Toolse
Coordinates: 59 ° 32 ' N , 26 ° 28' E
Toolse is a village in the Estonian municipality of Vihula in Lääne-Viru County . It currently has 25 inhabitants (as of 2005).
Tolsburg
In 1471 the Teutonic Order Castle Vredeborch (later: Tolsburg , Estonian: Toolse Ordulinnus ) was built on a peninsula on the Gulf of Finland . The Tolsburg was the northernmost and youngest order castle in Estonia. Its founder was the former master of the Livonian Order , Johann Wolthus von Herse († 1472). The fortress was primarily intended to protect the beach and the port there against attacks by pirates, which was particularly important for the town of Rakvere .
Initially, the castle was a three-story fortress with a tower. At the end of the 15th century, the fortress was expanded with an inner courtyard and a forecourt and was specially protected against the use of firearms. The walls were 14 meters high and 2 meters thick. Later the order castle was reinforced with a gate tower, then on the north side with a round cannon tower. Two dankers were added to the north wall .
The castle was destroyed during the Livonian War (1558–1583). It was partially rebuilt in the 17th century. During the Great Northern War it was finally destroyed at the beginning of the 18th century and finally abandoned. Today there are still impressive ruins right on the Baltic Sea coast.
Web links
- Tolsburg Order Castle. Retrieved August 2, 2016 .
- Ordensburg Toolse (Estonian)
- Estonian Post special stamp (1994)