Neo-Rococo, 2nd half of the 19th century.
Richly framed, wood carving covered with gold leaf.

Classicist features, 18th century, England.
In addition to the hour and minute hands on the clock face, the clock has second and date dials and an on/off strike mechanism.
This type of clock started to be called a ‘grandfather clock’ after the English song “My Grandfather’s Clock”.

The office was originally used as a visiting room.
Today, there is an exhibition depicting the construction of the Baltic Railway.
Alexander von der Pahlen, founder of the Baltic Railway
Alexander (1820-1895) was the only son of Carl Magnus von der Pahlen, who became the owner of Palmse Manor in 1863.
In addition to Palmse, he owned the manors of Vaida, Aruvalla and Arbavere.
Alexander von der Pahlen was a high-ranking politician and in 1852 he became the district ambassador of Harju County for ten years, and later a county and state councillor.
From 1862-1868, he was the leader of the Estonian Knighthood.
As the president of the Baltic Railway Society, he dedicated himself to the establishment of the Baltic Railway, and in 1870 a railway line was opened between St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Paldiski.
He was awarded the title of honorary citizen of Tallinn for this.
In addition to government work, he was very interested in the natural sciences, especially geology.
He was married to Olga von Grote (1826-1888) and had three sons and six daughters.

Late 19th century, Tallinn.
Light oak.
Formerly owned by General Johan Laidoner.

Neo-Renaissance, late 19th century, Tartu.
Oak

Late 19th century.
Reed legs.

The salon was used as a salon belonging to the visiting room of the lord of the manor, where he invited his guests to talk.

1840, manufacturer WIRTH.
Walnut.
The piano has a special proportion to the general shape.
The pedal frame is designed with a lyre motif, with a scallop motif at the bottom.

Gustav Christian von der Pahlen (1648-1736) and Margarethe Dorothea, born Metztacken (1656-1681)
Arend Dietrich I (1675-1710) and Margaretha Charlotte, born Wachtmeister (1686-1712)
Arend Ditrich II (1707-1753) and Magdalena Elisabeth, born von Derfelden (1710-1793)
Hans (1740-1817) and Beate Ulrica Sophia, born von Stenbock (1759-1845)
Carl Magnus (1779-1863) and his first wife Elisabeth (Betsy), born von Essen (1797-1820), and his second wife Katharina (Kitty), born Arvelius (1800-1869)
Alexander (1820-1895) and Olga Frederike Agnes Isabella, born von Grote (1826-1888)
Magnus Hans Alexis (1850-1925) and Lubi (Aimee), born Stael von Holstein (1857-1902)
Gustav Christian (1883-1914)
Gustav Christian’s wife Katharina Marie Natalie, born von Buxhoeveden (1887-1938) and sons Hans Georg Alexis Alexander (1911-1979) and Dietrich Peter Arend (1913-1964)

Arend Dietrich von der Pahlen (1878-1945) married Gerta Offermann in Rhineland and took the bench with him from Palmse.
After Arend Dietrich’s death, the widow made sure that the bench was returned to the Pahlen family.
In 2010, the von der Pahlen family decided to return the bench to Palmse Manor again.

The salon is furnished with Russian Biedermeier furniture made of Karelian birch from the first half of the 19th century.
There used to be a library room here.

Oil/canvas.
Copy. Original 1850s, located in the Art Museum of Estonia.
The panorama of Rakvere with the ruins of the fortress are in the background of the painting.

Oil.
Copy. Original 1828, located in the Art Museum of Estonia.

Oil.
Copy. Original located in the Art Museum of Estonia.

1804-1876.
Well-known Baltic-German artist, landlord of Muuga (Münkenhof) and Piira (Piera).
C. T. von Neff was born as an illegitimate child, but due to his talent and productivity as an artist he achieved the rank of a nobleman and secret adviser.
He was a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts.
In 1838, he married the daughter of the landlord Luise Auguste von Kaulbars (1804-1882) in Mõdriku, with whom he had two children.
The last years of his life were spent constructing the buildings of Muuga Manor and installing the art collection there.

This is the most representative room of the manor, where guests were received and receptions, meals and balls organised.

Middle of the 19th century.

Empire, 1820.
A unique pier mirror made in Estonia.
The curved surface of the plinth is special.
The mirror hinge is above, the legs resemble a seal’s paw.
The so-called mirror of the psyche.

Empire, 1st half of the 19th century.
The mirror moves on the side hinges inside the circular frame made up of the base frame, pillars and cornice.
This so-called mirror of the psyche was used in a bedroom of Viimsi manor and belonged to Johan Laidoner.
The mirror belonged to a set with a sofa and six armchairs.

Empire, 19th century.
Cylindrical, stained birch as a base material, covered with thick mahogany veneer, beautiful wood cut.

1904.
A. Adamson (1855-1929) was an Estonian sculptor, an academic and one of the founders of Estonian national art.
One of his best-known works is the Russalka Monument (1902) in Tallinn.

