Tallinn on your own. An Old Town in tales and legends 9789985969182

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Doris Kareva & Kadri Tahep6Id

TALLINN ON YOUR OWN An Old Town in Tales and Legends Hotel Viru

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About us Photos from : Estonian Film Archives Tallinn City Archives

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tallinn City Museum Tallinn Town Hall Niguliste Museum Stanistav Stepashko Extracts from : Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae (Chronicle of Henry of Livonia)

HISTORY OF TALLINN ......................................................... 11

Balthasar Russow, Chronica der Prouintz Lifflandt (Chronicle of

HISTORY ................................................................................... 15 How Tallinn got its names ................................................................ 15 How old is Tallinn? ............................................................................. 16 The flag and the coat of arms ............................................................. 17 Toompea - the grave of the ancient Estonian king Kalev ......... 18 Werner Bergengruen on Baltlased (Baltic Germans) ............... 19 The Baltic clergy................................................................................... 21

Livonia)

Patrick von zur Miihlen, Baltische Geschichte in Geschichten Denkwiirdiges und Merkwiirdiges aus acht Jahrhunderten (Baltic History in Stories: Thought-Provoking and Remarkable Tales f rom the Eight Centuries)

Manuscripts from the Tallinn City Museum, Kristiina Hiiesalu

The lower town and Lubeck Town Law ......................................... 22

A WALK ON TOOMPEA ......................................................... 25 1. The Castle on Toompea ................................................... 27 The Ghost ofToompea ....................................................................... 27

Translation from German: Arthur Kincaid

2. Pikk Hermann (Tall Herman) ........................................ 28 The Love Story of Hermann and Margareeta ............................... 28 3. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral .......................................... 29 Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, symbol ofRussification ......... 29 Toompea Street 1 - Pushkin's great-grandfather,

© 2010 Ecce Revalia Ltd

ISBN 978-9985-9691-8-2

the Commandant ofTallinn ...................................................... 30

4. The Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin ........................ 31 God, be merciful to the souls of the departed! ............................. 31

6. Rahukohtu Street 3, the von Stenbock residence ......... 60 Rahukohtu 3: the 'golden Swedish time' and the

The unfortunate end of a famous general ...................................... 32

Stenbocks' house ........................................................................... 60

The dealer in human leather. ............................................................. 33

7. Viewing platform at the top of the Patkul Stairs ........... 62

Thomas von Ramm: 'To his Majesty I will sell nothing' ...........34

Bloody Way - the road to Patkul sightseeing platform .............. 62

The noble rake ....................................................................................... 34

8. The Patkul Stairs .............................................................. 63

5. The House of Estonian Nobility ..................................... 36 Estonian Knightage: the cheapest self-government in Europe ................................ 36 Kirikuplats (Church Square): mild August

The dangerous life ofJohann Reinhold Patkul in the time of Peter the Great, August the Strong and Karl XII ......................................................................63

9. Viewing platform in Kohtu Street .................................. 65

nights on Toompea - recollections of Carl Mothander. ..... 38

Why Tallinn will never be finished ................................................. 65

The barons and the Yellow Salon of Lady Bibka .......................... 39

10. PikkJalg (Long Leg) ...................................................... 66

Dwellers on Toompea .......................................................... 42

The 'quarrel wall' between Toompea and the Lower Town ......66

Lossi plats 7 (Lossi Square) - the literary salon of Baroness Isabella von Ungern-Sternberg.......................... .42

A WALK IN THE OLD TOWN ............................................... 69 11. Nunnavarav (Nuns' Gate) ............................................. 71

Toomkooli 13 - the ghost in the house ofBrevern .................... .43

Sauna attendants .................................................................................. 71

Toomkooli 17: home of'Auntie Gold', or Natalie

Nasty diseases and plague doctors .................................................. 71

von Uexkiill, the richest woman in Estonia .......................... .44 Toomkooli 17/21 - Juliane von Kruedener,

Refuge for those apparently dead .................................................... 73

12. The town wall .................................................................. 75

adviser to Czar Alexander I.. ..................................................... .45

Cunning - our recipe for survival ................................................... 75

Kohtu Street 2 - Baron von Toll ..................................................... .47

13. The city's warehouses ..................................................... 76

Kohtu Street 2 - Auntie Julie ........................................................... .49

'SukaAntonid' (Anton of the Stocking) from

Kohtu Street 6 - Ungern-Sternberg, the wrecker ....................... 50

Brookusmagi (Brockhill) ........................................................... 76

Kohtu Street 8 - Baron Rosen's vodka ........................................... 50

14. Medieval burghers' houses - the Hue ck Building ...... 78

Kohtu Street 12 - Barbara von Tiesenhausen: a

Peter the Great in Tallinn at the marriage of a

noble lady with a tragic fate ........................................................ 52

burgher's daughter ........................................................................ 78

Count Kozebue and District Magistrate Wrangel ...................... 53

15. Oleviste (St. Olaf's Church) .......................................... 80

The 'czar's madman', or Timotheus von Bock .............................. 54 The legendary Baroness von Budberg-

