Discussion on the Encounters Between the Old Exile Community and the New Wave of Latvian Emigration
The discussion, organised as part of the project «Navigating Post-Exile», took place on 3 December at the Department of Baltic Languages, Stockholm University. The evening was introduced and moderated by Signe Rirdance, a doctoral candidate at Stockholm University, together with Maruta Pranka and Daina Grosa from the Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia, and Elvis Friks, Research Assistant at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, University of Latvia.
At the beginning of the seminar, Maruta Pranka presented an overview of previous research on the Latvian exile community in Stockholm and outlined the oral history approach and its importance for documenting diaspora experiences. Daina Grosa shared insights into the interaction between the Latvian exile community and the new wave of Latvian migrants in Australia, highlighting relationships across generations and migration waves. Elvis Friks, in turn, explored the experiences of former exiles and their representation in literary works written after 1991, focusing on themes of return, identity, and belonging.
The discussion paid particular attention to the role of volunteer work in post-exile communities, questions of Latvian identity in Stockholm, and the activities of Latvian organisations in the city today. Participants reflected on differing experiences and perspectives regarding community development, the preservation of traditions, and the involvement of the new diaspora. The discussion brought together 17 members of the Latvian community in Stockholm, including both descendants of the exile community and representatives of the new diaspora.
The event was organised in collaboration with the University of Latvia’s Faculty of Humanities and the project «Navigating Post-Exile: Transformations and Transitions in the Latvian Exile Community after 1991» (Project No. lzp-2024/1-0114).
