{"id":5153,"date":"2026-06-25T11:04:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/?page_id=5153"},"modified":"2026-09-10T15:03:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T12:03:45","slug":"tall-hermann-toompea-towers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/en\/visit-us\/toompea-castle\/tall-hermann-toompea-towers\/","title":{"rendered":"Tall Hermann and Toompea towers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.7%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The ancient towers of Toompea Castle are an integral part of Estonia&#8217;s political history. During the Mediaeval period, the Castle had four towers \u2013 Tall Hermann, Landskrone, Pilsticker and St\u00fcr den Kerl \u2013 which protected its four corners. Over time, these have been converted to fit the current needs, while St\u00fcr den Kerl has been demolished altogether. The most important of the remaining towers is Tall Hermann which flies the symbol of Estonia&#8217;s independence \u2013 our national flag \u2013 from its top, 95 metres above the sea level.<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/wpcms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/riigikogu_tallinnatornid_en.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/wpcms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/riigikogu_tallinnatornid_en.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Infographic, Tall Hermann and Other Towers of Tallinn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional defence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the second half of the 14th century The Knights of the Livonian Order decided that the&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"After the battles in 1219 and 1220, the Danes conquered most of Northern Estonia and baptised the majority of the population. The army got Harju County, Viru County and Alutaguse under its control, as well as parts of L\u00e4\u00e4ne and J\u00e4rva Counties. The conquered areas were combined into a Duchy of Estonia under the King of Denmark. Around the middle of the 1220s, Saaremaa islanders repeatedly tried to win back these regions; however, the Order of the Brethren of the Sword stepped in to help the Danes and thwarted these attempts. The vice-governors of the Danes began a frenzied construction of keeps and defence buildings in North Estonia (e.g. Tallinn city wall in 1265, Rakvere Castle, Narva Castle in 1254.)\" class=\"has-tooltip\">Danish Castle on Toompea<\/span>&nbsp;no longer corresponded to the&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"Large catapults were increasingly employed during attacks, and walls and buildings with insufficient protection just could not withstand this. Consequently, various kinds of defence constructions were started and the walls of the castle were reinforced so as to protect them against catapult attacks. The most common weapons of the time were crossbows and stone throwers.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">defence needs<\/span>. This is why they added a number of towers of different sizes and functions to defend all the corners of the Castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The round artillery tower Landskrone was built in the North East corner of the Castle, the octagonal\u00a0<span data-tooltip=\"St\u00fcr den Kerl (\u2018Fight Back the Enemy\u2019 in Lower German) was probably built in 1371 in the South East corner of the Castle. The tower had a quadrangular base and an octagonal layout. The tower suffered serious damage when the Swedish forces sieged Toompea in 1561 during the Livonian War. It was largely demolished between 1767 and 1773 when the province government building was built. The last vestiges of the tower were demolished in the second half of the 1930s, when the South wing of Toompea Castle was built.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">St\u00fcr den Kerl<\/span>\u00a0in the South East, Tall Hermann in the South West, and the little Pilsticker in the North West. Only three of these are still standing, as St\u00fcr den Kerl was demolished when the province government building was constructed on the second half of the 18th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Western fa\u00e7ade of the Castle on the limestone cliff is 149 metres long.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tall Hermann tower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tall Hermann is one of the foremost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigiteataja.ee\/en\/eli\/530102013068\/consolide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">symbols<\/a> of our national independence. The national flag is hoisted to the top of the tower every day at sunrise, accompanied by a musical signature. Throughout our complicated history, many foreign flags have also flown from the top of the tower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/wpcms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Pikk-Hermann-533x800.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/wpcms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Pikk-Hermann-533x800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tall Hermann Tower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The national flag was first hoisted to the top of Tall Hermann on&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"The Estonian tricolour was first hoisted on top of Tall Hermann on 12 December 1918. At 3 p.m. the very same afternoon, ships of the British Navy arrived in Tallinn. This was a significant help in achieving Estonia's independence because Estonia had no sea defence and the Russian navy could easily have occupied our coast and the port when it arrived outside Tallinn on 26 December. With the help of the British, however, we were protected from the sea and the Estonian forces could concentrate on organising land defence. On 27 December, the British caught two Russian mine cruisers and gave both to Estonia, where they were renamed Lennuk and Wambola.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">12 December 1918<\/span>&nbsp;and remained there until the summer of 1940. After the decades of the Soviet occupation, the national flag was again raised on&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"The 71st anniversary of the Republic of Estonia was celebrated across the country on 24 February 1989. It was on that day that the Estonian National Independence Party, Estonian Heritage Society and Estonian Christian Union demanded the restoration of the Republic of Estonia on the basis of legal continuity.