National Archives of Estonia Databases

Like their peers in the other Baltic States, Estonia has made tremendous efforts in terms of digitization. One of the most robust and accessible projects in Estonia is the Archival Information System created by the National Archives of Estonia.  Their Archival information System allows users, regardless of affiliation, to search the collections of the National Archives of Estonia. The National Archives of Estonia have also created multiple databases that allow users to access digitized materials from their collections as well as the collections of other Estonian archives.

•  Saaga: Digitalised Archival Sources provides access to all the archival records digitized in the National Archives of Estonia and Tallinn City Archives. The original purpose of this source was to provide access to genealogical materials so many of the collections reflect this focus. However, there are new materials being added regularly, you can find more than 9 million images of sources at the moment. Collections include: church records, family archives, municipal records, maps, and other government records. 
• The Film and Sound Archive Database (FIS) allows users to search the film and sound archives of the National Archives of Estonia. The collections of the Film Archives include film and video material on Estonia from the early 20th century to the present. Materials include newsreels, newsreel segments, documentaries, music films, feature films, animated films, advertisements and amateur films. The Sound Archives consist primarily of phonograph records produced since the early 20th century, as well as of the radio broadcasts produced from the 1930's and later. Users can search both the full archives or restrict to digitized material.

•  FOTIS, photo database, allows users to search the holdings of the photo archives and access digitized copies when available. The archives hold Estonia's largest collection of historical photographs dating as early as the late 19th century. Materials include portraits and albums of Baltic German families, military figures, student fraternities, émigré Estonian organizations and the agriculture and genealogy societies.
•  Kaardid, map database, provides access to the registers of historic maps held by the National Archives of Estonia and Tallinn City Archives. Users can access both descriptions of maps located at the archives and digitized copies. The database currently has over 140,000 descriptions and over 50,000 digitized maps.