War and destruction
· Vanalinn
The Great Fire of Tallinn in 1433
The great fire of 1433 damaged densely built Tallinn and exposed the limits of medieval city defences.
Old Town streets were narrow, with timber structures and roofs close together. As the fire spread in 1433, the surrounding city wall could offer no protection against a danger arising within. Churches were damaged, and residents lost homes or property. Later rebuilding hides much of the disaster. Rather than assigning it to one present-day house, read it as a citywide event whose traces survive in different layers of architectural history.
Practical information
Address: Vanalinn
Walk through the Old Town and observe the spacing of buildings and rooflines. No single current house represents the whole fire.