Viljandi (, german: Fellin, sv, Fellin) is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in southern

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...

with a population of 17,407 in 2019. It is the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

Viljandi County Viljandi County ( et, Viljandi maakond or ''Viljandimaa''; german: Kreis Fellin) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in southern Estonia bordering Pärnu, Järva, Jõgeva, Tartu and Valga counties. History Viljandimaa, under the ...

and is geographically located between two major Estonian cities,

Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet ...

and

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...

. The town was first mentioned in 1283, upon being granted its town charter by Wilhelm von Endorpe. The town became a member of the

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 to ...

at the beginning of the 14th century, and is one of five Estonian towns and cities in the league. The once influential Estonian

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, spor ...

'' Sakala'' was founded in Viljandi in 1878. Viljandi Jaani kirik, frantsiskaanlaste vana kloostrikirik

Symbols

The flag of Viljandi is bi-coloured, its upper part light blue and lower part white. The city's shield-shaped coat of arms is light blue, with a white rose in the middle. Viljandi is the white rose city – in midsummer there are 720 white roses flowering in front of the city hall, planted for the town's anniversary in 2003. In summer, the White Rose Day is celebrated in Viljandi.

History

First records of civilization in the surroundings of Viljandi date back to the 5th millennium B.C. The first written record of the earthen

stronghold A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere' ...

of Viljandi was in the year 1154 in the commentaries to al-Idrisi's world atlas ''Geography''. In the 12th century, a permanent settlement emerged around the

of Viljandi, which also became the economic centre of the ancient Sakala district. In 1211 the

hillfort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...

of the

Estonians Estonians or Estonian people ( et, eestlased) are a Finnic ethnic group native to Estonia who speak the Estonian language. The Estonian language is spoken as the first language by the vast majority of Estonians; it is closely related to othe ...

in Viljandi was besieged by a joint army of

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

Latvians Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common L ...

, and

Livs The Livonians, or Livs ( Livonian: ''līvlizt''; Estonian: ''liivlased''; Latvian: ''līvi'', ''lībieši''), are a Balto-Finnic people indigenous to northern and northwestern Latvia. Livonians historically spoke Livonian, a Uralic language c ...

. The Livonian Sword Brethren (later the

Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after th ...

) captured the hillfort in August 1223 from a contingent of the people of

Ruthenians Ruthenian and Ruthene are exonyms of Latin origin, formerly used in Eastern and Central Europe as common ethnonyms for East Slavs, particularly during the late medieval and early modern periods. The Latin term Rutheni was used in medieval sou ...

, who joined forces with the insurgent Estonians. In place of the Sakala wooden stronghold a powerful Order Centre was started in 1224. The following year the Grand Master Volquin led the construction of the Viljandi Castle at the site of the former hillfort. The Viljandi (Fellin) castle was one of the largest in the

Baltic region The terms Baltic Sea Region, Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, mainly in Northern Europe. ...

. It was a major fortification of the

and was appointed a commander from 1248. The fortress was continually rebuilt and modernized over the next two-hundred years. In the 13th century, a medieval town arose on the northern side of the stronghold. The Hamburg-Riga town

bylaw A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authori ...

s, lands and population of it were first recorded in 1283. During the first half of the 14th century, Viljandi joined the influential

– the town had become an important stop for merchants on their way to Russia and back. In 1365, the town council was party when peace between Denmark and Hansa was concluded. In 1470, Johann Wolthus von Herse, then master of the order, took up residence in the castle. In the Middle Ages, Viljandi was a typical small commercial town, which got its main income from transit trade. The local trade and handicraft played an equally important role. In 1481,

Ivan III of Russia Ivan III Vasilyevich (russian: Иван III Васильевич; 22 January 1440 – 27 October 1505), also known as Ivan the Great, was a Grand Prince of Moscow and Grand Prince of all Rus'. Ivan served as the co-ruler and regent for his blin ...

laid siege to the castle but could not take it. The decline of Viljandi started during the

Livonian War The Livonian War (1558–1583) was the Russian invasion of Old Livonia, and the prolonged series of military conflicts that followed, in which Tsar Ivan the Terrible of Russia (Muscovy) unsuccessfully fought for control of the region (pr ...

and in 1560, the forces of Knyaz Andrey Kurbsky of Muscovite Russia succeeded in seizing and demolished the town and the stronghold. During the Polish–Russian War in the first quarter of the 17th century, the town and the stronghold were completely destroyed. Under the Swedish rule in the 17th century the town bylaws of Viljandi were cancelled. After the

Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swe ...

