• myU
• One Stop
• Directories
• Search U of M

The IHRC holds no comprehensive bibliography of the Estonian immigrant experience in the United States.  Marju Parming and Tönu Parming's A Bibliography of English Language Sources on Estonia (1974) deals with published material on Estonia itself and the Estonian diaspora throughout the world.  The same is true of J. Balys and Uno Teemant's Estonian Bibliographies: A Selected List, a listing of bibliographies that appears in Lituanus (Fall 1973), found in the Lithuanian American serials collection. The Estonians in America 1627-1975: A Chronology and Fact Book, by Jann Pennar et al. (1975), includes a brief bibliographical essay that essentially refers the researcher to Estonian American periodicals.

The Estonians in America 1627-1975 is the only general history of Estonian Americans in the monograph collection.  A brief historical and sociological analysis of the pre-World War II community can be found in Joseph Roucek's "The American Estonians," in Francis Brown and Joseph Roucek's One America (1952), shelved in the general collection.  Another brief history of the Estonians in America can be found in Uue Ilma Juubeli Album 1909-1934, a twenty-fifth anniversary album of the Estonian American Communist newspaper Uus Ilm.  T. Parming's essay, The Estonian-American Workers Movement (ca. 1976) also contains information on early Estonian migration.

The bulk of the collection contains publications relating to the organizational life of post-World War II Estonian Americans.  These consist of materials published by national and regional associations that fostered the associational life of Estonian American communities.  The collection contains a number of Estonian Association anniversary booklets like Long Islandi Eesti Selts XV (Long Island's Estonian Association, 1967?) and 20 Aastat Connecticuti Eesti Seltsi 1950-1970 (Twenty Years of Connecticut's Estonian Association, 1970).  The monograph collection also contains numerous jubilee albums of Lutheran churches founded by the émigrés.  Typical of these are EELK Lakewoodi Pühavaimu Kogudus 1949-1964 (Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church [EELK] Holy Spirit Congregation in Lakewood [NJ], 1964) and EELK Patersoni Pauluse Kogudus 1950-1970 (EELK St. Paul's Congregation of Paterson [NJ], 1970).  There are no similar materials pertaining to Estonian Baptist congregations or to Estonian Greek Orthodox Catholic parishes in the collection.

Especially prominent are publications relating to Estonian international and regional festivals.  The 1976 World Congress in Baltimore, Maryland, for example, is represented by numerous programs and booklets from concerts, art exhibits, and other cultural and sports events.  These include Esto '76 Kunst (Esto '76 Art, 1976); Muusikalised Üritused. II Ülemaailmsetel Eesti Päevadel (Musical Events. II World Estonian Festival, 1976); and Tuulemaa (Land of Wind, 1976), a folk-dance instruction guide.  Regional festivals are documented by programs like Lääneranniku Eestlased (West Coast Estonians, 1959), Kesklääne Eestlaste Suvepäevad (Midwest Estonians Summer Festival, 1967), and Idaranniku Eestlased (East Coast Estonians, 1967).  The popularity of song festivals, a tradition going back to Estonia, is reflected in monographs such as I Eesti Laulupäev USA Idarannikul, Lakewoodis (First Estonian Song Festival, American East Coast, in Lakewood; 1963), a program for the first nationwide music festival in 1963.  Another illustration of the role of music is the Estonian Learned Society's Estonian Music for Children's and Youth Choruses and Orchestras (1976).

The Estonian Scouting Movement can be researched through guide books and camp newsletters from the annual jamborees as well as a general history, Estonian Scouting 1912-1962.  Items relating to the 1967 World Jamboree in Lakewood, New Jersey, attended by Estonian Scouts from throughout the world, include Suurlager "Koguja" Kutse (Jamboree Gathering Call, 1967) and Suurlager Koguja Ameerika Ajakirjanduses (Jamboree Call in the American Press, 1967).

The collection has a large number of books dealing with Estonia's historical and political situation.  Among these are Estonians in the Free World (1960), published by the Estonian National Council, and Estonia: Highlights on History, Independence, and Soviet Occupation (1964?), issued by the Estonian World Council.

The Estonian American collection is strong in the area of literature.  Especially well represented is the post-World War II fiction and poetry published in Canada and Sweden and written by some of Estonia's leading writers.  Among the writers are émigré novelists and poets such as Marie Under and Bernard Kangro.  Publications of the Estonian Learned Society in America include Viktor Koressaar and Aleksis Rannit's Estonian Poetry and Language: Studies in Honor of Ants Oras (1965), a festschrift to the eminent Estonian scholar.  The collection also contains Professor Oras's literary histories, A Survey of Estonian Literature (1957?) and Estonian Poetry (n.d.).

Eesti Rada (Estonian Trail), Augsburg, West Germany. Weekly: 1949-1950.

Meie Elu (Our Life), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Weekly: 1965-date.

Pildipost (Illustrated Post), Geislingen, Germany. Weekly (?): 1949.

Uus Ilm (The New World), Monroe, NY. Weekly: 1912, 1919-1921, 1923-1927, 1930. 

Vaba Eesti Sõna (Free Estonian Word), New York, NY. Weekly: 1949-date.

Vaba Eestlane (Free Estonian), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Semi-weekly: 1952-1955, 1973-1974.

Vabadusvõitlus (The Struggle for Freedom), New York, NY. 1954.

Baltimore'i Eesti Organisatsioonide Bülletään (Baltimore Estonian Organizations' Bulletin), Baltimore, MD. Monthly: 1973-1977.

Eesti Ev. Luteri Usu Kiriku Teated (Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Newsletter), New York, NY. Monthly (?) 1950.

Eesti Kalendar (Estonian Almanac), Detmold, Germany. Annual: 1949.

Eesti Kirik (The Estonian Church), Uppsala, Sweden. Monthly: 1954-1959, 1970, 1974.

Eesti Kirik Vabaduses (Estonian Church in Freedom; Yearbook of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Annual: 1958-1959.

Eesti Male (Estonian Chess), Ozone Park, NY. 1974-1975.

Eesti Seinekalendar (Estonian Wall Calendar), New York, NY. Annual: 1960, 1963.

• Contact U of M
• Privacy