St. Olaf's Church the highest spire in the world, 1470 - 1625 ............................ 80

Bonningshausen - the 'Russian Mata Hari' .......................... 55

16. Laboratooriumi Street ................................................... 82

Baltic-German Stories ........................................................................56

The three-handed Virgin Mary ........................................................ 82

17. The Great Coast Gate and Fat Margaret ....................... 83

25. Town Hall ..................................................................... 108

Bargeman - sea-cart m an .................................................................. 83

Old Toomas - the best bird-shooter ............................................. 108

18. The Merchants' House ................................................... 84

Receiving H ermann von Briiggeney............................................. 109

Order on the city streets in the Middle Ages ................................ 84

26. Town Hall Square ........................................................ 111

19. Mustapeade maja (House of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads) ................................. 85

The navel of Tallinn in the Town H all Square ........................... 111

An early Christian martyr - the patron saint of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads .......................................... 85 The House of the Blackheads, or the dead mouse

The pillory and an admonition for town councillors ................ 111 Mountebanks and quack doctors .................................................. 112 Aristotle and Phyllis ......................................................................... 113

27. St. Nicholas's Russian Orthodox Church .................. 115

in the deer-foot goblet ................................................................. 86

The H anseatic League and N ovgorod merchants ..................... 115

20. St. Olaf's Guild ............................................................... 87

28. The Dominican Monastery ......................................... 117

Master craftsmen do not drop from heaven .................................. 87

St. Domin ic and the 'Hounds of the Lord' .................................. 117

Dishonorable professions and trades .............................................. 88

29. St. Katherine's Abbey Church/ Katariina kaik (St. Katherine's Alley) ....................................... 119

Tsunftijanesed ('guild-hares', or non-guild craftsmen) ............. 89

21. The Canute guild ............................................................ 90 Guild goblets and pendants, masterpieces of

The Story of St. Katherine ............................................................... 119

30. Viru Gate and Viru Street .......................................... 120

Tallinn goldsmiths ....................................................................... 90

Receiving the Master of the Order, Wolter von Plettenberg.. 120

How to control curiosity .................................................................... 91

The town musicians........................................................................... 121

22. The Grand Guild ............................................................ 93

31. Vana Turg (Old Market) ............................................. 122

The May Lord festival... ...................................................................... 93

Clare t and peppersacks ................................................................... 122

Fashionable burghers and rules of dress ........................................ 95

32. The Packhaus ............................................................... 124

23. Piihavaimu (Church of the Holy Spirit) and Saiakaik (Bun Passage) ........................................ 98

How the grand merchants ate and drank. ................................... 124

The tower bell which since 1433 has signified equality ............. 98

33. Trepi Street, or the Noelasilm (Needle's Eye) .......... 126 The D ance of Death and passage th rough the

H ans Pawels' advice to the next generation ............................... 100

N oelasilm (Needle's Eye) ........................................................ 126

Saiakaik (Bun Passage) .................................................................... 101

34. Niguliste kirik (St. Nicholas's Church) and Rootsi Mihkli kirik (Swedish St. Michael's Church) ..................................................... 128

24. The Town Hall pharmacy ............................................ 102 Apothecaries - the doctor's cooks ................................................. 102 The apothecaries of one of Europe's oldest pharmacies - Burchart's ............................................................ 104 Town doctor ........................................................................................ 105 Barber-surgeon ................................................................................... 106

Mummy of a roue in St. Nicholas' Church ................................. 128 Riiiitli Street 18 - how the executioner found a wife ................ 129

35. Wheel Well .................................................................... 131 Wheel Well, home of a water sprite ............................................... 131 Rataskaevu 16 -The house of the devil's wedding ................... 132

36. Liihike Jalg (Short Leg) .............................................. 134 Liihike Jalg - home of ghosts ......................................................... 134

37. Neitsitorn (Maiden's Tower) and Danish King's Garden ............................................................. 135 The birth of the Danish flag ............................................................. 135 Neitsitorn (Maiden's Tower): a prison for prostitutes ............ 136

38. Kiekin de Kok (Peep into the Kitchen) ..................... 137 The tower watchman who peered into kitchens ........................ 137

39. Harju Street .................................................................. 138 Executions in Tallinn ....................................................................... 138

40. Viru Square, the former Russian market .................. 140 A city built on salt .............................................................................. 140

Additional information ........................................................... 143 Internet links ...................................................................................... 143 Books ................................................................................................... 144

T

allinn Old Town surprises us with the richness of its history. Stories and legends give some idea of its earlier

customs, laws and general way oflife. There are colorful personalities and events, stories passed from mouth to mouth, whispers of terror and fright. Almost every stone in Tallinn Old Town, from the Hanseatic lower town to the aristocratic upper town, has ancient tales to tell. Come and share them!

