The House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads. The House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads is one of the few buildings in the Renaissance style in Tallinn that have survived till our days. The Brotherhood appeared in 1399. It united young lone traders, who were waiting for their turn to be accepted in the “Big Guild”. Foreign merchants, who were temporarily living in Tallinn, were also allowed to enter the brotherhood. The name of the brotherhood appeared because of its patron, Saint Mauritius (he was black), a Christian martyr who died in 280 AD in Switzerland. The brotherhood operated only in Estonia and Latvia, and nothing is known about this organization in the rest of Europe. The members of the organization left the country in 40s of the XX century. The House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads was restored in 1597. During the restoration the building received a facade made in the Dutch Renaissance style. The beautiful front door of the building was added in 1640. Do not forget to pay a special attention to the main hall of the building as it has wonderful vaulted ceilings and two aisles built in the XV century. In 1908, the inner premises of the building were restored, and its interiors were made in the neoclassical style.
The City Museum is the most modern and the most interesting museum dedicated to the history of Tallinn. This is the place where visitors will hear about the most important facts about the history and development of the city. The museum describes different aspects of medieval society and its exhibition is supported by various text documents, layouts and sound effects. The items exhibited on the upper floors of the museum are devoted to the life of Estonia in the XX century – large wars, the Soviet period, and the country's independence.
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