Professor Olaf Broch’s archive in the Norwegian National Library

Abstract

The present article, "Professor Olaf Broch’s archive in the National Library of Norway," provides a preliminary description of the archive of the Norwegian professor of Slavic languages Olaf Broch (1867-1961), whose heritage is represented not only by well-known works in the field of Slavic phonetics but also by abundant correspondence held in archives of various countries. The greater part of this correspondence is deposited in the archive of the Norwegian National Library. There is currently no description of this archive, but according to a preliminary evaluation, the epistolary section of Broch’s archive comprises letters from approximately 500 correspondents, of whom approximately 140 wrote in Russian. Correspondence with academician Alexey A. Shakhmatov holds a special place within Broch’s correspondence with philologists. Broch was in communication with many Russian linguists, historians, literary scholars, writers and poets, as well as with diplomats and politicians: there are letters written to him by S. V. Arsen’ev, V. A. Bereznikov, K. N. Gulkevch, A. M. Kollontay and A. V. Lunacharskiy. Of special significance is his correspondence with Ukrainian scholars and politicians, through which a previously unknown Ukrainian chapter in the biography of Norwegian Slavist has been discovered. In addition to the epistolary legacy, many other materials have been discovered in Broch’s archive, including a manuscript containing previously unknown memoirs by E. A. Masal'skaja-Surina and poems-in-prose by S. Šil'.