Bibliophile Peeter Tulviste

Peeter Tulviste (28 October 1945 – 11 March 2017) was an Estonian psychologist and politician (member of the 10th and 11th Riigikogu and Tartu City Council), member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences (since 1994), the rector (1993–1998) and professor (since 1988) of the University of Tartu. He was the founder and leader of several organisations, including the academic subdistrict of the Estonian Defence League Tartu District and the Rotary Club, and an alumnus of the Estonian Students’ Society. Besides all else, Peeter Tulviste was a bibliophile. This exhibition, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Peeter Tulviste’s birth, focuses on his passion for collecting books.

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Bibliophilia is a hobby that involves collecting rare or otherwise noteworthy books, and a bibliophile is someone who collects such books. In an interview for the Postimees (15 April 2004), Peeter Tulviste said, “For people of my generation, collecting books is linked to the times we lived in. At that time, home libraries contained books that were unavailable elsewhere and were also banned.” People with similar interests want to share their thoughts with each other. This is why bibliophiles establish book clubs and have other joint events.

The Tartu Bibliophiles’ Club was founded on 14 December 1982 at a meeting initiated by professors Ülo Matjus and Paul Ariste, and literary historian Abel Nagelmaa. Peeter Tulviste joined the club in 1983. His interest in books was driven by his broad outlook and proficiency in languages. Tulviste was undoubtedly the book collector with the most varied interests in Tartu and probably in the whole of Estonia. In total, his bookshelves are more than 200 metres long, and the estimated number of publications on the shelves is 15,000. In addition to books, he was passionate about collecting old maps, postcards and rare documents.

His collection is well described by the words of professor Kurmo Konsa in Sirp (25 April 2025), “A bookshelf is not just a piece of furniture. Far from it. Nor is it a passive storage space or a museum where everything is neatly labelled and dust-free. No! A bookshelf [---] is a living organism, a jungle where there is a certain order, but this order is in no way subject to human will. [---] And, of course, the most important thing is the law of emptiness: whenever there is a gap in the shelf, the world needs a new book.”

This description applies well to Peeter Tulviste’s bookshelves, where rare 19th-century works can be found among books glorifying socialism, fiction alternates with local history publications, and books on university history with psychology textbooks. There is plenty for book lovers to discover.

Märt Laarman (1896–1979)
Bibliophilic publications by other artists
Student songbooks
Autographs and inscriptions
History of the University of Tartu
Publications about Narva
Jokes and humour
Publications glorifying socialism
Textbooks from the 19th century
Rare (reference) books from the 19th century
Estonian literature of the 19th century
Oldest publications
Children’s books
Psychology collection
Map collection

The exhibition is open from 28 October 2025 to 14 March 2026 – it starts with the events marking the anniversary of Peeter Tulviste and culminates with the end of the Estonian Book Year.

Curator Tõnu Kollo presents gems from Peeter Tulviste’s personal library.

The exhibition was smoothly organised thanks to the efforts of Sirli Maripuu, Lilian Mengel, and Aune Valk. The texts were written by Tõnu Kollo, Tiina Kruup, Liisi Laineste, Liina Lukas, Taavi Pae, Erki Tammiksaar and Tiia Tulviste, edited by Külli Pärtel and translated into English by Ann Kuslap.

The author of the design solution is Maarja Roosi.

Kristhel Haak, Ülle Mölder, Tiia Nurmsalu, Terje Rand, Eliise Selisaar, Moonika Teemus, and Tiina Tensing of the University of Tartu Library also contributed to organising the exhibition.