Rahvatantsuharrastus paguluseestlaste hulgas ja selle roll eestluse säilimisel
Folk Dancing among Estonian Expatriates and Its Role in the Preservation of Estonian Identity

Summary/Abstract: The current article is based on the research carried out among expatriate Estonians living in Germany. The aim of the research was to obtain an general understanding of the evolution and development of Estonian folk dance groups and the inception of these groups in the Federal Republic of Germany after the Second World War. The first target group was the Estonian expatriates in Germany, since German war refugee camps were the first stop for many refugees on their journey. Interviews were conducted with 13 expatriate Estonians in Bocholt, Bonn and Hamburg in 2007. The study attempts to answer the following questions: What gave rise to such active hobby activities, including the establishment of folk dance groups, in German refugee camps? Why were these groups formed also in different places in Germany later, after people had left the refugee camps? What could be the main reasons for and the general context of such a phenomenon?

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