HISTORY OF TALLINN

REVAL: the German name of the city, derived from the ancient Ravala County. TALLINN: the Estonian name, supposedly from the words 'taani linn', meaning 'city of the Danes', the official name of the city since 1918 (except for the periods of German occupation in 1918 and 1941-44). nth century: on what is now Toompea stood an ancient Estonian stronghold. The lower town was already well known in Scandinavia and Russia as a harbor and trading post. 1219 - 1346: Tallinn and North Estonia ruled by the Kings of

Denmark. In the 14th century Tallinn has a population of nearly 4,000 (5,000 including Toompea) 1248: Tallinn citizens are granted 'all the rights that the citizens

of Lubeck enjoy'. The same document designates the first Tallinn magistrates. Lubeck Law is valid until the introduction of Russian law in the late 19th century. Toompea becomes a town in its own right. German is the official language.

In the 2nd half of the 13th century Tallinn enters the Hanseatic League.

1904: Estonians gain the majority in the municipal government for

1346: Denmark sells North Estonia to the Teutonic Order.

1906: The first Estonian mayor is elected.

1347 - 1561: rule of the Teutonic Order, then in the last decades of

24th February 1918: Estonians declare independence, the Republic

this period the Livonian Order. In the mid-16th century Tallinn

of Estonia is proclaimed.

has a population of 6,000 - 7,000.

Feb. 1918 - Nov. 1918: Tallinn is occupied by the Germans.

1523/1524: Lutheran Reformation begins in Tallinn.

1918 - 1940: Tallinn is the capital city of the Estonian Republic.

1561 - 1710: Tallinn surrenders to the King of Sweden in the

1940 - 1941: First Soviet occupation.

Livonian War and is controlled by the Swedes until the Great Northern War. 1631: The first secondary school opens.

the first time.

1941 - 1944: German occupation. 9 March 1944: approximately 600 people die in a Soviet air raid,

11 percent of the old quarter is destroyed and about half of the resi-

1633: The first printing press is established.

dential areas are damaged.

1684: A huge fire destroys most of the buildings on Toompea.

1944 - 1991: Second Soviet occupation. The population grows

1710 - 1917: rule of the Russian Czar. Peter the Great guarantees

from 127,100 in 1945 to 479,000 in 1989, through immigration

the city its former privileges, which are retained until the 2nd half

from the Soviet Union.

of the 19th century.

1980: Yachting Regatta of the Moscow Olympic Games takes place

1710: After the city is ravaged by the plague, the population drops

in Tallinn.

to 2,000.

Since 1991: Tallinn is the capital city of the restored Republic of

1857: Tallinn loses its importance as a fortified city.

Estonia.

1870: Reva! - St. Petersburg railway opens (Tallinn population c.

1993: Pope John Paul II visits Tallinn.

31,000).

1997: Tallinn Old Town is included in the UNESCO list of World

Second half of the 19th century: the rise of industry.

Heritage Sites.

1877: Russian municipal law is enforced, the first municipal coun-

2009: Tallinn has a population of 406,573.

cil is elected, the jurisdiction of the municipality is extended to Toompea, the magistracy loses most of its powers except judicial. 1889: Tallinn magistracy is dissolved, Russian replaces German as

the official language.

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1

HISTORY

How TALLINN GOT ITS NAMES There are several legends about the earlier town name 'Reval '. After the Danish King Valdemar had conquered the North Estonians and converted them to Christianity, he often rode out hunting with his courtiers. Once, near the town, he caught sight of a particularly beautiful roe and ordered it to be caught alive. All the courtiers rushed to fulfil the king's wish. The roe ran from the hounds and hunters in despair, not knowing which way to leap, until it reached a high limestone cliff, now known as the Baltic Bluff. From there it fell. In this scenic spot, between two city gates, Nunnevarav (Nuns' Gate) tower and a foregate with a drawbridge, a little statue was later erected in the deer's memory, sculpted by the artist Jaan Koo rt. There were many attempts to destroy or steal it, but the people were so fond of the statue that it was always restored. It was thought that Tallinn's German name, Reval, derived from the words 'Reh-Fall' (fall of the roe), although in all likelihood the German Reval, like the Russian Revel, derives from the name of the district that surrounded Tallinn in ancient times, Ravala. Another story tells of a king who lived in Denmark nearly a

thousand years ago. One day he discovered that his son and daughter were having a forbidden love affair. The king believed the guilt lay with his daughter, and decided to banish her from his lands.

at Lyndanise, which had once been a fort of the people of Reval. They destroyed the old fort and began to build another new one'. The name Tallinn first appears in writing in 1536, but it was

He had her set adrift in a rudderless ship on the open sea. The ship sailed for a long time, until one day it reached the coast of Estonia.

in oral use before that. The oldest known use of the seal of Tallinn

The princess cast anchor and went ashore to see the country, where Kalev's burial mound caught her eye. What she saw so pleased her

rights and a local government is May 15, 1248, when the Danish King Eric IV Plovpenning gave the Li.ibeck Law to Tallinn and the

that she decided to found a city here. She had the ample gold and silver which she had brought with her carried up to the summit of

Tallinn Town Council was mentioned for the first time. Every year

the hill to pay for a magnificent palace to be built, with a little town to surround it. She gave houses to some of the builders. Thus little by little a sumptuous town arose. When her father heard of it, his first thought was to bring it under his domination. He arrayed ships to sail to Estonia. However, the townspeople guessed the intention of the foreign sailors. They vanquished the Danes and remained masters. Thus the city became known as Taanilinn (Danish Town), which later was abbreviated to Tallinn.

