Literatura.lv in Minstere

From August 17 to 22, the team of the ILFA’s (Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art) literature vortal Literatura.lv spent an active week at the Latvian Center in Münster (LCM) working with the Münster archive of the Latvian Community in Germany (LKV), supported by the Baltic-German University Office (Baltisch-Deutsches Hochschulkontor) in the project "Latvian Writers in Exile: Research, Selection and Digitization of Documents and Photographs of the Latvian Center in Münster" (project leader, head of the Literature Department and content editor of Literatura.lv Māra Grudule).

The rich collection of the archive offers an impressive range of documents, photographs, manuscripts and objects, which were studied, evaluated and intensively digitized. Digitized materials include a large part of Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš' correspondence, Zenta Mauriņa's photographs, letters and postcards, a large part of Arnolds Apse's and Pēteris Ērmanis' collection, an almost complete documentary legacy of Valdemārs Kārkliņš, Kārlis Ieviņš and Zeltīte Avotiņa. Also the diaries of Austra Rudzīte and Arnolds Apse were taken to Latvia and will be digitized by the LFK Autobiography Collection.

Austra Rudzīte (1911–1991), the initiator and main custodian of this extensive and visually rich archive, was a uniquely erudite person with great enthusiasm and patience. Doctor of Agronomy, teacher at the Münster Latvian Gymnasium and later a librarian, Austra Rudzīte at the end of the 1950s started touring writers' residences in Europe, gathering information, documents and photographs and later creating memorial rooms for the writers at the Latvian Center in Münster.

We would like to thank Dina Krastiņa who has been looking after the library and archives for several years now, going into depth and slowly introducing order and transparency. We would also like to thank Lauma Leišovnika, MLC Culture Administrator, Arnis Drille, Vice-Chairman of LKV, and the entire Board of the Latvian Community in Germany for their hospitality, constructive cooperation and support!

3420 documents were digitized this week.

The project of the Baltic-German Higher Education Office is financially supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) from the funds allocated by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Researchers from postdoctoral projects involved in the project: Latvian Prose Writers during the Soviet Occupation: Cooperation and Nonviolent Resistance (1968–1991), No.1.1.1.2 / VIAA / 3/19/482. Embodied Geographies: History of Latvian Women's Writing No. 1.1.1.2./VIAA/3/19/430.

Photo: After the presentation of the results at the Münster Latvian Center. From left: Māra Grudule, Ieva Kalniņa, Inguna Daukste-Silasproģe, Eva Eglāja-Kristsone, Zita Kārkla, Jānis Oga and Ivars Šteinbergs

Last time modified: 07.09.2020 15:33:15