Rapla (
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
: ''Rappel'') is a
town in central
Estonia, the capital of
Rapla County and the centre of
Rapla Parish. The oldest records date back to 1241 in the
Danish Census Book
The Danish Census Book or the Danish book of land taxation ( la, Liber Census Daniæ), ( da, Kong Valdemars Jordebog) dates from the 13th century and consists of a number of separate manuscripts. The original manuscripts are now housed in the Da ...
, when it was said that it was a small village with 8 acres of cultivated fields. By the end of the 13th century, the village centre was firmly established. At around the same time, a
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
monastery was built.
Rapla's ambitious period of fast growth began only in the late 19th century. In 1866, a pharmacy was built, in 1868 a school, and in 1888 a hospital. In 1898, a Brick factory was opened, and in 1900, a railway line was built between Rapla and
Viljandi. The old stone church was demolished in the late 19th century and a new one was built in a
Romanesque style, one of the purest examples of this style in all of Estonia.
In 1913, Rapla consisted of around 20 stone and 60 wooden houses. During this time period, a number of social societies were established, such as the Volunteer Fire Company, the Song and Music Society, the Society of Agriculture, a Mutual Fire Insurance Company, a Consumer Association, and the Deposit Insurance Fund.
It has a railway station on the
Tallinn–
Viljandi railway line operated by
Elron. In 1931, a
narrow gauge railway from Rapla to
Virtsu
Virtsu is a small borough (') in Lääneranna Parish, Pärnu County, Estonia. It lies on the western coast of continental Estonia, and is a location of the main port for traffic to and from Saaremaa, the largest island of Estonia. The Virtsu fe ...
opened and remained in use until 1968.
Gallery
File:Rapla kirik1.jpg, Rapla Maria Magdalena Lutheran Church
File:Rapla raudteejaam 2010-05-12.jpg, Rapla railway station
File:Rapla kultuurikeskus.JPG, Rapla cultural centre
File:Rapla ringtee.JPG, Central square of Rapla
File:Rapla, pangahoone Tallinna mnt 12 (1).jpg, Bank in Rapla
See also
*
Cheleutochroa
''Cheleutochroa'' is an extinct genus of acritarchs from the Ordovician.
''C. elegans'' was recovered from Rapla borehole in Estonia.Ordovician acritarchs from the Rapla borehole, Estonia. A Uutela and R Tynni, 1991
References
External link ...
(
Acritarch from the Rapla borehole)
References
External links
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Estonia
Rapla
Rapla (German: ''Rappel'') is a town in central Estonia, the capital of Rapla County and the centre of Rapla Parish. The oldest records date back to 1241 in the Danish Census Book, when it was said that it was a small village with 8 acres of ...
Kreis Harrien