Toompea
Toompea (from
The history of Toompea is closely linked to the history of rulers and power in Estonia.[1] Today Toompea is the center of the Government of Estonia and the Riigikogu (parliament), both of which are often simply referred to as Toompea.[2] The location of the Riigikogu is the Toompea Castle, situated in the southwestern corner of the hill and topped by the Tall Hermann tower. The flag on the top of the tower is one of the best-known symbols in Estonia of the government in force.[3]
Toompea is part of the Tallinn Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Geology and topography
Geologically Toompea is associated with the North Estonian Klint (itself a subsection of the Baltic Klint). A separate relic klint island, Toompea lies about 1.5 km northwest of the North Estonian Limestone Plateau.[4] The plateau and Toompea are connected with a gently sloped sandstone ridge. From the east, north and west Toompea is bordered for 1.5 km by a cliff with a height of up to 25 m. The southern slope of the hill descends more gently. The upper layer of the hill consists of Ordovician limestone (thickness about 5 m[5]), which is also the main rock exposed at the cliff. However, most of the cliff face has been hidden behind a protective wall and only a few outcrops are left.[6]
Toompea first emerged as an island from the Baltic Ice Lake around 10,000 years ago.[4] Due to steady post-glacial rebound it became connected with the mainland during the early Littorina Sea stage.[5] At 5,000 BCE the sea still reached the foot of the cliffs of Toompea.[7] The modern coastline is at a distance of more than 1 km from Toompea and the foot of the hill lies at 17–20 m above sea level.[8] The hill reaches about 48 metres (157 ft) in elevation.[8]
Mythology
In Estonian mythology Toompea is known as the
Linda mourned for Kalev for one month after another till three months had passed, and the fourth was far advanced. She heaped a cairn of stones over his tomb, which formed the hill on which the Cathedral of Revel now stands. English translation by W.F. Kirby, 1895 [9]
History
Early history
The first stronghold is believed to have been built on the hill in either the 10th or 11th century by residents of the
Middle Ages
The hill fort is mentioned in the
In the summer of 1227 the castle at Toompea was conquered by the order of the
Beginning from the same period Toompea started to develop into the centre of provincial authority, clergy and nobility in Northern Estonia.
Construction and expansion works on both castles continued in the subsequent centuries. In the first half of the 14th century the southern wall of the Great Castle was renovated and its moat was joined with the eastern moat of the Small Castle. In this way the outer ward of the castles was built, after its southern and southeastern sides were surrounded with a wall. The castle as a whole had two exits at the time: the more important one was outer ward's southern gate, through which the road led to Tõnismägi, the second was the gate at its eastern, which connected Toompea with Lower Town via the Long and Short Legs.[20]
In the aftermath of the
Soon after returning to Toompea, the Order started expanding the castle – the whole Castle of the Order (German: Ordensburg) was extended and developed into the strongest centre of its northerly realms, a symbol of their military and political power.[22] New higher outside walls were built, moats were widened and deepened. The first part of the Pikk Hermann ("Tall Hermann") tower, which tops the Toompea castle, was completed by 1371.[22] Pikk Hermann was the first tower in Tallinn adjusted for defence in the era of firearms.[23] Later in the 16th century the tower was rebuilt taller, from the original height of 35 m. The wall of the Great Castle was also fortified with new towers: altogether 14 defence towers (including a gate tower named Clock Tower – the only exit) had been built along its wall by the end of the 14th century.[24]
Swedish and Russian rule
The Swedish Empire conquered Northern Estonia during the Livonian War, in 1561, and held it until the Great Northern War, when Tallinn was conquered by Russia in 1710. When Tallinn capitulated to Eric XIV of Sweden in 1561, the king decided not to change the status quo in the relations between Toompea and Lower Town.[25] Toompea, as a separate town (Dom zu Reval) under its own administration was able to retain a variety of special rights and privileges, the last of which remained in the books until 1889. Toompea was joined with Tallinn (Lower Town) as late as in 1878, when during the period of Russification the previous laws governing the two towns were replaced with Russian administrative law.[26] The two parts of the town were also united for a brief period in 1785-1796.[27] Toompea and the Lower Town had been united into a single police district in 1805.[28] Particular private law was in force for Toompea until 1944.
In 1684 Toompea suffered the most devastating fire of its history. Toompea had been affected by earlier fires in 1288, 1433, 1553 and 1581, but the fire of 1684 was much larger in scale, destroying most of the buildings in the Great Castle, including the cathedral.[29] The Small Castle escaped of the fire intact. The fires are one cause why Toompea looks architecturally different and newer from the Lower Town.[30]
In the end of 17th century several plans were made to strengthen the fortifications of Toompea and Tallinn with
Following the Great Northern War and the conquest of Estonia by the Russian Empire, the first half of the 18th century was a period of general neglect for Toompea and also for the castle, which fell into disuse for several decades.[31] The situation changed in the second half of the 18th century: in 1767-1773 the east wing of the castle was completely rebuilt into an administrative building of the Governorate of Estonia by the orders of Catherine II.[32] For constructing the building the southeastern tower of the castle (Stür den Kerl) was demolished as were the moats filled in; together with it the outer ward of the castles was designed into a square (the Castle Square, Estonian: Lossi plats). The building resembled an aristocratic palace, which prompted the castle acquiring an alternate name: Toompea Palace.[1] The Stenbock House, one of the most remarkable buildings on the northern ledge of the Toompea, was also built in the same period - the intended court house was probably completed by 1792.[33]
Tallinn was removed from the list of fortified towns of the Russian Empire in 1857.
