Rüütelkonna House

Rüütelkonna or Knighthood House got its name from the Estonian Knighthood who was the landowner. Since the 13th Century when Estonia was occupied by the German and Danish crusaders, the German nobles were the actual rulers here. They also stayed in power during the times when Estonia was occupied by Sweden and by the Russian Empire. They possessed most of the Estonian land as large landowners. The German nobles in Estonia were united in the Estonian Knighthood. The Knighthood House was the building where the Knights met and held their festivities and where their peerage register was kept. The present building, designed in Renaissance Revival style, is the fourth Knighthood House on the same spot and it was completed in mid-19th century. All privileges of the German Knights were cancelled in 1920, soon after Estonia had become independent. The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked in the building until the Soviet occupation. Since then, it’ been home for the National Library, the Art Museum and the Faculty of Liberal Arts of the Estonian Academy of Arts and, since 2016, it has been empty and waiting for the restoration works to begin.