Lihula
Lihula is a town in Estonia with population of 1,614 (as of 2006). It is a centre of a rural municipality in Lääne County.
Lihula castle
The castle of Lihula (German: Leal) was first mentioned in 1211, but it appears the site was used as a fortress since the Iron Age.[1] In 1220, a Swedish army started constructing a castle here, but were defeated by Estonian forces on 8 August 1220, in the Battle of Lihula.[2][3] [citation needed]
In 1238, however, the bishop of Saare-Lääne (German: Ösel-Wiek) constructed a crusader fortress at the site, in cooperation with the Teutonic Order. This attempt was more successful and the castle became one of the residences of the bishop.[4] The Teutonic Order also used the castle as a centre of their commandry between 1241 and 1477. In 1560, the estate was reportedly granted to alderman Gerdt Bellingshausen by Duke Magnus of Holstein.[5]
In the course of the Livonian War, the castle was destroyed.
Lihula manor
Despite the fact that the castle was destroyed during the Livonian War, a new manorial estate grew up right next to the original location thereafter. In the 1630s, it was recorded as the property of the Swedish general Åke Tott. The manor stayed in the Tott family until 1684, after which it belonged to various aristocratic families. The present neoclassicist manor house was built in the early 19th century.[6]
Lihula Monument
For a short period there was a monument in Lihula, honoring those Estonian soldiers who fought in the German Army against Soviet Union during World War II. By the order of prime minister Juhan Parts, the authorities removed the monument and as of June 2007, it stands in the Occupation Museum in Tallinn.
Gallery
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Lihula castle ruins
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Lihula castle ruins
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Lihula castle ruins
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Lihula castle ruins
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Lihula manor
See also
References
- ↑ Viirand, Tiiu (2004). Estonia. Cultural Tourism. Kunst Publishers. pp. 108–109. ISBN 9949-407-18-4.
- ↑ Harrison, Dick (2005). Gud vill det! - Nordiska korsfarare under medeltid (in Swedish). Ordfront. p. 573. ISBN 978-91-7441-373-1.
- ↑ Crispinsson, John (2011). Den glömda historien (in Swedish). Norstedts. p. 441. ISBN 9789113025247.
- ↑ Hein, Ants (2009). Eesti Mõisad - Herrenhäuser in Estland - Estonian Manor Houses. Tallinn: Tänapäev. p. 104. ISBN 978-9985-62-765-5.
- ↑ Sakk, Ivar (2004). Estonian Manors - A Travelogue. Tallinn: Sakk & Sakk OÜ. p. 314. ISBN 9949-10-117-4.
- ↑ Hein, Ants (2009). Eesti Mõisad - Herrenhäuser in Estland - Estonian Manor Houses. Tallinn: Tänapäev. p. 104. ISBN 978-9985-62-765-5.
External links
Media related to Lihula at Wikimedia Commons- Lihula castle and manor at Estonian Manors Portal
Coordinates: 58°40′53″N 23°50′43″E / 58.681389°N 23.845278°E
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