World memory: Karl Tirén’s Collection
In April 2025, Karl Tirén’s collection of sámi joik was designated a Memory of the World by UNESCO.
The collection is held by Svenskt visarkiv – Centre for Swedish Folk Music and Jazz Research and includes recordings of more than 100 joikers, made between 1913 and 1915. This is the first time that an Indigenous cultural expression has been recognized as a Memory of the World.
Recordings on Wax Cylinders
Station inspector Karl Tirén made six journeys through the Swedish part of Sápmi. Equipped with the most advanced recording technology of the time – a phonograph and wax cylinders – he traveled to document and record the Sámi joik.
Craftswoman Maria Persson-Johansson, herself a highly regarded joiker, became Tirén’s most important informant and guide into Sámi culture, which had previously been largely inaccessible to outsiders.
UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme
A Memory of the World designation is awarded to archives or libraries deemed to hold material of great value to humanity. Among other current Memory of the World entries are Astrid Lindgren’s archive (National Library of Sweden), the Codex Argenteus (Uppsala University Library), and Dag Hammarskjöld’s collection (National Library of Sweden).
UNESCO’s Memory of the World programme is based on the belief that certain archives, collections, and works represent a shared heritage of humanity, much like the items listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Their significance transcends time and cultural boundaries and should be preserved for both present and future generations.