The Estonian Literary Museum is a state institution of research and development, operating in the area of government of the Ministry of Research and Education. The Estonian Literary Museum was created on the basis of the Archival Library (founded in 1909, up to that date belonging to the Estonian National Museum), the Estonian Bibliography Foundation (founded in 1921), the Estonian Folklore Archives (founded in 1927) and the Estonian Cultural History Archives (founded in 1929) on the decision of the Council of People’s Comissars of the Estonian SSR (RT 1940, 109, 1105) on September 11, 1940. In 2000 the Department of Folklore (founded in 1947) and the Department of Ethnomusicology (founded in 1979, closed 2014) that until then used to belong to the Institute of the Estonian Language were merged with the Estonian Literary Museum. In the years 1946-1997 the Literary Museum belonged to the structure of the Estonian Academy of Sciences as one of its divisions. The Estonian Literary Museum is a leading centre for Estonian Studies in Estonia; its aims include the preservation of Estonian language and culture, advancement of Estonian Studies and participation in international research and development activities. The main activities of the Estonian Literary Museum include basic and applied research mainly in the fields of folklore and the study of religions, research into literature, art and culture, cultural history, life writing, ethnomusicology and bibliography, as well as participation in the respective research and development activities in the field; strategic and systematic collection, long-term preservation and scholarly study of Estonian intangible cultural heritage; making availale the results of the scholarly research as well as source materials of the intangible cultural heritage in scholarly, educational and popularising publications as well as in mediation by digital environments and as a public service. The Estonian Literary Museum functions as an integrated institution that consists of four departments: the Archival Library and its Bibliography Department, the Estonian Cultural History Archives, the Estonian Folklore Archives and the Department of Folkloristics. The Estonian Literary Museum is old and dignified, yet at the same time it is a dynamic, future-oriented institution; it values traditions, directs and leads positive developments in the field and integrates innovative new technologies into activities related to the preservation of cultural heritage and its mediation to the public.