, Russians seized the power and Viljandi was without laws until the year 1783, when in the course of the regency reforms of

Catherine II , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

Viljandi became a district town. This involved the re-establishment of town bylaws. The economic and political importance of Viljandi started to increase. The population, meanwhile, having decreased to the minimum, started to rise again; handicraft, trading and cultural life were enlivened. In 2005, Estonian Match, the successor of the 100-year-old Viljandi Match Factory, made a six-metre match, which was registered as the largest match in the world in the

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing worl ...

Geography

The town is situated on the north-western shore of

Lake Viljandi Lake Viljandi ( et, Viljandi järv) is a lake in Viljandi County, Estonia. The lake is in the deep primeval valley of the Viljandi town, depth , length , width , and surface area . The Uueveski and Valuoja streams and a number of springs flow int ...

, which lies in the primeval valley. Green zones cover 27% of the town area. Public green areas cover about 418 ha, including 92 ha of parks. The largest is the nature-protected Castle Park, but also Valuoja Park, Kiigepark, Uueveski Park are worth mentioning. The main tree species are oak, lime,

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' cont ...

, and

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

. The grandest tree-lined avenues are Maramaa (named after

August Maramaa August Maramaa (before 1922 August Marfeldt; 6 April 1881 Aakre Parish, Tartu County – 26 December 1941 Vyatski Prison Camp, Kirov, Russia) was an Estonian politician, teacher and mayor of Viljandi from 1919-1921 and 1927-1939. He graduated in ...

, twice the mayor of Viljandi) and Lembitu avenues. Among foreign species,

American larch ''Larix laricina'', commonly known as the tamarack, hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, red larch, or American larch, is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and al ...

can be found in Köler avenue and

Douglas fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three v ...

in Uus street.

Culture

Viljandi is sometimes called the cultural capital of Estonia, partly due to the Viljandi Culture Academy being located there.

Ugala Theatre Ugala is a theatre in Viljandi, Estonia. The theatre was founded in 1920 opening on January 10 of that year. The first production was Oscar Wilde's "Salome". Ugala's Artistic Directors *1925 - 1926: Andres Särev *1926 – 1928: Eduard Lembe ...

since 1920, Viljandi has had the Ugala drama theatre. The tradition of open-air performances dates back to the same year. Viljandi Puppet Theatre Sakala Centre Viljandi Library built in 2002 is also a venue for exhibitions, meetings with famous people, culture seminars, etc. Kondas Centre is dedicated to Estonian naïve artist Paul Kondas. The center hosts exhibitions of representatives of naïvism and is also a meeting place for artistic people. Estonian Traditional Music Centre located in the Traditional Music Storehouse, a restored store house on Kirsimägi in the Castle ruins. The mission of the center is to promote and teach traditional music.

Economy

There were 871 businesses in Viljandi on 1 May 2005, 50% of them in service, 45% in trade, and 5% in production areas. The major industries represented are the construction materials industry, textile industry, and food and bakery industry. In 2005, the Investor of the Year title was awarded to the waterworks operator AS Viljandi Veevärk, the Employer award to AS Toom Tekstiil, and the Sponsor of the Year title to AS Viljandi Metall. Unemployment rate among the working-age population in Viljandi was about 3%.

Transport

At the moment, 2 modes of transport can be used – road and rail. One of the most important is the Viljandi railway station, which was opened in 1897, through which the Lelle-Viljandi railway and the Viljandi- Mõisaküla railway pass.

Climate

Education

There are 7 schools and 7 kindergartens in Viljandi, a vocational secondary school and a university college. Special interests are catered for by a variety of institution providing extracurricular studies and activities in such fields as sports, music etc. The Youth Centre of Viljandi County is successful in offering various information and consulting services.

Schools in Viljandi

Primary Schools
Viljandi Jakobsoni Kool

Viljandi Kesklinna Kool

Viljandi Paalalinna Kool

Viljandi Kaare Kool

Viljandi Vaba Waldorfkool
Grammar Schools
Viljandi Gümnaasium

Viljandi Täiskasvanute Gümnaasium

Vocational education

Vocational education can be acquired at Viljandi Joint Vocational Secondary School.

Higher education

Higher and applied higher education can be acquired at Viljandi Culture Academy a college of the University of Tartu.