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">24 February 1989<\/span>. The flag is changed about six times a year and the used flags are numbered and archived. The flags are made in the flag factory from a special weather proof fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tall Hermann, which means \u2018tall warrior\u2019 or \u2018great chief\u2019 in German,&nbsp;was one third shorter than originally. The records say that the tower was built in three stages from the&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"The 14th century was a time of violent conflicts between local landlords in Estonia. This mainly consisted in the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and the bishops fighting for land and political power. This was also the time for one of the most intriguing events in Estonia's history, the exact circumstances of which remain clouded in mystery. We are talking about the Estonian revolt against the foreign powers in 1343\u20131345, better known as the St George's Night Uprising.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">mid-14th century<\/span>&nbsp;until the&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"The 15th and 16th century in Estonia. The beginning of this period saw a straining of relations with the Russians. The reformation ideas, which had originated in Germany, quickly found their way to Livonia: the first Lutheran preachers started working here in the early 1520s. Yet reformation as a whole lasted for several decades. Over the 15th century, the clergy as well as lay landlords enforced many decisions designed to prevent peasants from fleeing and to ensure that the runaways would be returned. Records dating from the end of the century show that peasants were already being sold and exchanged with or without land. The life of the peasants was drastically restricted and serfdom loomed on the horizon.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">beginning of the 16th century<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tall Hermann, rising 83 metres above the sea level, was the highest stone tower around the Baltic Sea in the Late Middle Ages. Initially it functioned as a lookout and&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"A defence tower is a defence construction near a fort or attached to it. A lookout tower was where the sentinels kept guard.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">defence tower<\/span>&nbsp;with sweeping views which ensured that no enemy could approach unnoticed. To make life more comfortable for the guards, the tower could be heated thanks to the&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"Hypocaust is an air heating system developed in Antiquity. Rooms are heated by directing in hot air through openings in the floor, or by heating the floor with hot air.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">hypocaust-type<\/span>&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"At the beginning of the 14th century, field stones were piled on the arch of the fireplace to retain the heat. This is how the kiuas stove used in the sauna was born. There was usually a stove on the lower storey of a building and a tiled floor above it on the main storey. The tiles had holes which were covered during the heating process. When the stove was hot and the smoke had dissipated, the holes were opened and the warm air was directed inside the rooms. This inventions turned out to be so successful that it spread from Tallinn convents and monasteries to poorhouses, town halls and guild houses, and finally to town houses.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">furnace<\/span>&nbsp;in the lower chamber. When the furnace heated up, the chimney shaft was closed off and warm air rushed upwards from the lower storeys via channels. Tall Hermann was one of the first buildings to use this type of heating system. Later, this was also used in&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"Mediaeval town houses in Tallinn lined the streets side-by-side, sharing the wall between them; each had a long narrow back yard. The buildings typically had a narrow front fa\u00e7ade and a high pointed gable, and their upper storeys were used for storage. Merchants' houses typically had loading windows with a wench for hauling up merchandise. The layout of the houses was quite similar regardless of the wealth of the owner. A town house had a large hall (diele) with a small mantle-chimney kitchen, one heated living room (d\u00f6rnse), a number of unheated chambers, cellar spaces and granaries, as well as storage spaces above the living area. Image: Town houses in the Old Town, Lai and Vene Streets.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">Tallinn town houses.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/wpcms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/MG_6929-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pilsticker Tower, West wing of Toompea Castle and Tall Hermann Tower. Photo: Paul Kuimet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Landskrone tower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Landskrone means \u2018crown of the land\u2019 in German. The tower was built in the 14th or 15th century to the North East corner of the Castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its style and construction technique are similar to those of Tall Hermann. Both towers once had storage spaces,&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"Shooting chambers were openings in the wall where gunners could position their fire arms to fight back enemy attacks.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">shooting chambers<\/span>, spiral staircases,&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"A dansker is a toilet which protrudes from the walls of a mediaeval fort. It is usually rectangular in shape. The dansker in the middle of the Western wall now houses the Riigikogu caf\u00e9.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">a dansker (toilet)<\/span>, and a hypocaust furnace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/wpcms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Keskaegse-ordulinnuse-kaitsetornid-pilsticker-loodenurgas-ja-Landskrone-kirdenurgas-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Defence towers of the medieval castle, Pilsticker in the north-west corner (on the left) and Landskrone in the north east corner (on the right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/wpcms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Toompea-linnuse-loodenurk-Pilstickeri-torniga-enne-Riigikogu-hoone-k%C3%B5rvalhoone-ehitamist.-TLM-F-539-1-498x800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The north-west corner of Toompea Castle with Pilsticker Tower before construction of the side wing of the Riigikogu building. Photo: Tallinn City Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pilsticker Tower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tower in the North West corner of the Castle is called Pilsticker, which means \u2018arrow sharpener\u2019 in German. It was built in the end of the 14th or the beginning of the 15th century as a&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"A console tower is a small tower which is attached to two sides of a wall of a defence building and protrudes from the top of the wall.