2012.2.1. Estonia - Oskar Luts and Population census

7 January 2012 is the 125th birth anniversary of the author Oskar Luts. A good skill of listening acquired from his grandfather as well as his excellent memory helped him when going to the parish school at Palamuse and later as a writer. At just 25 years old Oskar Luts, who had earlier penned only a few lines of poetry, authored „Spring“, a book that made him famous all over the country overnight. Based on the memories of his school years Luts describes life at an Estonian village school at the end of the 19th century, peppered with humour and touching scenes of young love. It was a work that critics initially looked down upon but has survived through numerous editions and generations of enthusiasts have seen it in several stage versions and in a popular movie. The book has been translated into 13 languages. The school Oskar Luts once went to at Palamuse is now a museum of late 19th century school life, bringing it alive through the medium of Spring.

A population and housing census began on December 31 in Estonia for the 11th time and will last until March 31, 2012. During the three months all the present residents of Estonia and their housing will be counted. The census is the only survey that provides comprehensive statistics on how many residents there are in Estonia, and in what areas and in what conditions they live. The first census in Estonia took place in 1881, and the last one in 2000. In the census of 1959 the data were processed with a computer for the first time. On the initiative of the United Nations residents of most world countries were counted in 2010 and 2011, with no census organised in only six countries. Thank you, Pirjo for these two FDCs.