Toompea Castle

Toompea Castle
Toompea Castle
Toompea loss
	Toompea castle in 2014
	Location within Tallinn.
General information
Town or city	Tallinn
Country	Estonia
Completed	14th and 16th centuries

Toompea castle (

Parliament of Estonia.^[1]

History

The Toompea castle's predecessor, an

Battle of Lindanise). This first proper castle was referred to as the "Castle of the Danes", in Latin castrum danorum and in contemporary archaic Estonian taani linna. From the latter, the modern name of the city of Tallinn is possibly derived^[2] (see also Tallinn § Etymology

).

In 1227, the castle was taken over by the

Order of the Brethren of the Sword, who initiated rebuilding schemes. The castle's reconstruction began in the 13th century and is to a large extent the castle that can be seen today. The castle again fell to Denmark just ten years later, in 1237, but was sold to the Teutonic Order in 1346, and would remain in their hands for the remainder of the Middle Ages.^[1]

As the crusading Teutonic Order was a religious order, the castle came to resemble a monastery in several ways. It included a

national anthem, and lowered at sunset.^[1]

With the upheavals of the

Swedish dominion. The Swedes transformed the castle from a crusaders' fortress into a ceremonial and administrative centre of political power in Estonia, a purpose the castle has served ever since.^[1]

In 1710, Sweden lost the territory of modern-day Estonia to the

Johann Schultz, was added in the eastern part of the complex. It housed the provincial administration of the Governorate of Estonia and the living quarters of the imperial governor. In the 19th century, a public park was also created and to the south-east of the castle, and an archive building erected nearby.^[1]^[3]

Parliament building

After Estonia became

foreign occupations — by the Soviet Union, by Nazi Germany in 1941—1944, and then again by the Soviet Union after 1944 — the parliament of Estonia was disbanded. The castle and the building of the Riigikogu were however used by the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR (a local rubber stamp

Soviet "parliament") in 1944−1990.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Toompea Castle". Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia). Retrieved 10 September 2013.
^ Dictionary of the Estonian language, accessed 1 April 2022
^
ISBN 9949-407-18-4
.