riga, which became an Archdiocese in 1923. Pope Benedict XV sent the Apostolic Visitor Antonino Zeccini (later to become the Archbishop of Riga) to Estonia. He proposed the separation of Estonia from the Archdiocese of Riga, which took place on November 1, 1924, when Estonia became an independent Apostolic Administration. Antonino Zecchini was appointed the first Apostolic Administrator in Estonia. In 1933, Estonia entered into diplomatic relations with the Vatican. The Pope appointed the same Nuncio, Antonino Arata, for Estonia and Latvia. During the Soviet occupation, Catholics were persecuted and the number of church members decreased. When the Republic of Estonia restored its independence, diplomatic relations with the Vatican were renewed. On April 15, 1992, Pope John Paul II re-established the Apostolic Administration in Estonia. Archbishop Justo Mullor Carcia was appointed Estonian Apostolic Administrator, and he became Nuncio of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in 1991. Since March 23, 2005, the Apostolic Administrator and Bishop of Estonia has been Msgr. Philippe Jourdan.

References:

• Introductions to the finding aids: EAA.5379, EAA.5378, EAA.5425.
• Konrad and Maria Veem, Eesti kirik tunaeile, eile, täna. EVR. Stockholm, 1993
• Antonio Possevino, Kiri Mantova hertsoginnale. Johannes Esto Ühing. Tartu, 1994
• Vello Salo, Katoliku kirik ja poliitika. Lecture. ERA.4969.1.67
• N. Treumuth, O. Liiv, Polonica Eesti Riigi Keskarhiivis. Tartu, 1931

Materials on Catholics and Catholic religion and churches in the National Archives and Tallinn City Archives collections:

• Roman Catholic church congregation in Tartu, EAA.5379
• Roman Catholic church congregation in Narva (Jamburg), EAA.5378
• Roman Catholic church congregation in Valga, EAA.5425
• Tartu University, EAA.402, EAA.2100
• Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Consistory, EAA.1187
• Consistory of Saaremaa, EAA.1192
• Tartu Police Board, EAA.1880
• Government of the Governorate of Estonia, EAA.30
• Head of the Riga Educational District, EAA.384
• Office of the Governor of Estonia, EAA.29
• Office of the Livonian Governor, EAA.296
• General Welfare Committee of Estonia, EAA.51
• Among the materials belonging to several Lutheran and Orthodox congregations

• Tartu City Council, ERA.2966
• Government Office, ERA.31
• Ministry of the Interior, ERA.14

• Congregation of St Peter and St Paul of Roman Catholic Church in Tallinn, TLA.1398
• Tallinn City Council, TLA.196
• St Peter’s Secondary Science School, TLA.143
• Social Welfare and Health Care Department, TLA.137
• Harjumaa District Government, TLA.893

In 1667, the High Council of the Church ratified the church reforms proposed by Patriarch Nikon of Moscow. Those who did not accept the reforms were anathematised and declared to be heretics. In 1685, it was decreed that Old Believers were outlaws. From that point, they were called Old Believers or Starovery, but by the Government and the Orthodox church — Raskolniks. Most of the Raskolniks who fled were skilled, hard-working and resourceful people. When fleeing from the supporters of Nikon’s reform, most of them headed for southern Estonia (Livonia), whereas some remained mainly in Mustjõe village, which is in Alutaguse, Vaivara Parish in Estonia. On 28 January 1690, the Swedish Vicegerent in Tallinn issued a document which prohibited Russians who did not have passports from living on the territory of the Kingdom (EAA.1.2.34, Placata). Visitation records of Vaivara rectory contain a story about the peasants’ negative attitude to the Russians living in Mustjõe who “acknowledge an odd faith”. Later on, in 1700, a pastor complained to the Consistory that Raskolniks had established hegemony in Laagna (Ger Lagena) where they were living with the owner’s permission. A comment in the 1726 revision says that only Raskolniks live in Mustjõe (EAA.3.1.46, p 410). At the end of the 17th century, large fishermen’s villages could be found on the shores of Lake Peipus in Tartumaa. Most of the Russian population belonged to this special class of fishermen. For example, in the description of 1684 land maps, the fishermen from Nina village are of Russian origin. Furthermore, a comment can be found next to the list which says that all of them come from Russia (EAA.308.6.376, Discriptions Boock).

