New Brotherhood of Blackheads exhibition to open at Tallinn City Life Museum
From Saturday, November 22, the Tallinn City Life Museum will host a new exhibition dedicated to the Brotherhood of Blackheads, the legendary organization that helped shape Tallinn into a prosperous trading city.
In 2025, it will be 625 years since the brotherhood was first mentioned in historical records. To mark this anniversary, the Tallinn City Life Museum is opening an exhibition that explores the history and traditions of the Brotherhood of Blackheads from the 15th century to the present day, highlighting how its role in city life has evolved over the centuries.
The exhibition showcases the Blackheads' art treasures, archival records and the assets the brotherhood holds today. According to a press release, visitors will experience a playful and interactive display that brings to life the stories of the Blackheads, from medieval merchants to modern-day members, and reveals how deeply their history is intertwined with that of Tallinn itself.
The Brotherhood of Blackheads played a crucial role in Tallinn's history and culture for over half a millennium. Established in the Middle Ages as an association of unmarried merchant apprentices and foreign traders, the Brotherhood became known both for its vibrant social life and its support for the St. Catherine's Dominican Monastery. When members married and took the oath of citizenship, they could join the Great Guild or establish their own businesses elsewhere.
Over the centuries, the brotherhood contributed significantly to the city's trade and social life, as well as to military defense and firefighting. Its headquarters – the House of the Blackheads – became one of the city's most prestigious buildings, home to an outstanding art collection that included deer-foot goblets, magnificent portrait collection, and silverware, proudly displayed to the city's visitors.
The Blackheads' activities in Tallinn were terminated during the first Soviet occupation in 1940 but continued abroad. The modern Brotherhood of Blackheads was registered as the legal successor of the historic organization in Germany in 1961, and has been active in Tallinn again since the early 2000s.
To mark the exhibition's opening there will be guided tours held in English, Estonian and Russian.
The English-language tour takes place on Wednesday, November 26 at 4 p.m.
The exhibition was curated by Anu Mänd, professor of art history at the University of Tartu, Pia Ehasalu, scientific director at the Tallinn City Museum, and Toomas Abiline, senior curator at the Tallinn City Museum.
More information about the new exhibition can be found here.
More details about the tours is available here.
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Editor: Michael Cole
