Harku Manor

Harku manor (Estonian: Harku mõis, German: Hark) was a manor in Harjumaa, Estonia. According to current administrative borders it is located on Harku Parish in Harju County.

History

Building was first built as a small stronghold and only later became manor. In the middle ages the manor served as a residency for the centre of vice commandment of Tallinn. In 1679 the manor was acquired by the famous family of von Uexküll and by the 18th century they had started constructing the Baroque-styled main building.

In September 1710 the half-finished Harku Manor was used as a place to sign the capitulation contract between Russian forces and Sweden with local nobility. The contract ended The Great Northern War and became the main foundation for the 18–19th century Baltic Special Agreements by which Estonia, going under the Russian reign for 200 years, retained its considerable autonomy and did not become a typical Russian province.

The von Budbergs, that acquired the manor in 1755, rebuilt the building into Early Classicism style. The Neo-Renaissance style look the manor has now was given by von Ungern-Sternbergs in 1875. The building was also made longer.

Harku

Harku (German: Hark) is a small borough (Estonian: alevik) in Harku Parish, Harju County, northern Estonia. As of 2011 Census, the settlement's population was 868, of which the Estonians were 539 (62.1%).

Harku was first mentioned probably in 1242 as Harkua.

The only women's prison in Estonia Harku Prison is located in Harku. Politician Edgar Savisaar (born 1950) was born in the prison.

Harku manor

Harku manor (German: Hark) was founded in 1372 by the Teutonic Order. In 1583 it became a private property and was subsequently owned by several Baltic German families from the Baltic nobility. Following the Estonian Declaration of Independence, it was taken over by the state and used as a youth prison until the outbreak of World War II. Following the war the main building befell what is today known as the Estonian Agricultural University.

The main building that we see today dates from the 18th century and has been rebuilt several times. It received its present external look during a reconstruction in 1875.