Extracurricular educational institutions

* Viljandi Music School * Viljandi Sports School * Viljandi Art School * Viljandi Youth Hobby Centre

Sports

There are sports events in Viljandi for both top athletes and amateurs. Family sports events, Sunday skiing trips, cycling tours in spring and autumn are very popular. In the city there are 53 sports clubs, a large sports hall and the new sports hall of Maagümnaasium. Also, the country's first artificial speed skating oval was opened in 2014. Soon, the jogging and cycling track around Lake Viljandi will be completed. A new skateboarding and roller-skating area has been built in Männimäe. At the lakeside are tennis courts and the city stadium. Several races are held in Viljandi – around Lake Viljandi and Lake Paala and up and down the Trepimägi stairs. The longest tradition – the race around Lake Viljandi has been organised since 1928. This race takes place annually on 1 May, with the number of participants being about 1300 in the recent years. The winners' names are cut into stone columns. The legendary Hubert Pärnakivi, whose monument is also a tribute to the race, was an 11-time winner of the race. Other popular fields of sport in Viljandi are handball, football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, archery and rowing.

Legends

Boatman of Viljandi

Often the popular song is sung about the Boatman of Viljandi or the legend of him is told. Long-long ago, as a young man he had once taken a young girl across the lake on a summer evening and fallen hopelessly in love with the girl's blue eyes. Nobody knows what happened on the lake, but on the other side, the girl just waved him good-bye and left... However, the Boatman, a grey old man now, is said to row on the lake to this day, longing to see those wonderful blue eyes again. According to another story, it was a boatman from

Gauja The Gauja River ( et, Koiva jõgi, german: Livländische Aa) is a river in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is the only large river of Latvia that begins and ends its flow in Latvia. Its length is 460 km, of which 93.5 km (approxim ...

who had dedicated a song to his loved one. As the young woman had moved near Viljandi, the song had changed, too.

International relations

Viljandi as historic Hanseatic town is a member of the international City League the Hanse.

Twin towns – sister cities

Viljandi is twinned with: *

Ahrensburg Ahrensburg () is a town in the district of Stormarn, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located northeast of Hamburg and is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Its population is around 31,000. ''Schloss Ahrensburg'', the town's symbol, is ...

, Germany *

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic counties of England, historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th c ...

, United States *

Eslöv Eslöv (; older da, Eslev) is a town and the seat of Eslöv Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 19,598 inhabitants as of 2018. Eslöv is part of the Öresund Region. History According to a map from 1717, Eslöv village was originally loca ...

, Sweden *

Frostburg Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and is at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located west of Cumberland, the town is one of the first cities o ...

, United States *

Härnösand Härnösand () is a locality and the seat of Härnösand Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 17,556 inhabitants in 2010. It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape just a few miles north of H ...

, Sweden *

Kretinga Kretinga (; german: Crottingen) is a City in Klaipėda County, Lithuania. It is the capital of the Kretinga district municipality. It is located east of the popular Baltic Sea resort town of Palanga, and about north of Lithuania's 3rd largest ...

, Lithuania *

Porvoo Porvoo (; sv, Borgå ; la, Borgoa) is a city and a municipality in the Uusimaa region of Finland, situated on the southern coast about east of the city border of Helsinki and about from the city centre. Porvoo was one of the six medieva ...

, Finland * Telavi, Georgia *

Ternopil Ternópil ( uk, Тернопіль, Ternopil' ; pl, Tarnopol; yi, טאַרנאָפּל, Tarnopl, or ; he, טארנופול (טַרְנוֹפּוֹל), Tarnopol; german: Tarnopol) is a city in the west of Ukraine. Administratively, Terno ...

, Ukraine *

Valmiera Valmiera (; german: link=no, Wolmar; pl, Wolmar see other names) is the largest city of the historical Vidzeme region, Latvia, with a total area of . As of 2002, Valmiera had a population of 27,323, and in 2020 – 24 879. It is a state cit ...

, Latvia

Events

Viljandi Folk Music Festival __NOTOC__ The Viljandi Folk Music Festival is a music festival in Estonia with a central focus on European folk music. It is traditionally held during the last weekend of July, when the otherwise quiet city of Viljandi is completely transformed as ...

a music festival with a focus on European folk music. It is traditionally held in the end of July. In the year 2006, over 24,000 people attended the concerts. As such, it is the largest annual music festival in Estonia. Due to this, Viljandi is sometimes called the Estonian Capital of Folk Music. * Early Music Festival * Notafe Festival – originally 'Noore Tantsu (Young Dance) Festival' : Annual experimental theater festival founded in 1993, traditionally held in mid July. * Winter Folk Dance Festival * "Theatre in Suitcase" puppet theatre festival * Rock Ramp Festival * Viljandi Hanseatic Days are traditionally held in June every year. The program covers different activities and events like a Hanseatic fair, where people can buy and sell traditional goods. The Viljandi Hanseatic Days also offer concerts and live performances from local and foreign performers. Different workshops are opened. Medieval sports games take place by the

. * International Hanseatic Days will be held in Viljandi from 2015. *

Grand Race around Lake Viljandi The Grand Race around Lake Viljandi ( et, Suurjooks ümber Viljandi järve) is an annual cross country running competition that takes place around the Lake Viljandi in Viljandi, Estonia. It is also the oldest traditional running event in Eston ...