Copy.
Original 1757, located in the Louvre.
The sculpture depicts goddess of beauty and love Aphrodite and a seashell brought to her by seabirds so that she could move on the water.
The Aphrodite theme was very popular in 18th-century French art.
One of Falconet’s best-known works is the riding monument of Peter I ‘The Bronze Horseman’ in St. Petersburg.

Oil/canvas, 1888.
Vladimir Yegorovich Makovsky
1846-1920.
His father, Yegor Ivanovich Makovsky, was an amateur artist and art collector, one of the founders of the Moscow Art School.
V. J. Makovsky began his art studies at a young age under Vasily Andreevich Tropinin.
From 1861-1869, he studied at the Moscow Art School under Sergei Konstantinovich Zaryanko.
He was a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts, a professor at the Moscow School of Art and the rector of the preparatory school of St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.

Oil/canvas, 1927.

Oil/canvas.

Oil/canvas.

1835-1906.
Her father, Karl Michael von Wrangell (1794-1874), was the landlord of Kohila, and her mother, Emilie Eleonore Cölestine (1811-1881, born Schafnagel), was from Ukraine.
Helene von Wrangell loved to portray the life and animals of peasants and dabbled in painting landscapes.
Her paintings can be found at KUMU, Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and Riga Art Museum.
She was a member of various art associations in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, including a founding member of the first ladies’ art circle from 1882.

Oil/canvas.
The painting is owned by Baron von Stackelberg

Oil/canvas, 1863.

The room that belonged to the hall was used as a music salon for the lady of the manor.
Both the lady of the manor and her daughters were very educated.
They knew foreign languages and were interested in reading, crafts and making music.

Emma-style furniture got its name from Finland and was very common in manors in the second half of the 19th century.
Such objects were first used at the 1851 World’s Fair held in London for Neo-Rococo interiors to achieve cloy comfort.
Such furniture was used in groups between the main furniture in the room.
Usually, this furniture was completely covered with upholstery and fabric.
The object was decorated with long fringe, tassels and cord decorations.
Green, purple or red plush, velvet or strong cotton printed patterned fabric was used as a cover.

Oil/canvas.
Original painting.

The album contains many drawings and hand exercises – mainly nature views, still lifes and illustrations of fairy tales from 1872-1877.
Most of the drawings are visible on the walls.

1856-1919.
Olga’s grandfather Arendt Dietrich von der Pahlen was born in Palmse Manor.
Olga studied art with Franz Teppen in the 1880s.
Her paintings were exhibited in several art exhibitions both in Tallinn and Tartu.

Eating habits and table customs differed from family to family.
In the morning, the adults did not eat much, there was no set mealtime.
Everything changed when hosting guests.
An exquisite and varied menu was the pride of the landlords and therefore more attention was paid to culinary arts.
Good chefs were highly valued and were often sent abroad to educate themselves.
People say that as the Kitchen Mama and Papa got older, they received lifetime dependency and beautiful iron crosses in the cemetery from the manor.
It is known that in the middle of the 19th century the chef of Palmse Manor was Eru Priidik.
The festive menu of the 19th century was very diverse and the meal consisted of several courses with seafood, venison, beef, fruit and vegetables.

Renaissance, 1614, the Netherlands.
Oak.
Raised wood flow with intarsia and metal.
Frisian flower vine with fantastic animals with human heads.
The upper part of the plaques depicts Adam and Eve and the lower part ancient Roman savateurs Cocles and Torquato.
The cabinet is an extraordinary example of luxurious palace furniture, which represents the excellence of contemporary intarsia art.
The frame and legs are made of black-stained wood, which must imitate ebony.
The pillars are in the Tuscan order, but the ‘winged’ gauze volutes predict the beginning of the Baroque style.

Neo-Rococo, 1st half of the 19th century, Estonia.
Oak.

Biedermeier and Empire elements, 1st half of the 19th century, Estonia.
Coniferous wood, mahogany veneer.

Neo-Renaissance, late 19th century.
Oak.
The high carved backrest is decorated with a bas-relief plant motif ornament that ends with a mascaron – a grotesque face.

Intarsia rococo table with oriental ornaments, mid-18th century, France.
You can see the features of Northern European rococo: horizontal movements and a wide ribbon ornament.

Oil/canvas, 1852.
Franz Schrutek von Monte Selva
1807-1861.
Schrutek, known foremost as a meritorious military man, was more of an amateur as a painter.
He was connected to Estonia primarily through his marriage – in 1851 he married Eleonore (1821-1895), daughter of Mayor of Tallinn Johann Carl Girard.
On 8 December 1861, he drowned in a boating accident near Prangli Island with his wife’s brother Edmund Girard.

End of the 19th Century, St. Petersburg.
Made by Jules Henry Zimmermann.
In most cases, such music machines could be found in taverns and restaurants.
On the four interchangeable rolls, there are a total of 24 songs of dance music typical of the time.

Made by Jules Henry Zimmermann in St. Petersburg.
Four grants on the inside of the cover:
1867-1878

Louis XVI style, early classicism, 1770-1790.
The seating furniture with lyres was ordered for the music salon.

