THE CHRONOLOGY OF VENE ST. 8

he present building was erected more than 700 years ago. It stands on an oblong inner plot; the courtyard is paved with cobblestones. There were 8 outhouses, roundly located in the courtyard, which were reconstructed a number of times during the past centuries. From the original facade, built in the Gothic style, only a rounded portal of the courtside frame of the entrance hall window has presently remained. The sundial, dating back to the year 1604 can rightfully be considered a historic rarity.

The owners of the house are known already since the year 1351. As a rule, they were influential and rich merchants, who belonged to the elite of the medieval city, senators and mayors. Among the owners of the house we may even find representatives of the Swedish nobility. During their time the house got a name “TRE KRONOR” (Swedish for ‘three crowns’). Since the year 1922 the house went from private hands into the possession of the Tallinn Joint-Stock Bank.

1351 – WINEKE DE EK

1361 – DANIEL BERCHOVE/the widow of DANIEL BERCHOVE

1364 – HILDEMARUS DE VITZEN / owner in the years. 1349-73, died in 1385

1385 – HERBORDUS DONEHOF

1388-89 – BERNT HALTERN / (senator), owner in the years 1388-89, died in 1390

1390 – the widow of BERNT HALTERN

1392 – WERNER VAN RODE, Round 1400 – HENNINK I RUMOR, owner in the years. 1396-1431, senator in the years 1396-1431

1403 – HILLEBRANT KULE

1404 – HANS PALMEDAG, citizen from the year 1414, moved to Lübeck in 1434

1433 – GERD BRAMSTEDE from Lübeck, citizen from the year 1433, the constructions on the site probably perished during the fire on the 11th of May, 1433

1444-72 – HANS ROTERT, citizen since the year 1437,  the alderman of the merchants’ Great Gild in the years 1458-1460, died in the year 1472. The present house was built during his time, walls and general plan of the house have preserved till our days. The house differed from the  traditional houses with a narrow facade and a high triangular  peak. It copied the Tallinn City Hall and its wide façade, its  crowned galleries with decorative loopholes. The wide and  high windows of the entrance hall, framed with stone were  located in apiculate bays. Above the wall portal was a niche  for the sculptured patron saint of the house. The second floor  and the attic were provided with barn manholes. There were  storerooms and barns for grain. The windows of residential rooms opened towards the courtyard – evidently for the reason of peace and tranquillity. But, provided with a hearth, the residential rooms could also be located above the gate, together with the storerooms. The shape of the 15th century façade preserved till the year 1842, abandoning only its Gothic portal to the Baroque era. 

1472 – JOHAN II ROTERT, the son of the former owner of the house. Senator in the year 1480, Lord Mayor in the years 1483-1500

1518 – SIMON VAN WERDEN, senator in the years 1512-26. During his time there were 5 stables and sheds located on the plot.

1528 – JACOB HINCKE. Citizen since the year 1528, married the widow of the former owner called ANNEKE. From the year 1534a senator, from the year 1545 the Lord Mayor, died in the year 1559. He also owned a garden, located on the plot as well as 2 stone storehouses at the edge of the plot, near the city wall. According to the city appraisal records the estate property of HINCKE was valued at the price of 12 000 Riga marks, which was twice higher than the price of an average house.

1562 – MAURITIUS ROTERT

1568 – LAURENS ELVERS, citizen since 1558

1589 – HANS RAVE, citizen since 1581. Married the daughter of the former owner ELSE. Senator in the year 1592, died in the year 1615. His heritage includes the sundial from the year 1604, located in the courtyard.

