Boats

Jüri Vendla wrote Unustatud merereisid, upon which “Free Winds” is based, to bring to light history suppressed during the Soviet occupation.

Further reading and viewing

Please send suggestions for additional sources to lisa.trei@vabamu.ee.

Select books and articles:

Vendla, Jüri. (2010) Unustatud merereisid: Eestlaste hulljulged põgenemisreisid üle Atlandi 1940. Aastate teisel poolel. Kirjastus SE&JS, Estonia.

Aun, Karl. (1985) The Political Refugees: A History of the Estonians in Canada. McClelland and Stewart Ltd., Canada.

Eesti Mälu Instituudi toimetised (2024) 4/Proceedings of the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory 4. Põgenemine Eestist Rootsi Teise maailmasõja ajal/The Flight from Estonia to Sweden during World War II. Tartu Ülikooli kirjastus/Tartu University Press, Estonia. Available in Estonian and English. 

Estonian American National Council, (2016) Vesilind, Priit. Editor. Estonians in America 1945-1995: Exiles in a Land of Promise.

Jürgenson, Aivar. (2011) Ladina rahva seas: Argentina ja sealsed eestlased. TLÜ Ajaloo Instituut ja kirjastus Argo, Estonia.

Kumer-Haukanõmm, Kaja, editor. (2012) Teisest maailmasõjast tingitud Balti pagulaste problemaatika aastatel 1945-1952: Eesti pagulaste näitel. Tartu Ülikooli kirjastus, Estonia.

First edition of Sailing to Freedom, published in 1952 and translated into more than 30 languages. This riveting account of the voyage of the Erma was reissued in Estonian and English in 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Estonian republic. 

Kurlents, Alfred, editor. (1975) Eestlased Kanadas I, Eestlased Kanadas pärast Teist Maailmasõda (4). Canadian Estonian Historical Commission, Canada.

Kõll, Anu Mai. (2015) Baltic Refugees and Policy Formation in Sweden 1940-50. Journal of Baltic Studies, Vol. 46.

Kõvamees Kitching, Juta. (1998) Estonian Refugees: From Sweden to Canada, 1947-1950. Proceedings of the 9th and 10th Meetings of the Finno-Ugric Studies Association of Canada, University of Alberta Library, Canada.

Liivaid, Meelis, editor. (2020) Põgenike laeva “Sarabande” lugu: The story of the refugee ship “Sarabande.” Ammukaar, Estonia.

Lääne, Tiit, Hallik, Enn. (2012-2017) Meritsi maailma läinud eestlaste lood. I-VI. Paduvere Talumuuseumi Selts MTÜ, Estonia.

Pennar, Jaan with Parming, Tõnu and Rebane, P. Peter. (1975) The Estonians in America 1627-1975: A Chronology & Fact Book. Oceana Publications, Inc., New York, USA.

Tammaru, Tiit; Kumer-Haukanõmm, Kaja; Anniste, Kristi. (2010) The formation and development of the Estonian diaspora, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, University of Sussex, England. 

Veedam, Voldemar and Carl B. Wall. (1952) Sailing to Freedom. Republished in 2018 in English and Estonian by the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory. 

Zvanitajs, Valda. (2009) Journey to Freedom. Translated by Valdemars Zvanitajs, Canada.

Online sources:

Estonia: Estonian Institute of Historical Memory. (2014) Ruth Sootaru, Kogu me lugu  Estonian Institute of Historical Memory. Mrs. Sootaru talks about why she left Sweden and the voyage on the Prolific. (English subtitles). Full interview, from 35:00, Mrs. Sootaru talks about their voyage to America. Also see 2017 interview, at 2:00:00, she talks about Soviet pressure on Estonian refugees and why she left Sweden. 

Latvia: Latvian War Museum. (2024) “The Lost Dream of Freedom” (Zaudētais sapnis par brīvību) virtual exhibit in Latvian about the Baltic soldiers extradited from Sweden to the Soviet Union. Article about the exhibit in English. 

Sweden: 

Sveriges Radio. Baltutlämningen. (2009) Swedish Public Radio documentary series in Swedish about the 1946 extradition of the Baltic soldiers. 

National Maritime Museum, Stockholm. Flykten från Baltikum exhibit about the 1944 flight from the Baltics to Sweden is open until Spring 2025. Föremål på Flykt by Mirja Arnshav and Anneli Karlsson is a book about the exhibit and the objects refugees brought with them. 

Canada: 

A Voyage to Freedom: S.S. Walnut 1948 (2009-2020). Tiiu Roiser, daughter of passengers Koidula and Eduard Roiser. Comprehensive account of the voyage of the S.S. Walnut.

VEMU Estonian Museum of Canada/Väliseesti museum: