tartu city museum

Tartu City Museum

Tartu City Museum presents the history of Estonia’s second-largest city from its founding to the present day. The permanent exhibition is called “Dorpat. Jurjev. Tartu”, alluding to all the names of the city. In addition, the museum regularly hosts thematic exhibitions, introducing Tartu and the people associated with it.

Tartu City Museum exhibition

The history of Tartu is represented in the exhibition of the museum from the time when the fortress of Tarbatu stood here. This era is represented in the museum exhibition by old utensils and weapons from the time the fortress was besieged. These exhibits were discovered during archaeological excavations.

The exhibition also reflects the conquest of Tartu by the Novgord army around 1030. It was then that the city became known as Jurjev. In 1224, the city was conquered by the Crusaders and formed the diocesan center of Dorpat here.

Apart from the history of the city, the exhibition highlights the extensive trade connections of the city and the skills of local craftsmen. The exhibition includes findings related to the processing of wood, textiles, leather and metal.

History of the Museum

Tartu City Museum was established in 1955. Its collection consists of more than 125500 exhibits and documents. The mission of Tartu Museum is to collect information about the history of the city and make it available to the public. Traditionally, on October 31, the museum’s birthday, Tartu history days are held here and the museum is free of charge.

Tartu City Museum is located in a building built in 1790. This house once belonged to Lieutenant Voldemar Konrad von Pistolkors. The building was completely renovated in 2001.

Branches of the museum

Tartu City Museum has several branches:

  • The Song Celebration Museum
  • KGB Cells Museum
  • Oskar Luts Home Museum
  • The 19th-century Tartu Citizen´s Home Museum

Location

Address of the museum in Tartu:
Narva mnt 23, 51009 Tartu
Official website: muuseum.tartu.ee

Other places to see

  • When visiting the city with children, pay attention to the Tartu Toy Museum. This is a great place for family time.
  • The Estonian Aviation Museum operates near Tartu. Here you can see various aircraft.
  • We also recommend paying attention to other Tartu sights. Perhaps you will find something interesting for yourself.