Locating Estonia: Perspectives from Exile and the Homeland (original) (raw)

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2008

Abstract

After the Second World War 'homeland Estonians' and 'Estonians living abroad' co-existed on two sides of the Iron Curtain equally maintaining to be the rightful bearer of a 'true' Estonianess. Based on a sample of life story interviews with 42 historians from Estonia, I identify narratives of (1) hope, betrayal and loss; (2) 'purity', 'pollution' and whitewashing; and (3) transgression and return, that at times conflict and at times converge. I argue that notions of 'authenticity' were at centre stage in these competing identity claims and that in the context of their mutual (mis-) perceptions, 'pollution' was primarily defined as 'moral degradation' and 'ideological contamination'. Overall these three sets of narratives relate closely to the process of identity re-configuration among Estonians after 1991.

Meike Wulf hasn't uploaded this paper.

Let Meike know you want this paper to be uploaded.

Ask for this paper to be uploaded.