The Beginnings of Latvia presented in Pärnu
- Date
- 4–5 October 2026
- Venue
- University of Tartu Pärnu College, Pärnu, Estonia
- Organised by
- University of Tartu Centre of Excellence “Estonian Roots”
- Working language
- Estonian, English
On 4–5 October 2026 the University of Tartu Centre of Excellence “Estonian Roots” (Eesti juured) held its meeting “Estonian Roots in Pärnu” at the University of Tartu Pärnu College. One of the Centre’s focus topics is the formation of the Gulf of Riga and its surroundings, and many of its members study contacts between Estonia and Latvia – which made Pärnu a natural place to meet.
At the opening session the Centre was introduced by its head, Prof. Kristiina Tambets, together with Prof. Karl Pajusalu and Prof. Urmas Saarma, and Valts Ernštreits presented the University of Latvia interdisciplinary research platform The Beginnings of Latvia.
In the public seminar, TalTech professor Siim Veski lectured on the Pärnu area as a cradle of Estonian roots, and in the afternoon working groups discussed the Centre’s case studies, including Estonian–Latvian contacts and the history of the Gulf of Riga region.
The meeting marked another step in the close cooperation between the two centres as they work towards a shared understanding of the past of the North-Eastern Baltic region.