114. Regional Travel #2.2 - Tallinn Town Hall
The Town Hall in Tallinn dates back to the thirteenth century, and the current building was constructed in 1402-1404. It is the oldest such structure in northern Europe. It expanded over the centuries and was renovated and restored quite nicely in the second half of the twentieth century. We spent more time at Tallinn Town Hall than at any other point of interest in the city, and it was one of the highlights of our visit to Estonia's capital city.
The Town Hall is technically only three stories tall, but seems much bigger due to the high ceilings and huge attic. It is the dominant feature of Town Hall square in the center of Old Town. Medieval buildings form the other sides of the square, all of which now house restaurants. With the nice weather in mid-August, we enjoyed a a dinner of traditional Estonian dishes in the square after our visit to the Town Hall museum.
The museum occupies the majority of the building and tells the story of the history of Tallinn, its government over the centuries, political and economic relationship with other areas in the Baltic region, and the uses of the building itself. Although many of the items on display were reproductions rather than original artifacts, the exhibits were well put together and were a great way to learn about a region that I hadn't previously given much thought.
Highlights in the museum's collections include:
1) Modern reproductions of a variety of medieval tapestries that were made to the original designs:
2) Original wooden magistrate's benches from the early fifteenth century with elaborate carvings on the ends:
3) The original weather vane "Old Thomas" from 1530, which was moved from its place atop the Town Hall tower's spire in1952 (a replica was installed in its place) and is now inside the Town Hall:
4) The Town Hall clock mechanisms - both old and new:
The exhibit in the attic provided an overview of the post-war restoration that returned the building to its former glory. The Town Hall was heavily damaged by bombing in 1944 in the Soviet Union's effort to expel Nazi troops from Tallinn. An additional goal may have been to depress morale in the civilian population to reduce opposition to the return of Soviet occupying forces. The attack was counterproductive to this objective, as the destruction of non-military targets in the city and hundreds of civilian casualties encouraged Estonians to have more sympathy for the German cause (which was also perceived to be better aligned with the goal of Estonian independence). The Town Hall's tower was destroyed during this bombing campaign, along with 40% of housing in the city, and only rebuilt in the 1950s. We did not climb the tower, as we had already seen outstanding city vistas from a church tower on Toompea (the hill upon which Tallinn's upper village watches over the rest of Old Town).
The Town Hall is technically only three stories tall, but seems much bigger due to the high ceilings and huge attic. It is the dominant feature of Town Hall square in the center of Old Town. Medieval buildings form the other sides of the square, all of which now house restaurants. With the nice weather in mid-August, we enjoyed a a dinner of traditional Estonian dishes in the square after our visit to the Town Hall museum.
The museum occupies the majority of the building and tells the story of the history of Tallinn, its government over the centuries, political and economic relationship with other areas in the Baltic region, and the uses of the building itself. Although many of the items on display were reproductions rather than original artifacts, the exhibits were well put together and were a great way to learn about a region that I hadn't previously given much thought.
Highlights in the museum's collections include:
1) Modern reproductions of a variety of medieval tapestries that were made to the original designs:
2) Original wooden magistrate's benches from the early fifteenth century with elaborate carvings on the ends:
3) The original weather vane "Old Thomas" from 1530, which was moved from its place atop the Town Hall tower's spire in1952 (a replica was installed in its place) and is now inside the Town Hall:
4) The Town Hall clock mechanisms - both old and new:
The exhibit in the attic provided an overview of the post-war restoration that returned the building to its former glory. The Town Hall was heavily damaged by bombing in 1944 in the Soviet Union's effort to expel Nazi troops from Tallinn. An additional goal may have been to depress morale in the civilian population to reduce opposition to the return of Soviet occupying forces. The attack was counterproductive to this objective, as the destruction of non-military targets in the city and hundreds of civilian casualties encouraged Estonians to have more sympathy for the German cause (which was also perceived to be better aligned with the goal of Estonian independence). The Town Hall's tower was destroyed during this bombing campaign, along with 40% of housing in the city, and only rebuilt in the 1950s. We did not climb the tower, as we had already seen outstanding city vistas from a church tower on Toompea (the hill upon which Tallinn's upper village watches over the rest of Old Town).
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