The Topotheque and the Institute for the Languages in Finland (Kotus) join forces to unleash a local historical treasure. Over decades the Institute for the Languages in Finland (Kotus) has produced thousands of hours of audio recordings from all over Finland. In those recordings elderly people are interviewed about their life and past goings-on in their neighbourhood and home municipality. The audio collection is a true treasure chest of local cultural heritage but only a limited number of people have been aware of it, or have had access to it.
Now things are changing as the Institute has approved the publication of the audios over 50 years old in Topotheques in cases where people interviewed have born over 100 years ago. The revealing of the treasure has already begun and now all Finnish Topotheques have the possibility to find out with Kotus whether or not there are publishable audios from their neighbourhood.
After all these decades, the cultural heritage once salvaged by the Institute now returns back home in digital form!
What a great day! The first examples you can find in the Topotheque of Suodenniemi.
Learn more of the project in here (in Finnish): https://www.kotus.fi/aineistot/tietoa_aineistoista/ajankohtaista_aineistoista/aanitteita_takaisin_kotiseudulleen.38051.news
Learn more of the Institute for the Languages in Finland in here: https://www.kotus.fi/en