How OLD

IS TALLINN?

For a long time the first written record of Tallinn was associated with a settlement by the name of Koluvan, which appears on the world map created on the orders of the Norman-Sicilian court

dates from 1277. The birthday of Tallinn as a town with town

this day is celebrated as Tallinn Day.

THE FLAG AND THE COAT OF ARMS The independent Estonian Republic was established on February 24, 1918, but the Estonian national flag was confirmed by the Riigikogu (Parliament) and introduced in 1922 and the coat of arms in 1925. During the Soviet occupation both were banned. The national flag was hoisted again on the tower of Pikk Hermann on February 24, 1989. The coat of arms was reintroduced in 1990. The first blue, black and white flag was dedicated as the flag of the Eesti Uliopilaste Selts (Estonian Students' Union), in the small town of Otepaa on June 4, 1884, during the period of National Awakening. At the beginning of the 20th century, the colors of this

by the Arab geographer al Idrisi. This assumption has been dis-

flag became more widely known among people in general through the young intellectuals. Blue, black and white flags decorated song

missed, and the oldest document which mentions Tallinn, under the name Lyndanise, is the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia, dating

festivals, agricultural and choral society events and other gatherings. The blue stands for the lakes and rivers, black for the coals

from 1219.

which burst into flame, but also for the soil which feeds us. White

In those days the Danish King Valdemar II led a crusade against Tallinn and the Estonian pagans. The text of the chronicle reads:

symbolizes purity: on Saturday evenings people go to the sauna to cleanse their bodies and on Sunday they go to church to cleanse

'They all brought their army to the province ofReval and encamped

their souls.

\17\

In church symbolism, these betoken the three colors of the

dug, an iron door with an inscription came to view: 'Cursed be all

Virgin Mary: blue, the queen of heaven; black, the mourning mother; white, the Annunciation. In the 13 th century the crusad-

who dare to disturb my peace!' The building work continued and when the church was almost finished, cracks appeared suddenly

ers began to call this region the land of the Mother in contrast to

here and there in the walls. But the cathedral did not collapse, and

Palestine, which was known as the land of the Son, Jesus Christ. The poetic name for Estonia is still 'Maarjamaa' (Mary's land), in ho nor of the Virgin Mary.

it still towers today over the whole city.

WERNER BERGENGRUEN ON

The Estonian coat of arms shows three lions passant guardant on a golden shield surrounded by two crossed oak boughs. The

BALTLASED (BALTIC GERMANS)

heraldic lion stands for power and bravery, strength and nobleness. The motto stems from the 13 th century, when the Danish

'Is German actually your mother tongue or did you learn it later?' This is a question often asked of the author Werner Bergengruen.

king Valdemar II presented Tallinn with a shield having three lions,

And here is his answer, clarifying the matter of the Germans in the

similar to the Danish coat of arms. Today the great Tallinn coat of arms shows three blue lions, facing forward, on a field of gold. The lesser coat of arms shows a white cross on a red field.

Baltic: 'The designation baltlased ("Baltic Germans"), from the ancient name of the Baltic Sea, "Mare Balticum", has in recent years undergone a complete change of meaning. From 1830 to 1840 this term

TOOMPEA - THE GRAVE OF THE

designated exclusively the upper class inhabitants of Germanic

ANCIENT ESTONIAN KING KALEV

extraction who lived in the three Baltic Sea provinces of Russia: Livonia, Estonia and Courland. While the other two local popu-

When Kalev died, the great king and hero of Estonia celebrated in

lation group significant in this context, Ests and Latvians, were

legend, his widow Linda could find no peace until she had raised a collection of huge rock fragments as a monument to her husband.

named by their nationality. Baltic Germans were divided more pre-

Thus was built the great burial mound, standing majestically above sea level. These rocks today bear the name Toompea. Near Toompea is situated a statue of Linda, which to this day symbolizes for the Estonians unconditional faithfulness and the freedom of all of us. Here people have met in difficult times to find comfort, to confer and to affirm their unquenchable faith in the Estonian nation. When the foundations of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral were

cisely into liivimaalased (people of Livonia), eestimaalased (people of Estonia) and kuramaalased (people of Courlandia), denominations used only for the Germans living in these three provinces. Similarly, in Finland the native inhabitants were called Finns and the Swedish upper class were called soomemaalased (people of Finland). 'In 1918 and 1919 the old Baltic area with its three historical provinces, Livonia, Estonia and Courland, became ruins. Property, well-being, privileges and ancient hegemony - all this was taken

from us. But worse than this was that we, who had been the essen-

THE BALTIC CLERGY

tial community, were degraded into expatriate Germans, common Germans, border Germans. The "Third Reich" forbade us to use the words "baltlased" and "balti"; we could now call ourselves only

