The Anton Hansen Tammsaare Museum in Albu Vetepere

If you appreciate the works of Estonian writer Anton Hansen Tammsaare, then a trip to his birthplace museum in Albu Parish is a must. Located 80km south-east of Tallinn in the village of Vetepere the Tammsaare farm was the inspiration behind Anton's greatest work Truth & Justice.

Anton's parents, originally from southern Estonia bought the North Tammsaare farm in the mid to late 1800s. Peeter and Ann Hansen worked hard on their property and raised their twelve children here. Anton was the fourth child, born in 1878.

Much of Anton's impressions, experiences and recollections expressed in his writing were gained from his childhood home in Tammsaare. He based several of his characters on people he knew, including his mother.

Visiting this museum will not only make you feel closer to the writer but experience the world he created in Truth & Justice first hand.

The house where A.H.Tammsaare was born in 1878.

In 1958 the Tammsaare farm was converted into a museum. 

It was opened on the 80th anniversary of Tammsaare's birth.

In 1973 a large scale restoration of the farm buildings took place.

In 1945 the original house in which Tammsaare was born burnt down. 

It has since been completely restored.

Inside the restored house.

The storehouse is the only surviving building built by Peeter Hansen.

In 1934 Anton's brother August Hansen built this new building.

The building is now a history museum, paying tribute to Anton's life and work.

Anton's parents.

Family tree.

Inside the history museum.

A detailed history of the writer's life and works can be found here.

Truth & Justice.

A beautiful tranquility can be experienced here.

Quotes and scenes from various novels can be seen in cardboard figures within the forest.

The Tammsaare museum  is open from Wednesday - Sunday, 11am-6pm. During some parts of the year the museum closes at 3pm. Please check their website for details.

More information can be found at:
http://www.tammsaare.albu.ee/

The Trail to Vargamäe

I made a wonderful new discovery a few months ago. One day I was scouring the internet, as I often do, in search of my great grandfathers photographs when I came across a book mentioning his name. I was completely unaware of the existence of this book so naturally I ordered it straight away. When it arrived I discovered the book was about Estonian writer Anton Hansen Tammsaare, the village of Albu and mentions Arthur and the events surrounding his death. What a find! My great grandfather Arthur lived in Albu Parish for five years before he died and obviously had an association with the Hansen family and Tammsaare farm.

After discovering my great grandfather's photograph in this book I then made a few enquiries. Since 1958 the Tammsaare farm (birthplace of A.H Tammsaare) had been converted into a museum in honour of his life and work. I hoped by contacting the administration of this museum, they might have other photograph of Arthur's in their collection. The information I then received was very interesting indeed!

Albu is a small community and it didn't take long for word to spread that I was searching for information on Arthur. An elderly woman stepped forward, she lives next door to the Tammsaare farm and is related to the Hansen family via marriage. This woman, Liivi, revealed she remembered Arthur quite well from her childhood. As the town photographer, she said he was invited to all the parties, celebrations and gathering that took place in the community. The above photo was taken by Arthur. Liivi is the young in the white dress on the left and the man on the top right is Ilmar, the man who wrote the book which prompted this search. 

After learning this news, of course I couldn't wait to meet Liivi. She is one of the few people I know who remembers Arthur.  Last week I was in Estonia, at the top of my to do list, was to visit Albu.

It was wonderful meeting Liivi. She opened my world with her wealth of information. She reminised in saying Arthur was a very friendly and respectable man, everyone liked him. He also had a nickname around town she told me, everyone called him "Härra viisteist-kuusteist" (Mr 15 16). This name came about due to the exposure time of operating old cameras. Liivi said Arthur used to remove the cap off the camera, count quitely to himself then say viiteist kuusteist out loud when the time came to take the photo. It was when people heard these two numbers, they knew to sit very still in order for the photo to be taken. Liivi had several of Arthur's photos in her collection which she kindly let me copy.  The photo of us above, was taken outside the same door used by Arthur in his photo nearly 70 years ago.

Another wonderful discovery was made inside the Tammsaare museum bookshop. This book not only contains one of Arthur's photographs on the cover but also six others inside. I was beside myself with joy!

Three pages from the book.

Out of curosity, on the morning I drove to Albu, I did a quick search on Geni to see whether there was any connection between me and Anton Hansen Tammsaare in my family tree. To my great surprise, I discovered he is a distant blood relative, from his mother's side. We are fifth cousins, thrice removed!

While at the museum I had a good talk with the lady who runs it. She brought out the family history scrolls of the Hansen family and we traced the tree together. She was also very kind and gave me a book about A.H.Tammsaare written in English. There are not many of them around! I have already started building up my Tammsaare collection and this book makes an excellent addition.

Back in Tallinn I visited the other A.H.Tammsaare museum. This is where he lived with his wife and children until his death in 1940. Everything  here has been preserved beautifully. I am particularly fond of his study.

The museum was actually closed on the day I went to visit but once it came to light that I was related and had an additional connection through Arthur's work, I was granted a private tour. I was truly grateful by this act of kindness as I was flying back to Munich later that afternoon. What made this visit truly work while was the discovery of another one of Arthur's photographs in this museum. I wasn't expecting to find one here but utterly thrilled that I did!

  

Preserving My Family's Memory

It's always wonderful visiting Estonia. What makes a trip truly mememorable, however, are the unique experiences, new discoveries and the things which take you completely by surprise. Last year when I went in search of my great-great grandfather's grave I was pleasantly surprised to discover that his final resting place was not a lone grave but a family plot containing approximately seven of my relatives! Sadly, however, their iron crosses had been removed and the only thing located in the plot was a headstone for two distant relatives. Wanting to preserve the memory of my family in their plot, I contacted the daughter of the distant relatives to make my suggestions and we agreed to restore the family plot.

