The Tallinn Department of the Estonian National Museum: History and Developments

The Estonian National Museum (ENM), established in 1909 in Tartu,developed quickly and comprised a large membership in the country – the members living in Tallinn were active in heritage collection and awareness-raising activities, and formed a separate department which gradually gained independence. As an inevitable outcome, the Tallinn Department finally separated from the parent museum. Despite organisational difficulties and political circumstances, the department managed to supplement collections and arrange spectacular events. In 1919, the Tallinn Department of the ENM became an independent Estonian Museum Society in Tallinn, i.e. the Estonian Museum in Tallinn, which, in the course of time, became more inclined toward art and developed into the Art Museum of Estonia.