Bergengruen continues: 'The Baltic clergy formed a specific social

'Baltic Germans', analogous to the artificially formed, ugly term "Sudeten Germans". 'One of the most beautiful characteristics of our old Baltic social order was that nobody clung anxiously to their rank, because this rank could not be lost. In Germany before World War I there were basically only three or four career routes considered appropriate for the nobility. If any other profession was chosen, it attracted attention. We had no objections if a young lady from the one of the oldest noble families in the country gave lessons, or if men of that rank were university professors, doctors, clergymen or teachers, if that was what they were drawn to. Profession was insignificant. The man ennobles the position, not the reverse. Sometimes people were

group. To some extent they could be compared to the English rural vicar, now almost extinct. 'Usually the clergy belonged, because of their ancestry, to the German nobility, and thus their lifestyle in the countryside was patriarchal. Their incomes were not very high, but they held a prominent position within their parishes, and until the abolition of serfdom in 1816, each of them had been unconditional lord of his peasant serfs. Perhaps one might say that does not help the spiritual side of a pastorate. But it is necessary to take into consideration the economic situation of the period, when the self-sufficient economy was starting to be replaced by monetary considerations. When one gave land to the pastor - and how else could he live? - one had to _

from them and gave them nothing. Much more important was the family one came from than the work one did. Even if someone for

give him enough so he could live like a lord. He would not have had authority for the Estonian and Latvian peasants ifhe had had less land and fewer cattle than they, or scarcely any, and ifhe had been unable to sustain a lifestyle appropriate to the nobility. He had to

one reason or another became employed in a subordinate position,

have his coachman, his riding and working horses, his farmhands

he lost no respect, because such a change did not affect his personality or origins. After all, a person's economic circumstances had surprisingly little influence on how he was valued in society.

and servants. Some clergymen rented out land, some managed it themselves, some - but these were not the majority - had up to a

too indifferent to ennoble a profession which took nothing away

hundred cows. In agricultural matters they were often advisors to their peasant congregation. Some bred horses, many were passion-

People knew each other, so nobody said: "He's a clerk from such and such an office, an official from such and such a company", but

ate hunters, and there were very fast riders among them. There are

rather: "He is young X, the son of old X.Y". In this sense each one

cases where one pastorate remained in the same family for three

of us was a hidalgo, "Hijo de algo", which means "somebody's son". Here we said, "My brother the lawyer" and "My brother the sol-

generations (a hundred years), and that almost amounts to primogeniture.

dier''. In Germany it was "My brother the judge" and "My brother the Lieutenant Colonel"'.

'Most were believers, even at a time when that could not be assumed of every clergyman in Germany. As is true everywhere

else, among the local clergy some were stupid and some clever, some humourless and some witty, some sluggish and some energetic. But genuine originals were not uncommon among them'.

resented through their professional organizations, the guilds and fraternities . When in 1877 the Russian City Law was introduced, the Town Council lost its power and it was abolished in 1889. Until that year

THE LOWER TOWN AND LUBECK TOWN LAW Tallinn, as an independent town of merchants and artisans, originated in the 13th century around the marketplace between the harbor and Toompea. From 1248 Lubeck Law, according to the pattern in Lubeck, was valid. The ruler granted the town freedom and privileges, while the town for its part swore to be true to the ruler and provide him with aid in an emergency. The protection of the town, justice, international relations, sanitation and order in the city were the concern of the Town Council or magistracy, whose determinations were based on Lubeck Law, as well as on their own decisions and orders. The Lubeck Law was conservative, and was little altered between the 13th and the 19th century. It appeared for the first time in print in 1586. Many important fundamentals oflaw never appeared in writing, because everyone knew them and following them was regarded as self-evident. Fines were commonest, be it for fraud, disturbing the peace or gross insults. The oral statement of an honorable man ranked equally with written testimony. Once a year the town crier announced the law from the window of the Town Hall, so that a burgher could not excuse misdeeds by ignorance. Only merchants and craftsmen who owned their own home and paid taxes to the Council could be burghers of the town, and they had a right of consultation about its business. They would be rep-

the official language was German.

A WALK ON TOOMPEA

1. The Castle on Toompea 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

THE GHOST OF TooMPEA Legend has it that in the 15th century a beautiful young novice at the famous Pirita nunnery eloped with a young knight, who rode off with her into the darkness. The Prioress discovered her flight almost at once and sent a message to the girl's father, who lived on Toompea, not far from the castle. Burning with anger, the father took a few men and rushed after them. The abductor was given short shrift. The daughter, however, the wrathful father took home with him and with his own hands walled her up in a niche in the cellar. One can still see the niche today. Since then the soul of the unfortunate novice wanders here and there, unable to find peace. The whole ofToompea is like a warren, full of underground passages and chambers connecting noble houses with the castle and the cathedral, and also with various underground defense works. These routes were used by industrious ghosts to visit strange houses. Sometimes children found their way into these underground passages and drainage systems. After wandering about for a long time, they would come to a trap door that led into the cellar of a house, and their desperate banging and shouting was at first taken for the noise of ghosts.

