Author:
Ragnar Vutt

Mariann Raisma to continue as Director of the University of Tartu Museum

On 31 May, the University of Tartu senate re-elected Mariann Raisma as the Director of the UT Museum. 

Mari Moora, chair of the expert committee and Vice Rector for Research, said that Mariann Raisma is competent, committed and highly familiar with museum work. “Under her leadership, the University of Tartu Museum has become more visitor-friendly and, with new exhibitions, highlighted the significance of the University of Tartu and the Tartu cathedral in the Estonian and European cultural space,” said Moora. 

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Mariann Raisma
Mariann Raisma (author: Carmen Kurg)

Mariann Raisma sees the UT Museum as a competence centre with a mission to help the University of Tartu fulfil its role as Estonia’s national university in shaping a knowledge-based society. “In general, I would like to continue in the same direction as the museum has been moving in recent years and focus on conducting international research-based exhibitions and development projects,” said Raisma. “It is very important for me to increase the visibility of the museum, both in the public and at the university, and to organise exhibitions and educational activities for different target groups in such a way that they are sustainable in both content and funding.” 

Raisma earned her doctoral degree in Cultural Heritage and Conservation from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2023. In her thesis, she focused on the museum as the shaper of collective memory in Estonia during the turning points of the 20th century. Raisma has been the head of the University of Tartu Museum since 2010. She is a highly acclaimed expert who has contributed to the development of her field both in Estonia and abroad. Raisma’s museological work has been diverse: she has worked as a lecturer, researcher and curator, popularised her field and published research articles. 

Raisma’s third term of office as the museum director begins on 16 August.