The 770-year history of Rakvere is about life and death, growing and fading away, building and destruction and war and peace for many generations. During these times, citizens have through periods of hope, despair and renewed hope. The biggest event in recent history occured in 1991, when Estonia became independent from Soviet rule and began reconstruct and develop its economy and culture as a European country. Rakvere also regained its municipal status that year.
In 1226, Henrik of Latvia wrote the Chronicle of Livonia, which included a description of an ancient Estonian wooden castle located on the Rakvere Vallimägi hill called Tarvanpea. In Estonian, Tarvanpea means ‘the head of an aurochs’. Before the town was called Rakvere, it was called Wesenbergh and Rakowor.
The Danes conquered the settlement in 1220. In 1302, the king gave the settlement the rights and title of a city. In 1346 the city was conquered by the Livonians. The town suffered greatly during the Livonian War (1558…1563). After that time, the wooden fortress ruins were replaced by a large and powerful stonecastle, which was built on Vallimägi, including a residence for the bailiffs of the Teutonic Order. In 1558 town was conquered by the Russians. Ten years later it was burned town completely during a German raid in 1568 and in 1574 the Swedes stormed the fortress. Although they were not successful in their first attempts, the Swedes conquered it in 1581. In 1631, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden presented the barely surviving town and partially ruined fortress to Reinhold von Brederode, the Dutch ambassador to Stockholm. Following this the town lost its freedom for 150 years and was subordinated to the rule of squires. A decline followed. In the beginning of the 17th century, Rakvere was briefly under the rule of the Kingdom of Poland. By the end of the century, the population of the city was only 300.
The citizens’ struggle for their lost freedom continued. During the Great Northern War, the territory of Estonia was annexed to the Russian Empire. After this war, in 1783, Rakvere became a district town. By 1897 the population was 6,000.
In the end of the 19th Century and beginning of the 20th Century, many new industries were created. In 1870, the Baltic Railway (St. Peterburg - Tallinn) was completed. At this time, the Estonian national movement became stronger. Many new Estonian schools opened, plays were performed in Estonian and song festivals in Rakvere.
After the War of Independence (1918…1919) the economic life of Rakvere as an Estonian town became more lively. During the 1930s several new buildings were constructed. However, the independent development of the town came to a halt in 1940 when it came under the jurisdiction of the Soviet authorities.
Today Rakvere an attractive and rapidly developing town similar to many other European towns.
|
|
