Old Thomas

"Old Thomas" on the top of the Tallinn town hall tower

Original of "Old Thomas" from 1530

Age Thomas ( Estonian Vana Toomas ) is the name of a character on the town hall tower of Tallinn . It depicts a city soldier of the 16th century. The weather vane , documented since 1530, is one of the landmarks of the Estonian capital.

meaning

The old Thomas has been in place for almost five hundred years about the lower town of Tallinn (German Reval ). The Stadtknecht (or Landsknecht ) is a popular figure and a kind of mascot of the historic old town.

description

The city soldier with a broad-brimmed hat, mustache and armor stands with his legs apart. In his right hand he holds a waving flag. There is a long sword on his belt.

From his position on the 64-meter-high town hall tower, he watches over the Hanseatic city .

figure

The original gilded copper figure dates from 1530. It was probably the Estonian vernacular that affectionately baptized it Old Thomas .

Numerous legends emerged about the origin of the name and historical models. The population saw the policeman as someone who came from among the people.

In reality, the city council decided in the first third of the 16th century to erect a monument to its city soldiers and replaced the old weather vane of the town hall tower, about which there is no longer any evidence, with the old Thomas .

The figure was first mentioned in a document in 1530. In the council's account book it is recorded that a Jochim Meler received remuneration for the gilding of Old Thomas .

Renewals

The Old Thomas was at the particular renewal of the spire repeatedly set at its peak in the years 1627, 1781 and 1896th

During the devastating attack by the Soviet Air Force on Tallinn's old town on March 9, 1944, the town hall tower also caught fire. The historical figure was badly damaged. In 1952 the spire was renewed, with a copy of Old Thomas on its top. It is the work of the artists Salme Raunam (1921–2008) and Liidia Elken (1924–2014) as well as the blacksmith Elmar Eigo (1914–1994).

In 1996 the spire was renewed and on July 25th a new copy of the Old Thomas was added. The architect Teddy Böckler (1930–2005) designed the “grandson” of the original figure .

The original of Old Thomas from the 16th century is kept in the basement of the Tallinn City Hall. The copy from 1952 is exhibited in the Tallinn City Museum.

Artistic inspiration and marketing

The old Thomas has inspired again and again to stories and legends. The Estonian writer Gert Helbemäe (1913–1974) published his children's novel Vana Toomas in 1944 . In the 1970 Soviet-Estonian music film Varastati Vana Toomas ("The Old Thomas Was Stolen"), the city servant, played by the Estonian actor Kaljo Kiisk (1925–2007), descends from the tower on the Town Hall Square to meet a couple in love in front of a motorcycle gang to protect.

Today, Old Thomas is a popular motif for Tallinn souvenirs and is widely commercialized. It serves as a striking historical name for cafés, bars, one type of ice cream and other products.