Shared religious beliefs helped form the Old Believer diaspora in Estonia. For centuries, Old Believer congregations underwent continual changes. Their faith helped this Russian minority retain its distinct identity and resist assimilation in language, culture and religious affiliation. Today, it is only fitting to treat the Old Believers as an ethnic and religious community with its own history, culture and dialect.

Traditionally, Old Believers in Estonia are associated with Tartu (Ger Dorpat, Rus Дерпт) and the villages on the shores of Lake Peipus in Tartu County, whereas Pomors or Pomory (pomortsõ) and Fedosseevtsy or Fedoseyans and the Old Believers without a priest (bezpopovtsõ) also lived in Tallinn and other Estonian towns. The first citizens of Russian descent, including Old Believers (Raskolniks), were entered into civil documents in Tartu only in 1787 when Catherine II’s new town law took effect (EAA.995.1.1415, Bürgerbuch der Stadt Dorpat). By studying Tartu residents’ records and revision documents of town and county from the years 1782―1858 (see Saaga), Russian Old Believers’ names can be traced from the end of the 18th century to 1858.

Most archival documents on Old Believers date from the 19th century, particularly the reign of Nicholas I, and reflect the suppression and punishment of Old Believers during that period. Regular statistical work and record-keeping also began at this time. In the years 1820—1857, Governors of Estonia and Livonia were obliged to submit a list of Old Believers and statistical data on them to the Minister of Internal Affairs. The titles of files on Old Believers’ identities, villages, prayer houses, cemeteries and activities can be seen in AIS when using different keywords (for example, vanausu* 'Old Belief`s', vanausk* 'Old Belief', raskol*, Raskolnik*, раскольник*, раскольн*, старообряд*, etc.), personal names (for example, Rundaltsev, Rundaltsov, Рундальцов) and place names (for example, Mustvee, Tschorna, Черна, Посад Черный).

Old Believers’ congregations and data in church records

Although the congregations of Old Believers were not officially accepted until 1905, books containing information regarding Old Believers’ births and deaths, their passports and notices have been preserved in the collections of town and county police, courts, rural municipality governments and governorate governments from the years 1820—1917. Old Believers’ family names were regularly entered into these documents. The surnames were definitively established after the revisions of 1850 and 1857 when a thorough revision of Old Believers was carried out.

The National Archives hold the congregation records of Kallaste (EAA.5414, 1914―1926), Kasepää (EAA.5380, 1883―1926), Mustvee (EAA.5416, 1908―1926), Piirissaare (EAA.5424, 1916―1926), Raja (EAA.5423, 1923―1926), Suur-Kolkja (EAA.5415, 1907―1926), Tartu (EAA.5418, 1908―1926), and Väike-Kolkja (EAA.3096, 1896―1926) until the year 1926.

Information on the above can be found in AIS or the Historical Archives collection index. Lists of those born in the Väike-Kolkja congregation in Alatskivi Rural Municipality (1896―1910, 1917) and rural municipality records on Old Believers in Alatskivi are available in digitised form in Saaga.

Church records on Old Believers (listed as archival documents) over time:

Jews descend from the ancient Hebrew people. Jewish communities lived in many regions, including the former provinces of Kurland, Livland and Estland and later the Republic of Estonia. Estonia was the first European country to grant Jewish cultural autonomy, which existed there in 1926—1940.

From the 13th century, Jews lived as merchants, craftsmen, and foreigners in the Estonian port cities of Tallinn, Pärnu, and Narva, but finding archival documents is not easy and requires thorough preparation.

