The Estonian Biographical Centre

Fred Puss

Two-thirds of all users of archival material are interested in the lives of their own ancestors. Genealogy is a hobby that has become popular all over the world.

Each family historian starts looking for old documents and photos at home that have been preserved, and consults with living relatives to obtain additional information. In many instances, the

research ends with the collection and preservation of this material for future generations.

However, the knowledge of family members may be incomplete and some facts may not have been passed on from generation to generation. Then one has to turn to the archives

Estonian archival materials have been preserved quite well. Recent materials are more abundant than ancient records. In the 19 th century, in addition to church books and soul revision lists, there are also commune and court records, and materials about school and military matters. The 20th century is very rich with records, especially the independence period. From 1920s and 1930s we can use tax declarations, service files, school records, photos on applications and questionnaires, etc. It is possible to find out how a certain city apartment looked like back then – how much space it had (numbers of rooms and windows), rental rates, when electricity was introduced, to name a few. The Soviet period provides interesting materials, but on a limited scale. From the 1940s, thousands of files reflect the lives of repressed persons. Many materials from that time are in Russian.

Researching of archival material takes a lot of time. For that reason most amateur researchers quit after getting basic information about names and birth-marriage-death data. Sometimes the search for even such basic information presents a challenge. Depending on the period of interest, it might be necessary to know when and where the children died in order to find out when and where the parents were born. It is much more important to know the place when something happened rather than the exact date.

Many amateur researchers do not take advantage of all the information in the archival documents. Besides names and dates, there might be information about living quarters, professions, religions, or relocations. To fully use the document one has to know why it was created and used (certainly not for present historians!) and how to interpret the facts. Knowledge of Russian, German and Gothic handwriting is most helpful.

The Estonian Biographical Center employs historians with university degrees who specialize in genealogy. With the help of our professionals one can find a considerable amount of information even within a few working hours. Of course, it depends on a region, religion (it is a little more difficult to find information about families of the Russian Orthodox persuasion), profession of the family, and other circumstances. If you wish to find information about your ancestors and relatives, then the Estonian Biographical Center is at your service!

Estonian Biographical Center

Tiigi 10-51

51003 Tartu, Estonia

Internet:http://www.isik.ee, info@isik.ee

Phone/fax +372 7 420 882, +372 52 88 329

Editor’s note: Mr. Puss has informed us that he charges an hourly fee of $14.97 for genealogical research.