1795.
W. R. Bigg (1755-828) was an English artist, a member of the Royal British Academy.
He loved to paint portraits, children and village environments.

Mid-19th century, Estonia.
Scarce decor, white copper band around the edges of the plate (known as Jakob-style in Russia), deep red polished mahogany surface inherent to Late Classicism.
A small brass rosette at the junction of the foot, which is very typical of Estonian classicism.

On the stair barrier, you will find the monogram of the manor house builder Hans von der Pahlen and the end date of the house reconstruction in 1785.
On the opposite barrier, you will see important symbols of LNP and 1985 – Lahemaa National Park opened the restored manor to visitors 200 years later.
The walls have materials introducing the history of Palmse Manor, including incredible photos of the manor before restoration.

Rococo, 1741.
On the chest, you can find the initials of the von Rennenkampff’s of Baltic-German origin and the year of completion ANNO 1741.
The chest may come from Estonia because the local guilds ensured high quality.

2nd half of the 19th century.
Dresden porcelain.

Biedermeier, 1st half of the 19th century, Estonia.
The rich wood cut refers to 1840 when the experimental period began.
Below you can see the lion paw motif again.
“Beautiful Estonian work, simple and cool, as a classicist object must be.”
L. Pärtelpoeg, interior architect and pedagogue

Neo-Rococo, 2nd half of the 19th century, Tartu or St. Petersburg.
During the first Republic of Estonia, the set belonged to the Estonian Embassy in Finland.

Neo-Rococo, 2nd half of the 19th century.
Walnut.
Originates from Kohala manor.

Rococo, late 18th century.
Originates from the city apartment of Richard Sagrits.
Sagrits’ tempera painting under a glass plate from 1965.

Oil/canvas, 1907

Beginning of the 19th century.
The bed and bedside tables originate from Keila-Joa Manor, which belonged to the Volkonski’s.

Libraries were an integral part of manor culture, but only a few have survived in whole or partly – most of them were destroyed by distributions and allocations due to the Baltic-Germans leaving Estonia in the early and mid-20th century.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the remains of the collections were nationalised and distributed among museums and libraries.
The Pahlen family library was fortunately preserved in the reserve collection of the Tallinn University Academic Library.
The library has been back in Palmse since spring 2019.
There are 2708 books and prints in the Pahlen library.
The library allows you to draw conclusions on the diversity of reading materials, the family’s economic situation and intellectual life.
Many of the books are Latin works on economics, history, medicine, geography and also politics.
There is also a compulsory resident in the libraries of noble families – Latin grammar.
In addition, there are works in German and French, even one in Dutch.
Unfortunately, it is not known exactly where the library room was located in Palmse Manor and its location probably changed over several reconstructions.

Baroque, mid-18th century, Estonia.
Alder.
According to legend, Baron von Fock of Sagadi donated this cabinet to Esku Chapel.

Biedermeier, 1st half of the 19th century.
Extendable round ‘hundred-legged’ table for up to 24 people.
The table could also be used as a semi-circular table situated by two walls.

Neo-Rococo, 2nd half of the 19th century, France.
Mainly rosewood.
The high-quality card table, which opens like an envelope, is decorated with an intarsia technique combining wood species.
Wood plywood, textiles, gilded bronze details have been used.

Empire, 1827.
Wood, leather.
The elbow chairs were commissioned by Baron Carl Magnus von der Pahlen for the gentlemen seats in the new chapel of Ilumäe.

Late Classicism (Jacob style), from the beginning of the 19th century.
St. Petersburg.
The table is designed to stand in the middle of the room – the high backside is properly finished.
The doors of the drawers are decorated with the sun motifs of Louis XVI.
The table was brought to Estonia from St. Petersburg in 1917 by a Russian merchant.

Copy, 2019.
Original in the Museums of Virumaa Foundation collection.
The original map drawn by land surveyor C. Jürgens in 1859-1864 shows the entire territory that belonged to the manor – 10,820 hectares.
The map was probably commissioned by Carl Magnus von der Pahlen but was not finished until after his death.
The map was found in the attic of the manor house when replacing the roof in the 1970s.
From 2002-2018, it hung right here on the wall of the General’s room, but due to unsuitable conditions, the map needed to be preserved.
Palmse Manor as the centre of local life
The manor seen on the map was not only the residence of the gentlefolk.
Above all, it was a functioning economic unit – the complex consisted of around twenty buildings and the manor was one of the largest at the end of the 19th century.
There were a little over 10,000 hectares of land, most of it forest and bog.
There were around 900 peasants.
Although the landlords of Palmse also held important positions, a large part of the income came from the economy of the manor.
The main income came from the rental of cattle manors and farms, the sale of firewood and tables, the brick industry and the sale of raw alcohol.
In addition to large companies, the manor had its own dairy, weaving workshop, limestone quarry and lime and tar kilns, the products of which were used for their own purposes.
The Palmse brickyard, which produced both bricks and roof tiles, existed as early as 1780.
A brick factory was built in Võsu in 1868