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Architecture Of Estonia
This article covers the architecture of Estonia. History Ancient Estonia A distinguishing feature of early Estonian architecture are the many strongholds and hill-forts found throughout the country, for example Varbola and Valjala strongholds. The more important of these, which could cover an area up to and were located at important crossroads, eventually developed into commercial hubs, like Tallinn, Tartu and Otepää. Gothic architecture Christianity was brought to Estonia through the northern crusades, and brought about huge changes in the society, culture and architecture of Estonia. The influences came mainly from German-speaking areas and Scandinavia. The new religion prompted the erection of churches throughout present-day Estonia, beginning in the 13th century. The first churches were probably wooden; of these none survive. The earliest churches still surviving were strongly built and fortress-like; Valjala church on Saaremaa is one example. The master masons and sc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ordensburg
''Ordensburg'' (plural ''Ordensburgen'') is a German term meaning "castles/fortresses of (military) orders", and is used specifically for such fortified structures built by crusading German military orders during the Middle Ages. Medieval Ordensburgen The Ordensburgs were originally constructed by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and later the Teutonic Knights to fortify territory in Prussia and Livonia captured from the native populations - Old Prussians, Lithuanians and native peoples of what is now Latvia and Estonia. Later, Ordensburgs were used to attack Lithuania. Since they were built and used by religious military orders, the Ordensburgs often resembled cloisters. While they were considerably larger than those in the Holy Roman Empire, they were much scarcer in the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights. While a normal castle in the Reich would control about 38 km2, a castle would control 370 km2 in Prussia and 789 km2 in Livonia, Courland and Estonia. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the Volkhov River just downstream from its outflow from Lake Ilmen and is situated on the M10 federal highway connecting Moscow and Saint Petersburg. UNESCO recognized Novgorod as a World Heritage Site in 1992. The city has a population of At its peak during the 14th century, the city was the capital of the Novgorod Republic and was one of Europe's largest cities. The "Veliky" ("great") part was added to the city's name in 1999. History Early developments The Sofia First Chronicle makes initial mention of it in 859, while the Novgorod First Chronicle first mentions it in 862, when it was purportedly already a major Baltics-to- Byzantium station on t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, Finland to the east, and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridgetunnel across the Öresund. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic country, the third-largest country in the European Union, and the fifth-largest country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Stockholm. Sweden has a total population of 10.5 million, and a low population density of , with around 87% of Swedes residing in urban areas in the central and southern half of the country. Sweden has a nature dominated by forests and a large amount of lakes, including some of the largest in Europe. Many long rivers run from the Scandes range through the landscape, primarily ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland across Estonia to the south. Finland covers an area of with a population of 5.6 million. Helsinki is the capital and largest city, forming a larger metropolitan area with the neighbouring cities of Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa. The vast majority of the population are ethnic Finns. Finnish, alongside Swedish, are the official languages. Swedish is the native language of 5.2% of the population. Finland's climate varies from humid continental in the south to the boreal in the north. The land cover is primarily a boreal forest biome, with more than 180,000 recorded lakes. Finland was first inhabited around 9000 BC after the Last Glacial Period. The Stone Age introduced several differ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German towns in the late 12th century, the League ultimately encompassed nearly 200 settlements across seven modern-day countries; at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries, it stretched from the Netherlands in the west to Russia in the east, and from Estonia in the north to Kraków, Poland in the south. The League originated from various loose associations of German traders and towns formed to advance mutual commercial interests, such as protection against piracy and banditry. These arrangements gradually coalesced into the Hanseatic League, whose traders enjoyed duty-free treatment, protection, and diplomatic privileges in affiliated communities and their trade routes. Hanseatic Cities gradually developed a common legal system governing t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vao, Lääne-Viru County