2. Pikk Hermann

3. Alexander Nevsky

(Tall Herman)

Cathedral

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

THE LOVE STORY OF HERMANN AND MARGAREETA Once upon a time there lived a young man and a maiden in different parts of Tallinn, outside the town wall. They sought every opportunity to meet in secret. The lad, named Hermann, was tall and slender, and lived in the area of Kassisaba (Cat's Tail). The maiden, Margareeta, was short and plump and came fromKalamaja

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

CATHEDRAL OF ALEXANDER NEVSKY, SYMBOL OF RussIFICATION In 1710 Estonia became the 'German Baltic Sea Province of Russia'. The period of Russian rule lasted for over 200 years. At the beginning, the course of everyday life changed little. Peter the Great confirmed the existing privileges of the local nobility and gave back the lands confiscated by the Swedish king. The 'Baltic special order',

(Fishhouse). In the evening they would walk hand in hand in the Taani KuningaAed (Danish King's Garden), on the Skoone bastion,

as it was called, retained for landowners their own judicial system, the Lutheran church and German as the official language, and their

or Lindamiigi (Linda's Hill) or in Hirvepark (Deer Park). But before the last stroke of midnight they had to leave quickly through the

self-government through Riiutelkond (Knightage). In 1712 when Peter the Great, about to sign these privileges into law, reached for the quill, one of the Estonian emissaries,

town gates, to avoid incurring the aldermen's curse. One summer evening the young couple was so carried away by a

Renauld von Ungern-Sternberg, stepped forward and put his hand

passionate kiss that they awoke from their dream only as the Town Hall clock was striking 12. Margareeta ran down Pikk Street and

on the czar's right arm, saying: 'If Your Majesty has no intention of upholding our privileges, do not sign'. To this Peter the Great

Hermann hurried across Toompea along Rutu Street to the town gate. But they failed to get out of town before the last stroke and were turned to stone. Today we know them as Pikk Hermann and

responded in a mixture of Dutch and low German: 'By God, I will stick to them!' and signed the paper. There were cases in which the Russian officials could not come to grips with the notion of politi-

Paks Margareeta (Tall Hermann and Fat Margareeta).

cal autonomy, but in general everything went smoothly until 1881, when Alexander III came to the throne. Russification reforms began. Alexander III was the first Russian czar who did not recognize 'Baltic special law' or confirm the privileges of the Riiutelkond. Russian-speaking officials were dispatched

to Toompea as governors, Russian became the official language and religious freedom was abolished. The language of instruction, from the village school to Tartu University, became Russian. The

4. The Cathedral of

Saint Mary the Virgin

czar promised 'soul-land' to peasants if they joined the Russian Orthodox Church, and about a tenth of the Estonian peasants did so. When it was found that the promised land was situated deep in Russia, they wanted to go back to the Lutheran church but this was not permitted. Instead of the statue of Martin Luther intended for Toompea, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral had been erected by 1900. This became the symbol ofRussification.

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Goo,

BE MERCIFUL TO THE SOULS OF THE DEPARTED!

With the number of churches and Christians rising, the number of those who wished to be buried in church rose too, since they

TOOMPEA STREET 1 THE COMMANDANT OF TALLINN

hoped in this way to be closer to God and find forgiveness for their many sins committed here below. The clergy opposed this wish for centuries. Resistance was relaxed during the 11th century, and

Abram Petrovich Hannibal (1696 - 1781), known as the 'Moor of

from then on anyone who could afford a grave under the church floor was buried there. Until 1773 the area around the Cathedral

PUSHKIN'S GREAT-GRANDFATHER,

Peter the Great', was born in Cameroon, the son of an Ethiopian prince. He was taken to Russia in 1704 from Constantinople, where he had been held captive by the Turks. Here he became valet and secretary to Peter the Great. Educated in France, he worked as

was also used as a cemetery, but in that year burial in church was prohibited by the senate on health grounds and the churchyard of

military engineer on the building of defenses, including those in

the Cathedral was paved over. The event of the 19th century was the burial of Admiral Adam Johann von Krusenstern (1770 - 1846) in the Cathedral. He was

Paldiski (Baltic port about 30 miles, or SO kilometers, to the west of

a famous seafarer and explorer from Estonia, who led the first cir-

Tallinn). He also taught mathematics, technical drawing and engineering in the garrison schools. In 1741 Hannibal became general

cumnavigation of the globe sponsored by the Russian Empire. When he felt death approaching, he expressed a wish to be buried

of artillery for the Tallinn stronghold and from 1742 to 1752 he was commandant of Tallinn.

beside Admiral Greigh in the Cathedral. His wish was granted by

The house known as the Commandant's House still stands as a memorial to him today. Hannibal was great-grandfather on the maternal side of the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

the czar.