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">console tower<\/span>. The three storey tower had&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"Walls and towers began to be topped by parapets: a thin wall with gun slits and tall enough to hide the human figure. Defenders could thus take cover behind a higher wall from the shots of the attackers.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">gun slots<\/span>&nbsp;for firearms. During the Livonian War, the Pilsticker and Landskrone towers suffered the most damage. The crowning part was added to Pilsticker during a 20th century renovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-info is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since the tricolour of the Republic of Estonia was again hoisted to the top of Tall Hermann on 24 February 1989, the flag has already been changed more than 160 times.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">St\u00fcr den Kerl tower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">St\u00fcr den Kerl means \u2018fight back the enemy\u2019 in German. It is difficult to date this South Eastern tower, but it is believed to have been built by the Danish in the first&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"On the one hand, the 13th and 14th century were a golden age for Central and Eastern Europe: towns and trade developed, nations were starting to form \u2013 although with some setbacks. At the same time, many regions were devastated by the Black Death, i.e. the plague, which killed a large part of the European population. The 13th and 14th century were also the time when the first feudal representative bodies, or parliaments, were formed in Europe. Renaissance was starting to develop in Southern Europe, bringing along cultural and social progress. Middle Ages were beginning to transform peacefully into the Modern Age. The development of the Hanseatic League and the trade relations it facilitated were important for the Nordic countries and Estonia, as these helped to open up the world.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">half of the 14th century<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The five-storey St\u00fcr den Kerl was a defence and lookout tower but was also used as an artillery tower. In addition to cannons on the first floor the tower had shooting chambers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just like the slightly later Tall Hermann, St\u00fcr den Kerl also had a&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"The towers of the mediaeval Toompea Castle had a cellar or a cold storage. This was not a prison dungeon, as has often been suggested, but a cellar for the defence team. The entrance to the cellar was through the vaulted ceiling.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">quadrangular cellar about 11 metres deep<\/span>. This was a place where the people of the Castle and the defence team could take cover in case of violent attacks and danger. The cellar has been mistaken for a dungeon in both towers. St\u00fcr den Kerl was demolished in 1767 when the&nbsp;<span data-tooltip=\"Catherine II visited Estonia once more in 1780 when she travelled to Narva and Narva-J\u00f5esuu.\" class=\"has-tooltip\">Empress of Russia Catherine II<\/span>&nbsp;&nbsp;gave the orders to build a new province government building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/wpcms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/riiigikogu_stu_%C5%82rdenkerl_en.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Infographic, St\u00fcr Den Kerl Tower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.3%\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-info is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Tall Hermann Tower is&nbsp;<strong>open to visitors<\/strong>&nbsp;three times a year: on the Riigikogu Open House Day in April, on the National Flag Day on 4 June and on the Day of Restoration of Independence on 20 August.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ancient towers of Toompea Castle are an integral part of Estonia\u2019s political history. During the Mediaeval period, the Castle had four towers \u2013 Tall Hermann, Landskrone, Pilsticker and St\u00fcr den Kerl \u2013 which protected its four corners. Over time, these have been converted to fit the current needs, while St\u00fcr den Kerl has been demolished altogether. The most important of the remaining towers is Tall Hermann which flies the symbol of Estonia\u2019s independence \u2013 our national flag \u2013 from its top, 95 metres above the sea level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":251307,"parent":4985,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5153","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tall Hermann and Toompea towers &#8211; Riigikogu<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/en\/visit-us\/toompea-castle\/tall-hermann-toompea-towers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tall Hermann and Toompea towers &#8211; Riigikogu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The ancient towers of Toompea Castle are an integral part of Estonia\u2019s political history. During the Mediaeval period, the Castle had four towers \u2013 Tall Hermann, Landskrone, Pilsticker and St\u00fcr den Kerl \u2013 which protected its four corners. Over time, these have been converted to fit the current needs, while St\u00fcr den Kerl has been demolished altogether. The most important of the remaining towers is Tall Hermann which flies the symbol of Estonia\u2019s independence \u2013 our national flag \u2013 from its top, 95 metres above the sea level.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/en\/visit-us\/toompea-castle\/tall-hermann-toompea-towers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Riigikogu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/riigikogu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-10T12:03:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.riigikogu.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Pikk-Hermann-533x800-244x366-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"244\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"366\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@riigikogu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.riigikogu.ee\\\/en\\\/visit-us\\\/toompea-castle\\\/tall-hermann-toompea-towers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.riigikogu.ee\\\/en\\\/visit-us\\\/toompea-castle\\\/tall-hermann-toompea-towers\\\/\",\"name\":\"Tall Hermann and Toompea towers &#8211; 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