During Russian rule, until the end of the 19th century, Estonian territories were not part of the Jewish areas of settlement, but some social categories ― Cantonists or Nikolai soldiers, foreign subjects, university students, sick people, and illegal aliens ― lived in Estonia earlier. Cantonist schools (1804—1856) were institutions in the Russian army, where children of lower-ranking soldiers, orphans, Jews, and Old Believers were educated. By decree, in the years 1861, 1865, 1867 and 1879 Jewish merchants of the first and second guilds, artisans, ex-servicemen, and well-educated Jews could also live in other towns in Estonia, but only under strict police control. You can search for information about them by name or topic in AIS. 19th—20th century documents about the Jews are usually located in the fonds of the Estonian and Livonian provincial agencies, courts, magistrates, police, and municipal governments.

Tartu University (EAA.402, 1802-1918, EAA 2100, 1918-1944), Tartu Veterinary Institute (EAA 404, 1848-1918), and Tartu Private University Courses (EAA.1734, 1907-1920) fonds contain a large number of Jewish instructors’ and students’ personal files, Jewish student societies’ documents and files, and files regarding the acceptance of Jewish students into institutions of higher learning. It is worth trying different spellings (e.g. juut*, juudi*, hebrea*, jüdisch*, евреи*, etc.) and name variations (e.g. Rabinowitsch, Rabinovitsch, Rabinovitš, Рабинович). Searches should be done in Estonian, German and Russian.

Jewish Congregations

In 1828 Tallinn became a gathering place for Cantonists and in 1830 the first Jewish congregation was formed, initially illegally. In 1859 Jewish descendants of Nikolai soldiers were allowed to live in Tartu and Pärnu as well as Tallinn.

At the end of the 19th century, Jewish prayer houses and cemeteries operated in Pärnu (1859), Tartu (1865), Valga (1871), Narva (1877), Viljandi (1876), Rakvere (1879), and Võru (1888). Information about the opening of Jewish prayer houses and synagogues can be found in the Estonian and Livonian provincial fonds.

In Saaga (in the section "Other confessions") Tartu (EAA.5413, 1897—1926), Narva (EAA.5417, 1911—1926), Rakvere (EAA.5422, 1921—1926), Valga (EAA.5419, 1919—1926), Viljandi (EAA.5420, 1917—1926) and Võru (EAA.5421, 1883—1926) metrical books of Jewish congregations are available as digital images.

Documents of the Tartu Jewish congregation or religious society are stored in the National Archives (ERA.2284, Tartu Jewish religious society, 1861—1940, including birth, marriage and death certificates 1921—1937, files 38—44; birth books 1906—1921, files 45—50; marriage books 1906—1924, files 51—54; death books 1861—1937, files 55—59, 67—71). Kopl Jokton’s original history of the Tartu congregation can also be found in the same fond.

The oldest and largest Jewish congregation operated in Tallinn (1830—1941); the congregation’s documents are located in the Tallinn City Archives (TLA.1387, Tallinn's Jewish Community, 1859—1930), including Nosson Gens’s history of the Tallinn congregation (TLA.1387.2.67).

Jewish Fonds

Tartu Jewish elementary and middle school fonds are held in Tartu (EAA.2037, EAA.2038) and can be used to trace the development of the schools in the years 1877—1941, and to examine the student body and personal files. There are also the personal fonds of the Mirvitz family (EAA.1444, 1920—1940; Mirvits, Mirwitz, Мирвиц), Selmanovitš family (EAA.1454, 1884—1939; Selmanovitsch, Zelmanovitsch, Зельманович), and dentist Arnold Perlmann (EAA.2056, 1926—1941; Perlman, Перльман).

At the National Archives, you can research the establishment and activities of Jewish cultural autonomy (1926—1940) in the Republic of Estonia (ERA.1107), and consult materials from the Tartu, Võru-Petseri, Pärnu, Viljandi, Narva, and Valga Jewish minority cultural autonomy boards of trustees (ERA.2273, ERA.2275, ERA.2276, ERA.2277, ERA.2278, ERA.2279).

