Toompea

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Toompea hill

Hill from the tower of St. Olaf's church

Toompea (German: Domberg, or "Cathedral Hill") is a limestone hill in the central part of the city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It is about 20-30 meters higher than the city around it and covers an area of about 400 by 250 meters. In folklore the hill is known as the tumulus mound over the grave of Kalev, erected in his memory by his grieving wife. It is now the center of the Government of Estonia and the Riigikogu (parliament).

[edit] History

The first wooden castle, Lindanise, is believed to have been built on the hill in either the 10th or 11th century by residents of the ancient Estonian county of Revalia. It was probably one of the first inhabited areas of what later became Tallinn.

In 1219, the castle was taken over by Danish crusaders - led by Valdemar II. According to a legend very popular among Danes, the very first flag of Denmark (Dannebrog) fell from the sky during the critical stage of the battle which was fought near the castle, resulting in Danish victory over the Estonians.

The Toompea castle (Castrum Danorum) is topped by the Pikk Hermann ("Tall Hermann") tower. The tower's first part was built 1360-70, rebuilt taller in the 16th century. The flag on the top of the tower is one of the best-known symbols of the government in force.

During the subsequent different rulers (Teutonic Order, Sweden, Imperial Russia) Toompea, as a separate town (Dom zu Reval) under its own administration was able to retain a variety of special rights and privileges, the last of which remained in the books until 1889. Toompea was joined with Tallinn ("lower town") in 1878. Particular private law was in force for Toompea until 1944.

The much-rebuilt Toompea castle - originally consisting of the governor's palace, the medieval fortress and the expressionist parliament building - is nowadays housing the Estonian Parliament. The facade of the classicist governor's palace dominates Lossi plats ("Castle square"), where the Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, completed in 1900 in an immediately recognizable Russian style, overtops it. Other notable sites in Toompea include the building of the Government of Estonia (also known as "The Stenbock House"), the Lutheran Cathedral (Toomkirik) from which the name Toompea (Domberg) was originally derived and the building of the Estonian Academy of Sciences (former seat of the local German cultural self-government).