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Oral History Centre (OHC) is a research institution and a collection of oral evidences. The centre was founded on December 2, 2003, in order to promote theoretical research and practical application of oral history. OHC staff members record and document the life stories of the residents of Eastern Latvia and create an archive accessible to researchers from Latvia and abroad. The staff participate in the implementation of European and national research programmes, perform international communication within the framework of scientific networks and associations, develop and publish academic studies based on oral history sources. The Centre is involved in cooperation with educational bodies and non-governmental organisations, as well as science communication activities in Latvia and abroad.
The collection is based on the memories of residents of Eastern Latvia, who were born in the 1920s-1940s. These are life stories in which the narrator examines his/her life path, paying attention to the historical context. In the early years the interviews were recorded on audio cassettes, and since 2007 – in digital format. Life stories are systematized into an electronic catalogue available to researchers at the OHC. More than half of the interviews are transcribed. Each interview has the narrator’s consent to the use of the information provided by him/her, the narrator’s description and description of the interview; some interviews have the materials provided by the narrator (scans of photographs and documents).
The collection stores about 1400 life stories, their number is constantly replenished.
Ongoing projects:
Latest oral history expeditions:
Augšdaugavas novads 2024
Krāslava 2025
Academic publications:
Monograph “The Voices of the Deported, March 25, 1949” (in Latvian, with summary in English)
Collection of articles “History: sources and people”
Virtual exhibition “Oral History Centre of Daugavpils University” (in Latvian)