THE UNFORTUNATE END OF

THE DEALER IN HUMAN LEATHER

A FAMOUS GENERAL From 1580 to 1583, Pontus de la Gardie was Commander-in-Chief

There is a story of a man in armour on a white horse who often rode the slopes of Lasnamae on moonlit nights with a bundle of

of the Swedish army in the Livonian War. After Russian troops were

tanned skins under his arm, which he offered for sale to anybody

driven from North Estonia, Russia was forced to conclude peace. With the Peace Treaty of Plussa, the Livonian War ended. In 1580

who crossed his path. However, these skins had a strong human smell, so nobody was willing to buy them. One night a little old man

Pontus married Sophia Gyllenhjelm, the illegitimate daughter of Swedish KingJohan III, and the next year the king granted to the

with a pointed beard asked what the price of the skins was. When he heard that the man was willing trade them for no more than a

couple the estate ofKolga in Lahemaa.

peaceful rest in the next world, the old man asked the stranger what

Unfortunately the famous general met his end on December 5, 1585. On his way back in his boat from peace negotiations with Russia, the commandant ofNarva had a salute fired in his honor, to which Pontus returned salute from his little garland-decked boat,

guilt kept him from enjoying such rest. The man in armour then told his story, saying he was a famous general called Pontus. He had had the men who fell in battle skinned, the skins tanned and necessary items and clothing made

mounted with cannon. The boat was rotten and could not tolerate

out of them - boots, saddle, bridle and trousers, he had made them

the shaking, and the ice-cold currents pulled the famous general to the depths. Pontus is buried in Tallinn Cathedral.

all of human skin. At his death he still had a lot of skins left over,

There are also stories told about Pontus's son Jacob, also a general, who, according to legend, was so fat and slow that the Estonians

and at the entrance to the other world he was halted by the gatekeeper. He was told that he would not be admitted until all the remaining skins had been sold in the hour before midnight. Every

called him Jaako Laisk (Jacob the Lazy). Once when he was in the sauna, emissaries came to announce the approach of a huge hostile army. 'They'll just have to wait', said Jacob, not allowing it to

night for several generations he had tried to get rid of them, but

disturb his rest. When finally he dressed and rode out to meet the

stranger had only to come with him. The route went straight to hell.

enemy, he ripped a pillow he had brought with him and threw the feathers to the wind. Every feather became a soldier and with the

On the threshold the old man suddenly grew a tail and horns, and as he pushed Pontus in he shouted with terrifying voice: 'Pontus'

contents of the huge pillow he the put the enemy to flight.

skinned men, step forth!' A multitude of skinless men stepped forth

nobody had wanted to buy. The little old man answered that the goods suited him - the

to claim back the skin for their bloody flesh. The devil, with a sneer, ordered Pontus to be skinned and his skin stretched so much that there was enough skin for everyone.

THOMAS VON RAMM: 'To HIS MAJESTY

I WILL SELL NOTHING'

Peter the Great had ambitious plans for his newly won provinces, which were to open for him the 'window to Europe'. He had great projects. Among them he planned a large military harbor at Paldiski (c. 30 miles, or 50 kilometers, west of Tallinn). This was a very deep, ice-free harbor. To provide food for his builders he sent messengers to the nearby manors to purchase food. Squire Thomas Ramm refused the messengers with these words: 'To his majesty I will sell nothing'. After repeated refusals the czar came in person to the stubborn nobleman. In one of his well-known fits of anger he hit the nobleman quite hard with his stick and then asked him why he would not sell anything. The battered nobleman said: 'Because ifl can fulfil your majesty's wishes I do not want any other recompense. I will give you the food without payment'. This answer embarrassed the czar and as a sign of reconciliation he offered to fulfil a wish for the nobleman. Ramm asked for the stick with which he had received the royal beating, and the czar, laughing, handed it over. For 200 years the von Ramm family kept the implement in a special 'stick-chamber' and bequeathed it down their line. As recently as 1920 you could look at it on request.

THE NOBLE RAKE Once there lived in Tallinn a proud man of Estonian stock. He was ennobled for his services, and instead of being Tuvi (Pigeon) he took the German name von Thuwe. He enjoyed life, loved to eat and drink well, dally with damsels and spend his time gaming. He

gave no thought to his elderly parents or his brothers and sisters until on his deathbed he repented his sins. As a sign of his remorse, he asked to be buried at the main entrance to the Toomkirik (Cathedral), so that everyone who entered or left would step on his grave, as punishment for his sins. But people whisper that what the old rake really wanted was to pe under ladies' skirts, even after death. . . er

5. The House of Estonian Nobility I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I II I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II I 11111111111111111111111111

