Alexander Nikolai von Glehn was born on 16 July 1841 in Jälgimäe Manor and died on 7 September 1923 in Brazil. He was the owner of Jälgimäe Manor, founder of Nõmme, and head and symbol of the von Glehn family. The summer of 2021 marked 180 years since his birth.

Von Glehn educated himself in economics, medicine, philosophy and architecture in the University of Tartu and German universities. After inheriting Jälgimäe Manor, he left it to his son and decided to build a medieval-style stone castle on the border of Nõmme and Mustamäe. The castle was completed on 1 October 1886 and was named Kõrgepea (Hohenhaupt, tr. Highhead). This makes the castle 135 old this year.

The von Glehn family decided to leave Estonia during the Second World War and went to Germany in 1918, later to Brazil. After they left, the castle started to decay and was in a very bad state by the 1960s.

The idea to renovate the castle came from the Academic Male Choir of TPI and the work started in 1965. The celebratory opening of the castle – then TPI Performers’ House – took place on 24 March 1977. The university’s cultural office managed the castle, with Olavi Pihlamägi appointed its managing director. The university now had its own student castle.

Exhibition compiled by Milvi Vahtra, 620 3551; designed by Tiia Eikholm

NB! The rules of Tallinn University of Technology require that participants from age of 18 must certify their non-infectious status with evidence of vaccination, proof of recovery from COVID-19, or by showing a negative test result. The test must be taken with an antigen RDT test 48 hours before or with a PCR test up to 72 hours before the event.

Translated by Kaarin Birk