This article examines an (anonymised) autobiography that is part of the extensive collection of biographies held by the Estonian Cultural History Archive at the Estonian Literary Museum. Acquired by the museum in 1999 and written by a man born in 1923, this memoir sheds light with great detail and precision on a topic that often remains invisible in historical sources: family conflicts and, above all, violence against children in interwar Estonia. The article presents selected excerpts from the memoir that focus on family life. It examines how the autobiographical text portrays both the violence experienced by the author as a child and the landscape of conflictual relationships among adults, as well as the connections the author draws between his childhood experiences and his own later intimate and family relationships.
When reading an autobiography, one must take into account that authors have made both conscious and unconscious choices in their writing, and that omissions, inaccuracies, and gaps characterise autobiographies. Previous researchers have noted, however, that describing problematic and even potentially traumatic events may be easier in a memoir: traumatic events function as anchor points in the text and their recounting is characterised by greater detail, emotional intensity, and connections to subsequent developments in the author’s life.
Family problems in interwar Estonia occurred amid changing social conditions. The physical punishment of children was increasingly condemned both in legislation and in educational reforms, and the question of the reasonableness and proportionality of punishment became the focus of debate; it is precisely this disproportionate cruelty towards a child that makes this autobiography so extraordinary. Social changes also affected the institution of marriage: the expansion of divorce options, the secularisation of family procedures, and the gradual diversification of family forms are also reflected in the relationships between the adults in this autobiography. A close reading of the memoir reveals, above all, a detailed account of two traumatic childhood episodes. In the opening pages of his memoir, the author describes a seven-year period during which he had to endure cruelty and abuse at the hands of his stepmother and negative emotions such as fear, physical pain, and suffering. During adolescence, however, the author experienced his father moving back in with his mother, only for the latter to leave again a few months later – an event that left him feeling disappointed, humiliated, and empty and sparked a desire to leave home. It was precisely this part of the story that served as the most significant ‘anchor point’ and motivator for following events. The author had addressed the personal and family relationships experienced in adulthood in a significantly more concise manner; however, he had established a connection between his childhood experiences and the relationship-related difficulties that arose later in life. This indicates that the autobiography exhibits characteristics of a trauma narrative: events were described in great detail, negative emotions were highlighted, and the lasting impact of these events on subsequent stages of life was understood.