Paper short abstract:

To collect the cultural heritage of Swedish speaking Finns has a long history at the SLS archive. Throughout the years, many informants have committed to share their traditions in the name of preserving a collective immaterial heritage. Who are they, and what is the motive for the commitment?

Paper long abstract:

In 1952, the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland started to send out questionnaires as a method to collect and preserve both festive traditions, folklore and descriptions of everyday life among the Swedish speaking Finns. The development of the method was in line with changes towards individualism in contemporary society. Initially, collective culture interested collectors and researchers, but soon the voice of the individual was foregrounded. Nevertheless, a collective cultural heritage is visible between the lines in writings of personal experiences as well.

The questionnaire project gave rise to a unique form of community, with several close relationships between informants and archivists. Why have some individuals felt compelled to answer over 60 questionnaires during the course of many decades? Why did many informants perceive the archivist as a friend to whom one could reveal both happiness and despair?

Public archives are obliged to have a relevant role in society. The material should be generic, accessible for anyone, preferable online, even if the context and complex cooperation between collector and informant is vital for a deeper understanding of the material. Many “star informants” have committed to documenting the minority culture of Swedish speaking Finns by continuously describing both everyday life and festive traditions. How should we respect the informants today, as anonymous sources or in a broader context as creators of a cultural heritage?