Great Guild Hall description and photos - Estonia: Tallinn (Topic)

Great Guild Hall description and photos - Estonia: Tallinn. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Great Guild Hall.

Photo and description

The Great Guild Building, built in 1407-1417, is the second largest secular medieval building in Tallinn. The building was intended for meetings.

A large guild united wealthy merchants and was called upon to protect their interests. From the members of the guild, the mayor and ratmans were elected. A married merchant who had his own house in Tallinn could become a member of the guild. Not everyone of the visitors could join the guild, only those who decided to stay in Tallinn forever. In addition, the foreigner still had to marry the widow of a member of the guild.

The huge size of the building and its elegant appearance testify to the high level of prosperity and influence of the members of the guild. Small coat of arms of Tallinn in the form of a white cross on a red background, was at the same time the coat of arms of the Great Guild. In the area of Bursi Lane (Birzhevoy) there were auxiliary rooms of the guild. On the side of Pikk Street there was an excise chamber and a silver vault, and on the side of Lai Street there were the so-called "bride's chamber" and the servant's apartment.

The facade of the Great Guild building is decorated with a coat of arms, and a castle dating from 1430. The exterior and interior of the building have remained practically unchanged since the 15th century.

The Great Guild now houses the Estonian History Museum, which will reopen in June 2011. The museum houses a permanent exhibition that tells about the history of the city from ancient times to the end of the 20th century. Films and interactive exhibitions will tell about the struggle of our ancestors for survival over the past 11 thousand years.

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Topic: Great Guild Hall description and photos - Estonia: Tallinn.