Vao is a village in Väike-Maarja Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northeastern Estonia. Since 2014, Vao is the location of Vao Accommodation Centre, an accommodation centre for asylum seekers. Since the European migrant crisis has gained wide media attention in Estonia, Vao Centre has become the site of demonstrations against refugees. On 3 September 2015, the external wall of the center was set to fire. No one was hurt in the incident. Vao Castle Vao (german: Wack) castle is a well-preserved medieval tower fortress. It was built in the later half of the 14th century as a so-called "vassal castle", i.e. a smaller fortress built to keep control in areas where large strongholds were not needed. Other notable examples of such castles in Estonia are Purtse and Kiiu castles. In 1442, the castle belonged to the family Wack. Subsequently it has belonged to various aristocratic families. In the 1770s the tower was certainly no longer used a manor, since at this time a new baroque manor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kiiu
Kiiu is a small borough ( et, alevik) in Kuusalu Parish, Harju County, northern Estonia. It has a population of 859 (as of 1 January 2012). Kiiu Tower Kiiu (german: Kida) tower is a medieval defensive tower house of a type found also elsewhere in the Baltic region and sometimes referred to as a "vassal castle". This type of fortification was not intended to be used in any major military operations. Other examples in Estonia include Vao tower and Purtse Castle. Kiiu tower was probably built around 1520 by the local lord of the manor Fabian von Tiesenhausen. Originally the tower was surrounded by a limestone wall and outbuildings, forming a courtyard. The tower itself is conical and four storeys high. Only the second storey was intended to be used as living quarters in times of war or unrest. On this floor, a bed alcove is found in the wall, as well as a fireplace and latrine which are also present on the other storeys. All the other storeys had purely defensive purposes, includi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Purtse Castle
Purtse Castle ( et, Purtse mõis, german: Alt-Isenhof) is a castle of a local Purtse knight manor in Purtse, northeastern Estonia. It was built in the middle of the 16th century, probably by the landowner Johann von Taube, at a time when late Gothic ways of building were slowly being abandoned in favour of Renaissance ideas. The building therefore contains partly elements which were archaic even for its time, and partly examples of renaissance architecture. History The castle was built as a fortified manor house, different from a purely defensive keep in that the floors have not only one but several rooms. It consists of three storeys: the lower was used for storage, the middle for living and the top floor had a defensive function. The building was entered on the second floor via a ladder which could, in times of danger, be pulled up. Inside, the basement contained a sophisticated hypocaust system which could be used for heating the main hall on the middle floor. During the cou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kuressaare Castle
Kuressaare Castle ( et, Kuressaare linnus; german: Schloss Arensburg), also Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, ( et, Kuressaare piiskopilinnus), is a castle in Kuressaare on Saaremaa island, in western Estonia. History The earliest written record mentioning Kuressaare castle is from the 1380s, when the Teutonic Order began its construction for the bishops of Ösel-Wieck. Some sources claim that the first castle was built of wood. As the inhabitants of Saaremaa put up stiff resistance to foreign efforts to Christianise them, the castle was undoubtedly built as part of a wider effort by the crusaders to gain control over the island. From the outset, it was a stronghold belonging to the bishop of Saare-Lääne (german: Ösel-Wiek) and remained one of the most important castles of the Bishopric until its dissolution during the Livonian War. In 1559, Denmark-Norway seized control over Saaremaa and Kuressaare castle. During this time, the fortifications were modernised. Following the Pea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toompea Castle
Toompea castle ( et, Toompea loss) is a medieval castle on Toompea hill in the central part of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. In modern times, it houses the Parliament of Estonia. History The Toompea castle's predecessor, an ancient Estonian stronghold had been in use since at least the 9th century AD. In 1219, the castle was taken over by Denmark's crusaders led by king Valdemar II. According to a popular Danish legend, the flag of Denmark (''Dannebrog'') fell from the sky during a critical stage of the battle (known as the 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 accessed 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Narva
Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru County, Ida-Viru county, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia border, Estonia–Russia international border. With 54,409 inhabitants (as of 2020) Narva is Estonia's third largest city after capital Tallinn and Tartu. In 1944, Narva was nearly completely destroyed during the battles of World War II. During the period of Soviet occupation of Estonia, Soviet occupation (1944–1991), the city’s original native inhabitants were not permitted to return after the war, and immigrant workers from Russia and other parts of the Soviet Union, former USSR were brought in to populate the city. The city whose population had been, as of 1934 census, 65% ethnic Estonian, became overwhelmingly non-Estonian in the second half of the 20th century. According to more recent data, 46.7% of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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