The general look of Toompea changed greatly when the architecturally completely different Russian Orthodox
In 1903, when the Patkuli stairs were built near the northern end of the hill, Toompea got a new access from the direction of the
Toompea today
The much-rebuilt Toompea Castle – consisting of the czarist era governor's palace, walls and towers of the medieval fortress, the expressionist parliament building dating from 1922, plus a few other buildings – now houses the
Other notable sites in Toompea include the building of the
Toompea is also the location of several foreign embassies to Estonia, namely those of Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the office of the embassy of Canada.
There are several viewing platforms in Toompea, which offer good views of the surrounding city and are popular among tourists visiting Tallinn.
See also
References
Notes
- ^ a b "History of the Riigikogu. Toompea Castle". Riigikogu. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ^ Miljan 2004, p. 474
- ^ Miljan 2004, p. 373
- ^ a b "Tallinn Klint". North Estonian Klint - as a symbol of Estonian nature. Estonian Ministry of the Environment. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
- ^ a b Isakar, Mare (2003). "Toompea aluspõhjakõrgendik" (in Estonian). Museum of Geology of the University of Tartu. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
- ^ Nõlvak, Jaak (2005). "Tallinn Mustkivi ja Mustakivi vahel". Eesti Loodus (in Estonian) (6).
- ^ "Vabaduse väljak. Eesti mahukaim arheoloogiline uurimisobjekt". Horisont (in Estonian) (5). 2009.
- ^ a b "Map of Tallinn" (in Estonian). Tallinn City Planning Department. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
- ^ Kirby, William Forsell (1895). The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That Country. London: John C. Nimmo.
- ^ Lang 2007, p. 242
- ^ Zobel 2008, pp. 34–35
- ^ a b c Tõnisson 2008, pp. 185–186
- ^ Zobel 2008, p. 47
- ^ Zobel 2008, p. 53
- ^ Zobel 2008, p. 57
- ^ Zobel 2008, p. 73
- ^ Zobel 2008, p. 101
- ^ Pullat 1976, p. 75
- ^ a b Pullat 1976, p. 85
- ^ Zobel 2008, p. 142
- ^ Zobel 2008, p. 157
- ^ a b Pullat 1976, pp. 168–169
- ^ Zobel 2008, p. 172
- ^ Zobel 2008, p. 178
- ^ Maiste & Vohli 1996, pp. 70–71
- ^ Miljan 2004, pp. 461–462
- ^ Pullat 1976, p. 308
- ^ Pullat 1976, p. 311
- ^ Bruns 1993, p. 39
- ^ Pullat 1976, p. 157
- ^ a b Maiste & Vohli 1996, p. 73
- ^ Pullat 1976, p. 171
- ^ "The Stenbock House". The State Chancellery of the Republic of Estonia. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
- ^ Bruns 1993, p. 57
- ^ Pullat 1976, p. 361
- ^ Bruns 1993, p. 46
- ^ Ulm, Kalmar (2009-03-16). "Toompea säravad kuldkuplid". Postimees (in Estonian). Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ^ "Kogu Toompea tugimüür on renoveeritud". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). 2001-10-04. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ^ Veidemann, Rein (2005-07-12). "Nevski katedraal". Postimees (in Estonian). Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ^ Taylor 2007, p. 36
- ^ a b Bruns 1993, pp. 42–43
Bibliography
- ISBN 5-440-01328-8.
- Lang, Valter (2007). Baltimaade pronksi- ja rauaaeg [The Bronze and Iron Age in the Baltics] (in Estonian). Tartu: ISBN 978-9949-11-525-9.
- Maiste, Juhan; Vohli, Silja (1996). "Toompea uusaegsest topograafiast [On the topography of Toompea in the modern era]". In Pullat, Raimo (ed.). Vana Tallinn VI (X) (in Estonian). Tallinn: Estopol.
- Miljan, Toivo (2004). Historical dictionary of Estonia. Oxford: Scarecrow Press. p. 558. ISBN 0-8108-4904-6.
- Pullat, Raimo, ed. (1976). Tallinna ajalugu 1860-ndate aastateni [The History of Tallinn until the 1860s] (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Raamat. p. 430.
- Taylor, Neil (2007). Estonia (5 ed.). ISBN 9781841621944.
- Tõnisson, Evald (2008). Eesti muinaslinnad [Prehistoric strongholds of Estonia]. Muinasaja teadus (in Estonian). Vol. 20. Tartu: ISBN 978-9985-4-0538-3.
- Zobel, Rein (2008). Tallinn (Reval) in the middle ages : town building in the 13th-14th centuries. Tallinn: ISBN 978-9985-9841-4-7.