Notable residents

* Ülle Aaskivi (1950–2007), Estonian politician *

Liisa Aibel Liisa Aibel (born 21 September 1972) is an Estonian stage, film and television actress. Early life and education Liisa Aibel was born in Viljandi and attended school in Pärnu, graduating from Pärnu Secondary School No. 6 in 1990. As a teenager, ...

(born 1972), Estonian actress *

August Alle August Alle ( in Viljandi – 8 July 1952 in Tallinn) was an Estonian writer.Endel Nirk, Arthur Robert Hone, Oleg Mutt, ''Estonian Literature: Historical Survey with Biobibliographical Appendix'', Published by Perioodika, 1987, p215 Early life A ...

(1890–1952), Estonian author * Stefan Airapetjan (born 1997), singer who represented

Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 Estonia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy, with "Hope" performed by Stefan. The Estonian broadcaster (ERR) organised the national final ''2022'' in order to select the Estonian entry for the contest. The nation ...

Meelis Atonen Meelis Atonen (born 5 December 1966 in Viljandi) is an Estonian politician and entrepreneur. He has been a member of the IX, X and XI Riigikogu representing the Estonian Reform Party The Estonian Reform Party ( et, Eesti Reformierakond) is ...

(born 1966), Estonian politician *

Franz Burchard Dörbeck Franz Burchard Dörbeck ( in Fellin in Fellin) was a Baltic German graphic artist and caricaturist born in Fellin (now Viljandi, Viljandi County, Estonia) in what was then the Governorate of Livonia From 1814 to 1816 Dörbeck studied engravin ...

(1799–1835), Baltic-German caricaturist and painter *

August Eller August Eller (1907, Viljandi – 1990, Haapsalu) was an Estonian chess player, who won the Estonian Chess Championship. Biography August Eller participated in two Estonian schoolchildren chess championships (1925, 1926). Best result was 4th plac ...

(1907–1990), Estonian chess player * Väino Ilus (born 1929), Estonian writer * Kaido Kama (born 1957), Estonian politician *

Triinu Kivilaan Triinu Kivilaan (born 13 January 1989 in Viljandi, Estonia) is an Estonian vocalist and former model, best known as a former member of the popular girl group Vanilla Ninja. She had been modelling for several years when she replaced Maarja Kivi ...

(born 1989), former bassist of the band

Vanilla Ninja Vanilla Ninja is an Estonian all-female rock band which enjoyed chart success in a number of countries across Europe, especially in Estonia, Germany and Austria. The group formed in 2002 and released their self-titled debut album '' Vanilla N ...

, now soloist *

Ragnar Klavan Ragnar Klavan (born 30 October 1985) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Estonian club Paide Linnameeskond and the Estonia national team. A left-footed centre back, he has also played as a left back during his car ...

(born 1985), Estonian footballer and captain of the Estonia national team, played for

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

and in

Cagliari Cagliari (, also , , ; sc, Casteddu ; lat, Caralis) is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name ''Casteddu'' means ''castle''. It has about 155,000 inhabitant ...

Mart Laar Mart Laar (born 22 April 1960) is an Estonian politician and historian. He served as the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2002. Laar is credited with having helped bring about Estonia's rapid economic development dur ...

(born 1960), Estonian politician *

Karin Luts Karin Luts (29 April 1904 – 14 May 1993) was a Estonian female painter and a graphic artist. Biography Karin Luts was born in Riidaja in Valga County to parents Andres and Juuli Mari Luts (''née'' Gentalen) in April 1904 where she was one of ...

(1904–1993), Estonian artist *

Mait Malmsten Mait Malmsten (born 6 September 1972 in Viljandi) is an Estonian actor. Malmsten comes from a family of actors. His father is actor Rein Malmsten. His paternal grandparents were actors Franz Malmsten and Eva Meil. His great-uncle was actor Hug ...

(born 1972), Estonian actor *

Karol Mets Karol Mets (; born 16 May 1993) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder for St. Pauli on loan from Swiss club Zürich and the Estonia national team. Club career Tulevik Mets came through the T ...

(born 1993), Estonian footballer *

Uno Naissoo Uno Naissoo (25 March 1928 Viljandi – 5 January 1980 Tallinn) was an Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...

