From 28–31 July 2025, the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory hosted its second Researchers’ Summer School, bringing together 18 participants from 16 countries, including Australia, Colombia, Japan, the USA, and across Europe. The programme combined in-depth lectures, archive visits, and field excursions, offering participants a first-hand experience of Estonia’s complex 20th-century history.
The four-day event began in Tallinn with opening remarks and “turbo presentations,” where each researcher introduced their field of study in just three minutes. Lectures covered topics such as the interwar “Era of Silence,” World War II occupations, the Holocaust in Estonia, and the “Great Escape” of 1944.
Participants then travelled to Tartu, where they explored the National Archives, joined an outdoor tour on historical propaganda, and hiked to the Ennuksemäe Forest Brothers’ bunker to learn about resistance against Soviet rule. The programme continued with a visit to the Estonian National Museum and a memorable day on Piirissaar Island.
The final day in Tallinn focused on the Baltic deportations, Soviet occupation in international law, and political repression under the Russian Empire and USSR. The summer school concluded with visits to the National Library of Estonia and the Memorial to the Victims of Communism.
Alongside lectures and site visits, the event provided opportunities for networking, idea exchange, and building international research connections. For many, the highlights were the immersive excursions and the chance to discuss historical topics in the very locations where they unfolded.