Description
The University of Tartu, often depicted by the six white pillars of its main building, is one of the most significant landmarks in the Estonian educational and cultural history. The university founded in 1632 by the King of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus is one of the oldest universities in eastern Europe and became the first Estonian-language university in 1919.
The opening ceremony of the main building took place on 31 July 1809 at the assembly hall that has one of the most prominent Classicist interiors in Estonia. The grandeur and stateliness is emphasized by the richly ornamented pilasters raising through two stories and 28 Ionic pillars carved from spruce, supporting the balcony that surrounds the assembly hall. The balcony’s lacy parapet has been carved by a master who managed to tastefully combine Classicist forms with local motifs. In the design of the wooden decor, the architect was assisted by master Christian Holz from Greifswald, who supplemented the simple pattern of the balcony with elements originating from the buildings of Tartu.
The design of the scarf has been inspired by the details of the middle part of the parapet.
