Intangible and archives
Intangible cultural heritage has been recorded in the archives in Finland for two centuries.
Memory organizations play a central role in protecting intangible cultural heritage by recording, documenting, and transmitting living traditions to the public. Finland has a comprehensive library, archive, and museum system. Alongside these, national institutions with special responsibilities in the field of archives, such as the National Archive, the National Library, the Institute for the Languages of Finland, the National Audiovisual Institute, the Finnish Literature Society, the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland and Yleisradio, also contribute to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage for future generations.
Documenting and recording intangible cultural heritage alone does not guarantee its preservation as a continuously accessible cultural resource. Archiving ensures the survival of traditions and their active utilization in new contexts, both for research and for ordinary citizens. For example, the core missions of the Finnish Literature Society (SKS, established in 1831) and the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland (SLS, established in 1885) have included this work from the very beginning and continue to actively collect living traditions and oral history. The long history of recording, documenting, using, and permanently preserving these aspects in Finland is also noteworthy in a global context.
The theme of intangible cultural heritage is also evident in international collaboration between archives. An international project involving four countries from 2016-2017, "Connecting Digital Archives of Intangible Cultural Heritage" (EUSBSR), aimed to create better coordination among the archives preserving intangible cultural heritage in the Baltic Sea region. A major challenge is the fragmentation of the archives.
Learn more about the project here.
For Further information
- Collection of tradition and oral history Living Heritage Wiki List
- Read more about the Finnish Literature Society's collection activities
- See also the collection activities of the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland
