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History

In the past, three major Estonian Book Years have been celebrated nationwide. The first took place in 1935, marking the 400th anniversary of the publication of Wanradt and Koell's catechism, considered the first Estonian-language book at the time. Then, in 1958, an even earlier Estonian-language printed work from 1525 was discovered. This surprising find, which extended the history of the Estonian-language book by ten years, came to light in 1958 when church historian Wilhelm Jannasch published an extensive study on the history of the Lübeck Reformation in Germany. Among the rich source material, Jannasch used the Latin chapter records of Lübeck Cathedral, maintained by Dean Johannes Brandes. Historians had previously used this book, which could also be regarded as a diary due to the nature of its entries, but only partially, as the volume was damaged by moisture and Brandes’ handwriting was difficult to read. Jannasch’s thorough examination of the diary revealed information about previously unknown Livonian, Latvian, and Estonian printed works from 1525. This sensational discovery for Estonian cultural history was further analyzed by Paul Johansen, who, while working at the Tallinn City Archives before the war, had discovered in 1927 records of Wanradt-Koell’s 1535 catechism, then considered the oldest Estonian-language printed book.

Thus, the 450th anniversary of the Estonian-language book was celebrated with the second Estonian Book Year in 1975–1976. At the turn of the century, the 475th anniversary of the Estonian-language book was marked in grand style, this time from St. George's Day to St. George's Day, or from April 23, 2000, to April 23, 2001. The third Book Year was also celebrated abroad: in Canada, Lithuania, Germany, Finland, and Hungary, with particularly grand celebrations in Australia.

Estonian Book 500

In 2025, 500 years will have passed since the publication of the first printed work containing Estonian. The Estonian state and people have a reason to celebrate this anniversary with pride and joy in their language and culture. Half a millennium of Estonian books and written culture is an extraordinary historical milestone, with numerous cultural institutions across Estonia joining forces to organize diverse events throughout the Book Year, focusing on both the history and future of Estonian books and written language. Libraries, museums, schools, universities, research institutions, embassies, and others are involved in the celebrations. The Book Year will run from January 30, 2025, to March 14, 2026, from Estonian Literature Day (the birthday of A. H. Tammsaare) to Native Language Day (the birthday of K. J. Peterson).

The patron of Estonian Book Year 2025 is President Alar Karis, who, upon assuming the role on June 4, 2024, said: “The Estonian people have grown out of books and written language. By the 19th century, over 90 percent of Estonians were literate, and literary figures were the creators of our nation and identity, as well as pioneers of the Song Festival tradition. Therefore, the 500th anniversary of the Estonian book is a significant milestone for our people and state.”

The meaning of the 500th anniversary of the Estonian-language book is also illuminated by words spoken by President Lennart Meri at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Book Year: “Why do we celebrate Estonian Book Year? I want to build on what I said last night: if the Estonian book had not been born in 1525, statistically speaking, we could have ended up as Germans, Swedes, or Russians.”

This sentiment is reflected in the motto chosen for Estonian Book Year 2025: a line from Hando Runnel’s poetry, “A nation begins with a book.”

Estonian Book Year 2025–2026 is made possible with support from the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, many Estonian local governments, and partner organizations.

Estonian Literary Society

The Estonian Literary Society, founded in 1907, coordinates the Book Year program. Its chartered mission is "to promote literature, science, and art in Estonia, to study the country and people from all perspectives, and to make the results of this work accessible to the public." As Estonia’s oldest active literary organization, the society has long initiated and carried out various projects and events that popularize literature, bringing together people working in the literary field as well as literature enthusiasts more broadly.

Estonian Book Year 2025 Main Committee

On February 5, 2024, the Estonian Literary Society established the main committee for the 2025 Estonian Book Year – a council tasked with strategic collaboration to ensure the successful celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Estonian-language book in 2025. The committee is chaired by Minister of Culture Heidy Purga, with vice-chairs Mart Jagomägi and Toomas Kiho. Other members include Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative Marin Mõttus, Ministry of Culture representative Anne-Ly Reimaa, Riigikogu Cultural Committee representative Tõnis Lukas, Estonian Public Broadcasting Council representative Rein Veidemann, Estonian National Museum Director Kertu Saks, History Museum representatives Krista Sarv and Ulla Kadakas, National Library of Estonia representative Margus Küppar, Mother Tongue Society representative Karl Pajusalu, Estonian Librarians Association representative Katre Riisalu, Cultural Foundation representative Toomas Väljataga, University of Tartu representative Arne Merilai, Estonian Writers’ Union representatives Berk Vaher and Janika Kronberg, Estonian Children’s Literature Center Director Triin Soone, Tallinn University representative Aivar Põldvee, Estonian Literary Museum Director Piret Voolaid, University of Tartu Library Director Jaanika Anderson, and journalist and museologist Krista Aru.

About Book Year