St. St.Mary-Magdalen's Lutheran Church

St. St.Mary-Magdalen's Lutheran Church / Description

St Mary Magdalenes Church was first documented in 1380. Since ancient times the church land has been surrounded by the possessions of Kaiavere Estate. In the Middle Ages a nunnery in Tartu owned the estate therefore the former name of the place was Nunnenhof. The initial church, three-naved and without a separate chancellery, was built in the second half of the 14th C. or in the 15th C. The church, which was damaged during the Livonian war, was restored in the 17th C. and reconsecrated in 1644. A drawing by Guleke, the architect of Tartu University, depicting the St Mary Magdalenes of 1644–1887, has been preserved. The building with a Baroque ridge tower was very simple. From 1756 to 1784 Pastor Gustav Friedrich Gappel served the parish. He was also engaged in the school work. The present neo-Gothic church was completed in 1887 after two years of reconstruction directed by G. Beerman. During the second half of the 19th C. Woldemar von Mickwitz (1843–1992) was the pastor of St Mary Magdalenes.

By folk tales St Mary Magdalenes had burnt down. Long after that the walls were found in the thick forest. It is believed that seven measures of gold were hidden in the church.