ESTONIAN KNIGHTAGE: THE CHEAPEST SELF-GOVERNMENT IN EUROPE The history of Estonian Knightage (corporation of nobility, in German: 'Ritterschaft') goes far back in history to the 13 th century. The 'Baltic barons' were descendants of the German crusaders who came to Baltics in those days, vanquished the pagans, christened them by force and subjugated the land. During the 700 years of their dominion they lived through better times and worse times, until in 1939 when most of the Baltic-Germans, about 14,000 people, left Estonia at the invitation of Adolf Hitler (the 'Umsiedlung', as it was called). From the period of the German Order until the Livonian War in the 16th century, the area of Estonia and Latvia was known as Old Livonia. After the war it was known as Estonia (North Estonia), Livonia (South Estonia and Latvia) and Courland. From that point Estonia (Harju-, Viru-,Jarva- and Laanemaa counties) came under the power of the Swedish crown and the term Estonian Knightage was applied. The highest institution of Knightage was the Landtag (Assembly), which met every three years and was composed of the owners ofknightly estates. This festive ceremonial continued until World War I. In the morning the gentlemen, wearing tailcoats, gathered in the House of the Knights and when the presiding dig-

nitary had taken the roll of those present, he went on foot, accompanied by two other gentlemen, to the nearby palace to meet the representative of the sovereign and escort him to the House of the Knights. Two by two the procession went across the square to the cathedral, to attend the Landtag service. The head of the Knightage wore as a sign of his office a plain uniform and carried a silver staff on which the names of all his predecessors were engraved. After the service the gentlemen returned to their house and the head of the Knightage resigned his office. The Assembly elected a new head, who had to be confirmed as representative of the sovereign, He took the oath, picked up the silver staff as the sign of his office and opened the Landtag. The Landtag lasted up to a month. Within its remit belonged the admission of new members, statutes, taxation, legal issues, the justice system, patronage of the Lutheran church, schools and charitable institutions. They also discussed and made decisions on matters concerning their relations with the central power and the towns. During the period between Landtags the district magistrates (Landsratcollegium) met. They held power until 1918, when Estonia became an independent state. This government by the nobility was the cheapest in the whole of Europe. The nobility, from the Knightage downwards, held honorary posts. Only the office personnel were paid. How people valued their noble position in society was shown in their readiness to serve their country. Those who attempted to avoid this onerous task, which was often taxing on the individual's purse, were not considered worthy noblemen. The most notable characteristic of the Baltic-Germans was their fervent love of the land inherited from their fathers - of their home. The Swedish era ended with the appropriation of about a third

of noble estates on the order of Karl XI. This was very painful for the Baltic-Germans. After 1700 the Northern War began and in 1710 Estonia became part of the Russian Empire. Peter the Great and his descendants

decorated with oriels, where the flat of the first Estonian president Konstantin Pats used to be, framed a piece of surreal nightscape, which could have served Strindberg as a stage set for the cat and

made use of Baltic German culture in large measure in all areas of

mouse game that supernatural forces play with human beings 'The lindens bending above us cast fantastic moonlight shad-

the Russian state. In the time of Peter the Great, investiture with

ows over the square, so rich in memories, as we drank tea with

nobility in return for service was introduced in Russia, but these titles and estates could not be inherited. To prevent intermingling

blood-red raspberry juice from a gently simmering samovar and

with these, the families of established nobility compiled a record in which only noblemen holding inherited estates could be entered. By 1850, 150 noble families with inheritable titles were enrolled among the Estonian Knightage. For the Baltic Germans, Russia was their fatherland, Estonia their homeland and Germany their motherland. In 1920 ranks and rank-based organisations were abolished: the Estonian Knightage went, and various guilds of merchants and craftspeople. Baltic-Germans in Estonia declined from being rulers to being a national minority.

- in summer almost intoxicating - oily mandarin liqueur, which could be conjured up only by a centuries-old tradition. Nights like these were devoted to romantic tales of the past of Tallinn and Estonia. Outdoors in the moon-bathed cathedral square, we were rarely disturbed by anyone, nor did we disturb anyone in this part of town, deserted in summer. Such an enchanted night by full moonlight is an experience that can never be forgotten. So silent, so removed from all the noise, one lived in this remote romantic nook between two world wars'.

THE BARONS AND THE YELLOW SALON OF LADY BIBKA

KIRIKUPLATS (CHURCH SQUARE): MILD AUGUST NIGHTS ON TOOMPEA RECOLLECTIONS OF CARL MOTHANDER 'Where else in all the world does the full moon seem so miraculous as on mild August nights on Toompea in Tallinn? On nights like these, in town with friends, we sometimes took comfortable wicker chairs and a table out onto the square between the Cathedral and the white-pillared fa1 ...... '-, _ _ .,..__p~

TALES AND LEGENDS OF TALLINN MORE THAN JUST A BOOK! Interactive DVD-postcard for windows PC (not Vista) 44 stories and legends wound about Tallinn Old Town give one some idea of the conditions, laws and everyday organisation of the life of the past. There are colourful personalities and events, but also stories passed down orally and whispered rumours of terror and fright. Included are photographs of culturalhistorical interest and there is a rare film clip showing Tallinn in 1939.

Eighty photographs show forty sights of Tallinn Old Town as they were 100 years ago and as they are now. Beneath the photographs are short explanatory notes on the historical buildings and sights. You will find included an interesting map of Estonia and Livonia from the 18th century and a rare film clip of Tallinn in 1939.