By 1940, more than sixty Jewish cultural, educational, university, student, sports, cooperative, and religious societies were registered in the Republic of Estonia. The following fonds are available in the National Archives:

• The J. A. Peretz Valga Jewish Literature and Drama Society, ERA.2274, 1920—1931;
• The Jewish Cultural Society Šolem Aleichem, ERA.2280, 1928—1940;
• The Tartu Association of the Jewish People, ERA.2283, 1906—1940;
• The Tartu Jewish Welfare Society, ERA.2285, 1896—1940;
• The Tartu Jewish Student Fund, ERA.2289, 1887—1928;
• University Student Fraternity Corporation Limuvia at the University of Tartu, ERA.2292, 1882—1940;
• Academic Jewish Historical and Literature Society at the University of Tartu, ERA.2294, 1883—1940;
• The Jewish Women's Zionist organization Jung WIZO, ERA.2760, 1931—1933;
• Valga Makkabi Jewish Sport, ERA.2290, 1917—1920;
• University Student Fraternity Corporation Limuvia in the Film Archive, EFA.238, 1923—1933.

Documents of the Tallinn Jewish Savings and Loan Bank and the Tartu Jewish Joint Bank are in the combined credit union fond (ERA.148). The combined Educational Societies fond (ERA.2800) contains records of the Pärnu Jewish Education Society Ache(a)dus (ERA.2800.1.421-434, 1919—1940). The combined Women's Societies fond (ERA.2760) contains documents of the Pärnu Jewish Women's Society Zdako (ERA.2760.1.127—129, 1931—1940) and the Jewish Women's Zionist Organization Jung WIZO (ERA.2760.2.1—4, 1931—1933).

All Jewish institutions and firms were liquidated in 1940 (ERA.2199, the Liquidation Commission of Jewish Associations and Organizations in Estonia, 1939—1940).

Other holdings include records of Jewish societies and periodicals (e.g. the editorial staff of the journal Kodima, 1919, ERA.2496; and the editorial staff of the newspaper Hebrew Word, 1920, ERA.2286) and the personal fond of Nosson Genss (ERA.2282). Information about undigitised sources can be obtained from AIS.

Documents which reflect 19th—20th century Tallinn Jewish life can be found in the Tallinn City Archives. The diverse activities of the local Jewish community are reflected in the fonds of schools and societies:

• Tallinn Jewish Private High School and Elementary School, 1913—1940, TLA.855;
• The Jewish Cultural Society Licht, 1926—1940, TLA.11;
• The Alumni Administration of the Jewish Cultural Administration’s Private High School in Tallinn, 1936—1940, TLA.13;
• The Jewish Social Society, 1918—1940, TLA.1383;
• The Tallinn Jewish Charitable Society Zdoko-Gdoilo, 1927—1940, TLA.1384;
• The Jewish Merchants and Industrialists’ Association, TLA.1385;
• The Tallinn Jewish Bridge Club, 1936—1940, TLA.1386;
• The Max Nordau Jewish Youth Association, 1921—1922, TLA.1388;
• The Tallinn Jewish Joint Bank, 1940—1941, TLA.1389;
• The Tallinn Jewish Cultural Center, 1940—1941, TLA.R-389th

The personal fond of Lazar Gulkovitsch (1898—1941), the first Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Tartu, is located in the Tartu University Library’s Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts (fond 47).

(Translation: Patrick Monson)

A Simple Guide to Estonian Jewish Genealogy

Digitised Records

• Parish registers
  • Lutheran church
  • Orthodox church
• Soul revision lists
• Lists of commune members (until 1918)
• Lists of residents (1918-1940)
• Wacka-books
• Lists of recruits (until 1918)
  

Databases

• Personal name indexes of Lutheran parish member lists
• Onomastics
• Place Names Database KNAB

Reference Aids

• AIS – Archival Information System
• FOTIS
• ESTER – Online Library Catalogue
• Estica

Useful links in Estonia

• Estonian Genealogical Society
• Estonian Biographical Center
• Family History Forum
• Family Trees on the Internet
• Museum of Occupations

Useful links outside Estonia

• Genealogy.com
• Gen Forum
• Genealogy Today
• Family Search
• Kindred Konnections
• Raduraksti
• Rootsweb
• Suomen Sukututkimusseura
• Sveriges Släktforskarförbund