My great-great grandfather Alexander Otto Lesthal was buried here in 1921. He was a trained pharmacist who also managed several manor houses in Estonia including Saksi and Ravila. Beside him lies his wife Helene as well as five of his children Emma, Olga, Arved, Anna and Melita. His first wife might also be buried here too but that is yet to be confirmed.

10-15 years ago thieves raided cemeteries in Estonia and stole the copper name plates that were attached to the iron crosses to sell as scrap metal. The appalling and desperate act of desecration has now left thousands of graves across the country nameless.

A former caretaker of this cemetery made matters worse by removing the old iron crosses from the graves and piling them by the side of the church. Thankfully the new management has ruled to preserve the crosses and relatives can return them to their rightful place.

Several times I searched through that pile of crosses to no avail but it was only a few days ago, buried deep under them all, little Melita Lesthal's one was discovered. She died in 1894 at a mere 19 days old and is the youngest member of my family to be buried here. Fortunately her copper plate was intact with an old German hymn "Zeuch hin, mein Kind" (Death of a Child) written on the back. It was a heart warming discovery,  I was so happy to find it!

There were two crosses amongst the pile that were of the same design as young Melita's and I have claimed them. It is highly likely they belong to us. One was still attached to its stone so I returned it to the plot, the other needs a bit of work done on it. The next step is to order new plates for the crosses so that everyone buried here is mentioned. Working on this restoration is a very rewarding experience, it makes me feel closer to these relatives and provides a sense of satisfaction, knowing I am correcting a wrong.

The Lesthal family plot.

Restoration commences.

I'm happy with the progress.

Pile of iron crosses removed from their graves. 

The plate featured here is badly mangled due to the desperate attempt to steal it.

Finding Melita's cross was a great stroke of luck.

Her copper plate was securely fitted with four bolts, rather than two.

First polish. Text is a bit easier to read now.

Written on the back is a German hymn written by Gottfried Hoffman (1658-1712).

"Zeuch hin, mein Kind" (Death of a Child) 

Zieh hin, mein Kind! Wir folgen alle nach,

so bald es Gott befiehlt.

Du eilest fort, eh' dein Herz Ungemach

in spätern Jahren fühlt.

Wer lange lebt, steckt lang' in Leide.

Wer frühe stirbt, kommt bald zur Freude.

Zieh hin, mein Kind!

English translation

Press on, my child! We follow all who have gone before,

as soon as God commands it.

You hurry forward, ere your heart becomes heavy

in later years one feels,

he who lives long, must likewise suffer long,

he who dies young, finds joy soon once again

Press on, my child! 

Looking forward to my next trip to Eesti!

Tomorrow morning I'll be flying back to Tallinn for a short break. I have much on the agenda including a visit to the archives to further my family history research, a trip to Albu county to see the Tammsaare museum and most importantly back to Kadrina cemetery. It was only last year I discovered we have a family plot there; the final resting place of many of my relatives including my great, great grandparents. Now that I know so much more about my family, I feel it is my duty to lovingly restore their graves.

Inside the State Archives in Madara Street, Tallinn

The Lesthal family plot

One thing I am yet to discover and eager to know, is what the national costume looks like for people from Nõo. As this is the area where my family originally came from, I would like to soon purchase my own dress in the appropiate design/colours. 

Happy Easter! - Head ülestõusmispüha!

New milestone - 30,000 pageviews!

Thanks everyone!

65 years ago today my Estonian grandmother and uncle arrived in Australia

After the Second World War millions of people were left displaced in Europe. Several members of my family were among the Estonians living in displaced persons camps in Germany (Zoo Camp and Pinneberg in Hamburg) until they were granted permission to immigrate to Australia.

Australia was the first country to take in European refugees after WWII. A total of 182,159 refugees made a new home in Australia, mainly Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians.  Other countries who extended a welcoming hand and accepted refugees were:
Venezuela - 17,000
Brazil - 29,000
France - 38,000
Argentine - 33,000
Great Britain - 86,000
Canada- 157,687
The United States was the last country to take in refugees. They accepted 400,000 people in total during two separate immigration programs. 137,450 of whom were European Jews.

   
My grandmother Hertha Pralitz (nee Lindser) and her young son Kuno from her first marriage left Europe from a port in Trieste, Italy. They sailed onboard "SS Dundalk Bay" and arrived in Australia on the 16th April 1949.  On the passenger list they were numbers 699 and 700.

My grandfather Alexander Lestal had left Germany five months earlier and sailed to Australia onboard the "The Protea". It departed from Genoa, Italy and contained 1028 passengers. Prior to WWII my grandparents didn't know each other. They met in the camps and married shortly after arriving in Australia.

My great grandmother Margarethe Lestal was the last to arrive in Australia. My grandfather had to lodge a special application to the Australia government in order for her to join him. She too departed from a port in Italy and sailed onboard the chartered miltary vessel "Marine Jumper." Margarethe arrived in Australia on the 7th September 1949. There were 844 passengers onboard. 

Outside the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney is the "Welcome Wall". The wall comprises a list of names of people from all over the world who decided to start a new life in Australia. For a modest fee, people can add a name and commemorate their families' arrival in Australia that can be viewed for generations to come. In 2004, as a gift to my father, I arranged for my grandfather's name to be added to the wall.