(1928–1980), Estonian composer and music pedagogue *

Annely Peebo Annely Peebo (born 16 November 1971) is an Estonian operatic mezzo-soprano. She was a co-host of the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 in Tallinn. Life and career Annely Peebo gained a diploma for choral conducting and completed vocal studies in ope ...

(born 1971), Estonian opera singer (mezzo-soprano) *

Eric Pehap Eric Pehap (10 April 1912 – 22 November 1981), also known as Erich Konstantin or simply Pehap, was an abstract artist working in Canada. Biography Eric Pehap was born in Viljandi in 1912 where his father worked as a police officer. Growing ...

(1912–1981), abstract artist * (1832–1907), journalist, teacher, author *

Sander Post Sander Post (born 10 September 1984 in Viljandi) is an Estonian football coach and former player who played as a centre back. Club career Early career Post made his first-team debut for FC Elva at the age of 16 in 2001, as a defender. After ...

(born 1984), Estonian football player *

Joakim Puhk Joakim Puhk (25 May 1888 – 14 September 1942) was an Estonian businessman, economist and Rotarian; a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1936 to 1942. Biography Joakim ...

(1888–1942), Estonian entrepreneur and sports official * Tõnis Rätsep (born 1947), Estonian actor, musician, playwright and educator * Hans Schmidt (1854–1923), German musician (composer and pianist) and poet *

Elisabeth Schiemann Elisabeth Schiemann (; 15 August 1881 – 3 January 1972) was a German geneticist, crop researcher and resistance fighter in the Third Reich. Background and education Elisabeth Schiemann was born in Viljandi, Estonia, at the time part of the ...

(1881–1972), German geneticist and crop scientist *

Helir-Valdor Seeder Helir-Valdor Seeder (born 7 September 1964) is an Estonian politician. He is a member of the parliament, current chairman of the Isamaa and served as Minister of Agriculture from 2007 to 2014. Seeder has a master's degree in economics from the E ...

(born 1964), Estonian politician *

Sirje Tamul Sirje Tamul (born 31 August 1951 in Viljandi) is an Estonian historian and a lector at the University of Tartu. She received her PhD in 2007. Tamul's main field of research is the history of the University of Tartu between the 19th and the be ...

(born 1951), Estonian historian * Jaan Tätte (born 1964), Estonian dramatist, actor and singer *

Joonas Tamm Joonas Tamm (born 2 February 1992) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Liga I club FCSB and the Estonia national team. Tamm has won the Estonian Footballer of the Year in 2022. Club career Tulevik Tamm started ...

(born 1992), International Estonian football player of

FC Desna Chernihiv Football Club Desna Chernihiv ( uk, ФК «Десна» Чернігів) is a Ukrainian football club based in Chernihiv. The original name of the club was "Avanhard" (FC Avanhard Chernihiv) during its first year of existence as part of a re ...

and Sampdoria.

Gallery

File:Viljandi castle southern end.jpg, Viljandi castle. Ruins at the southern end of the hill with

in the background File:Viljandi 2010 002.jpg, Viljandi Folk Music Festival held annually within the castle ruins File:Viljandi vanalinna muinsuskaitseala, Hiire ja Johan Laidoneri plats tänava nurk.JPG, Viljandi Town Heritage Conservation Area File:Ugala teater.jpg,

Ugala Ugala is a theatre in Viljandi, Estonia. The theatre was founded in 1920 opening on January 10 of that year. The first production was Oscar Wilde's "Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμ� ...

Theatre File:Elamu Viljandis Tallinna 16.jpg, Main building of

University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy ( et, Tartu Ülikooli Viljandi Kultuuriakadeemia) is an Estonian institution of higher education, situated in the provincial town of Viljandi, central Estonia. The UT Viljandi Culture Academy merged ...

on Tallinna tänav 16 in Viljandi File:Viljandi maagümnaasiumi hoone.jpg, Main building of Viljandi Gümnaasium File:Grand Hotel in winter.JPG, Grand Hotel Viljandi File:Viljandin öistä keskustaa.JPG, Viljandi shopping centre at night

References

Heinrici (ca. 1187–1259) Chronicon Livoniae
see also

Chronicle of Henry of Livonia The ''Livonian Chronicle of Henry'' ( la, Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) offers a Latin narrative of events in Livonia (roughly corresponding to today's inland Estonia and the northern part of Latvia) and surrounding areas from 1180 to 1227. It was ...

External links

*
Viljandi Tourist Information Centre

Festival Viljandi Folk Music Festival

Viljandi this week, Nädal Viljandis, all events in Viljandi

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Estonia Municipalities of Estonia Members of the Hanseatic League Kreis Fellin Populated places in Viljandi County Populated places established in the 1280s