Merit Kopli is the former editor‑in‑chief of Postimees newspaper and has spent the past ten years living and working in Germany as Estonia’s cultural representative.
Welcome back home — after ten years in Germany, is that chapter now closing?
I will still be in Germany for a little while, a few weeks or months. Starting from mid‑August, I will be back in Estonia, and that makes me very happy. Ten years abroad is a long time. Estonia is home, and it is still the best place to be.
As a former journalist and editor‑in‑chief, you have kept a sharp eye on Estonia even from afar. How does Estonia look from the outside?
As a diplomat, I meet many people and move in different circles. I have seen Germany from every angle, and through that you start seeing Estonia differently, with an outsider’s perspective. That is a great advantage — you notice Estonia’s strengths and perhaps some shortcomings. But what usually happens to people who have been away for a long time is that Estonia starts to seem especially beautiful, pleasant and dear. That happened to me as well. From a distance, you understand the value Estonia holds. We truly have a lot to be proud of.
Give an example of something people in Estonia often overlook, but from afar seems genuinely good?
It may sound like a cliché, but Estonia’s nature — clean air, clean water. And not least, clean food. Compared to Germany, Estonia’s food selection is much broader, which was surprising in a way. And Estonian food tastes so good.
In Estonia, you go to the beach and you can be completely alone. You cannot experience that in Germany. And all the forests and bogs.
Next, digitalization and how easy it is to get things done in Estonia. Estonia is so small — you can reach anyone, everything gets done quickly. You do not have to go anywhere for paperwork, unlike in Germany, where you must visit a Bürgeramt or district office. In Estonia, we cannot even imagine that things could work that way.
Let’s talk about your work, which will soon be behind you. How easy has it been to promote Estonian culture in Germany — or even “sell” it to Germans?
It has been both easy and difficult. But what must be said is that Estonia, considering our small population, has an extraordinary number of high‑quality creators. And quality matters. If I had nothing good to offer, I would not succeed. You can recommend someone once, but if the quality is not high enough, there will be no next time. It is important that one performance leads to new contacts and new invitations.
Hats off to Estonian cultural figures — in ten years I have never had an experience where someone failed to show up or behaved unprofessionally. Colleagues from other countries have told me such stories. With Estonians, that simply does not happen. Estonians are extremely reliable and disciplined.
Take any field — music, art, film, theater — the quality is very high. In that sense, it has been easy to promote Estonia because we truly have something to offer.
Of course, the reality is that we are small and our “bench” is short. We do not have endless numbers of people to bring to Germany. Music is our strongest field — Arvo Pärt, Paavo Järvi, and then Tommy Cash. Many of our folk musicians are also a joy to promote because they are unique and interesting — Kadri Voorand, Tuulikki Bartosik, Mari Kalkun, Puuluup. They are known and not difficult to “sell.”
In theater, however, there is less happening now. During the NO99 era, Estonian theater was very well represented; now less so. Literature is challenging because we have only two translators who translate from Estonian into German. That already sets limits.
What is it about Estonian culture that appeals to Germans? What do they say? You have been present at all these events.
For Germans, Estonians feel somewhat familiar, although surprisingly little is known about our long shared history. Ordinary people are often surprised to learn about it. But we are similar. At the same time, there is something exotic about us, and that is what sells best. For example, Kadri Voorand comes with moss or lichen, shares it and tells Estonian stories. It is wonderful.
A curious detail about Estonians: when an Estonian performer goes on stage — in any field — they always say they are from Estonia. In many countries, this is not the case. Artists perform and leave without mentioning where they are from. Estonians never skip that.
So every cultural figure is, in a sense, an ambassador for Estonia?
Absolutely. I have learned to appreciate how important “soft diplomacy” is. It is part of our security — if people know us, they will not abandon us. Ukrainian colleagues I work closely with say their biggest mistake before the war was not talking enough about their language and culture. When the full‑scale war began, many in Germany asked: Ukrainians and Russians — what is the difference?
To avoid such questions, we must show our culture and language and be proud of them. That is our contribution to security.
Estonia has six such cultural envoys worldwide. Can you give an example of doors this cultural diplomacy has opened?
Our work is mainly connecting professionals — Estonian artists or musicians with German partners. That is the core of the job. When you bring people together and Estonians get invited to perform, that is the best introduction to Estonia. But it is not easy. You often have to knock on doors for a long time because competition is fierce. Everyone wants to come to Germany — it is attractive and close. Many want in, few get in. It takes years of building networks.
What have been the highlights of your time as cultural envoy?
There are countless moments — something happens every week, and the list is long.
One I consider very important is last year’s Dresden art exhibition Spiegel im Spiegel, a major Estonian‑German cultural collaboration. I dare say the initial contact happened thanks to me, and then the museums continued the work. It was a huge and well‑visited exhibition, later also shown at Kumu.
I also value the creation of traditions — Estonian Film Days in Berlin are now in their tenth year, and there are Estonian jazz festivals and many other events. I have organized several art exhibitions and concerts myself.
Getting Estonians into festivals is crucial. Estonians often assume everyone knows us and is waiting for us. But that is not the case. If there is just one Estonian concert somewhere, you must do a lot of marketing to fill the hall. But if an Estonian performer is part of a festival, the audience is already there. Festivals are important. They also get media coverage, which matters — our activities must reach the press. That is also part of the cultural envoy’s job.
Bringing German cultural figures — festival organizers or institution leaders — to Estonia is extremely effective. Many imagine Estonia as “Eastern Europe” in the negative sense. But once they arrive, you know you have already won. They fall in love with Estonia at the airport. Then you take them to the sauna, to the bog, to the Arvo Pärt Center — and you have a friend for life.
This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
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