The main objective of the article is to give an overview of the research into Estonian contemporary, i.e. twentiethcentury, history over the last twenty years. The article is focussed mainly, but not exclusively, on the work of historians who are active at Estonian universities and other research institutions and on their monographs and articles published mainly in Estonia. This article is deliberately limited to the general branch of historical research. Special branches like archaeology, ethnology and art history are left outside of the scope of this paper. During the last twenty years historical research has been conducted primarily at two universities, the University of Tartu and Tallinn University, in addition to which a few research centres have been created under different initiatives. These work usually in the form of NGOs or foundations, indirectly financed from the state budget. First, there is the Estonian Repressed Persons Records Bureau, at the nationallevel Estonian Memento Union of former Soviet political prisoners and deportees. Secondly, in 1992/1993 the Estonian parliament founded the Estonian State Commission on the Examination of the Policies of Repression. The commission finished its work in 2005 with publishing of the White Book on Estonian losses due to the occupations, 1940–1991. Both institutions had explicit tasks meaning that broader academic research was a side product of their activities. Thirdly, in between 1996 and 1999 NGO SKeskus (SCentre) was founded for research into the Soviet period in Estonia. Fourthly, the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity was convened in 1998 by then President of Estonia Lennart Meri in order to research crimes against humanity during and after World War II in Estonia. The commission’s research team worked in the form of a foundation. On this basis later President Toomas Hendrik Ilves convened the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory in 2008 to conduct research into the violation of human rights in Estonia during the postwar period. And last but not least, historical research, particularly into the twentieth century, has been actively conducted at the Estonian State Archives (today part of Estonian National Archives). The Estonian history of the twentieth century is usually divided into periods such as the revolution of 1905, World War I, the birth of the Republic of Estonia, the War of Independence, the Republic of Estonia during interwar period including the years 1934–1940 of authoritarian rule, the loss of independence in 1939–1940, the Soviet occupation of 1940–1941, the German occupation of 1941–1944, World War II 1939–1945, the second Soviet occupation 1944–1991, the singing revolution and the restoration of independence in 1987/1988–1991, and Estonia since 1991. The research into these periods is briefly addressed separately in the article. The periods of loss of independence and of the Second World War have probably received the greatest attention from Estonian historians, followed by topics like political repressions against Estonian citizens and residents, and armed as well as unarmed resistance. In connection with 100th anniversaries of the Republic of Estonia, the creation of Estonian statehood, the Estonian War of Independence and the First World War are well covered by research. The authoritarian rule of President Päts, his takeover in 1934, the radical right movement of soldiers of the War of Independence and the role of President Päts and the members of his government have been debated among historians, as well as within society in general since the 1990s. Several tens of PhD theses have been defended on the history of the 20th century over the last couple of decades, to say nothing about everyday academic research. Despite this many periods and themes still await exploration in the future – the preFirst World War history, many aspects of the history of interwar Estonia and the history of government and everyday life of the Soviet period from Stalin’s death to the collapse of the Soviet Union, to mention just a few. © 2020, Estonian Academy Publishers. All rights reserved.