1647 – GUSTAV HORN, a Swedish field marshal. His ancestry was Finnish and had earlier taken part in the life of Reval and Estonia. His career began in the year 1621, when he was appointed the colonel of the Norrland regiment in Sweden. He distinguished himself as an outstanding military leader in the 30-year war. In time he was appointed the leader of Swedish armed forces in Finland. In the year 1628 he got promotion and became afield marshal at the age of 35. After the death of king Gustaf Adolf II he was one of the leading Swedish commanders in the battles with the German imperial forces. After several victorious battles he was defeated and imprisoned in the battle of Nordlingen. Became free only in the year 1642. After that took the Skone county back from the Danes. Was for several times appointed the Governor General of Livonia. In the year 1651 was awarded the title of a ‘count’. In the year 1651 deserved the highest military title of Sweden, becoming the State Marshal.From that time the house purchased by him in Reval became known as “TRE KRONOR” (Three Crowns), evidently because of the Swedish arms that decorated the façade of the house. In the year

1652 the count moved to Riga, where he died in the year 1657.

1657 – EVA HORN, the daughter of the former owner of the house. She married NIELS TRECKSON BIELKE, who did not ever settle in the house and so the deserted property began to decaylittle by little.

1685 – THOMAS ZUR MÜHLEN, a merchant. Was born in Reval, became citizen in the year 1675, a senator in 1697 and the Lord Mayor in 1697. Died in the year 1709. His first wife MARGARETHA RATCKE died in the year 1687, the second wife AGNETA HAAN died in the year 1710 of plague, which killed 759 people in the city. THOMAS ZUR MÜHLEN, who bought the house for 2600 state thalers, carried out thorough renovation of the house. During the repairs the house was decorated with a magnificent portal (dating back to the year 1687), which is now exhibited in the Tallinn City Museum. The portal is surrounded by allegoric female figures, holding flowers and a sheaf, with a male bust and with figures of angels next to the coats of arms of the owners of the house MÜHLEN and RATCKE. The decorative painting on the ceiling of the second floor rooms also dates back to this period.

1720 – 1750 – HINRICH ZUR MÜHLEN, the son of the former owner. Became a citizen in the year 1711, a senator in the year

1727 and the Lord Mayor in the year 1745. Died in the year 1750. The painted portraits of him and his wife JUSTINE CHARLOTTE are still preserved.

1756 – CORNELIUS I ZUR MÜHLEN, who died in the year 1756.

1762 – AGNETA ELISABETH ZUR MÜHLEN (maiden name GEBAUER), the widow of the former owner. Died in the year 1781.

1782 – CORNELIUS II VON ZUR MÜHLEN, the son of the former owners. Traded with wines and groceries. Lord Mayor since the year1768, since 1789 a senator. Bought himself a noble title in Vienna together with the prefix ‘von’ to his family name and purchased a manor in the western part of Estonia, in Piirsalu. Died in the year 1815. Table portraits of him (the work of Carl von Ungern Sternberg), depicting him together with his wife GERTRUDE, are still preserved. The coat of arms of his grandson ARTHUR VON ZUR MÜHLEN is exhibited in the Tallinn Dome Church.

1842 – F. D. LEHBERG. The new owner of the house ordered a renovation project from the province architect JOHANN OTTO SCHELBACH. The three-storied façade was modernised in the Classicistic style – regular line of windows, rustic plastering of the first floor. Only the portal on courtyard side, adjoining the house, retained its medieval look.

1920 – RUDOLF KOLL. Next alterations – new partitions that divide large rooms into smaller ones.

1922 – TALLINNA AKTSIAPANK/THE TALLINN JOINT-STOCK BANK. The architect E.Jacobi designed the following reconstruction project. He altered the windows above the portal on the side of the courtyard and made them look like the neighbouring windows. The bank bought only the main building, adjoining the street. The courtyard buildings remained private, being suited for apartments.

1936 – NARVA KALEVIMANUFAKTUUR/ THE NARVA MILLED CLOTHE MANUFACTURE

1940 August. The Soviet Power nationalized the house.

2014 – After a thorough restoration and modernization the building retained its medieval atmosphere in the basement, that houses the restaurant and in the romantic courtyard together with the drooping tree, but also in many corners and rooms both of the hotel and of the corridor.