COURAGE

connecting collections

Veljo Tormis (1930–2017) was one of the most important Estonian composers in the second half of the 20th century. His most active period of creation was during Soviet times. After 1960, the original manuscripts of his works were given to the Estonian Theatre and Music Museum after they were finished and approved. These manuscripts, and others donated after the restoration of independence, today form a large collection of manuscripts of hundreds of different works. They give us an insight into the work and legacy of Tormis, including his struggle with Soviet censorship and the absurd working conditions for creative people. 

The Victor Frunză Collection is an important historical source for understanding and writing the history of that part of the Romanian exile community which was actively involved in supporting dissidents in the country and in publicising in the West the repressive or aberrant policies of the Ceaușescu regime. In particular, the collection illustrates the activity of the collector and other personalities of the exile community for respecting human rights in Romania. Also, the documents of this collection reflect the involvement of Romanians from abroad in the reconstruction of democracy in their country of origin.

The video and audio library of the Literary Archive of the Museum of Czech Literature consists of audio and video recordings of Czech poets and writers from 1932 until 2013; the collection also covers the literary scene in Czechoslovakia before 1989, including the activities of unofficial or “banned” writers and artists and their work in exile. One important part of the collection are recordings made between 1990 and 2013 as part of the Authentic project, which focused on recording videos and audios from various spheres of the Czech literary scene.