Käsmu (German Kasperwiek, Hasterwieck) is a village in northern
Estonia in the Lääne-Virumaa county, Haljala parish. Before the
administrative-territorial reform of 2017, it was part of Vihula
parish.
History
Käsmu was first mentioned
in 1453 as a coast belonging to the Aaspere manor (strand tho
Kesemo).
The first information about the village dates back
to the beginning of the 16th century (1524 - Kazmekul), subsequent
data - to the beginning of the 18th century. In 1726, there were 9
peasant families and 6 families of free people in the village; in
1871 there were 19 households. In 1782, 153 people lived in the
village, in 1858 - 195.
Käsmu has been known since ancient
times as a port village and a shipbuilding site. The first ship was
built in Käsmu in 1697.
In the middle of the 19th century,
the owners of Aaspere Manor built the first summer cottages in
Käsmu.
In 1884-1931 there was the Käsmu Naval School, in
which 1,664 cadets studied over the years, of which more than 500
became captains and navigators, 64 - sea captains. The wooden
one-storey school building with an attic is currently restored
according to old photographs and entered in the State Register of
Cultural Monuments of Estonia.
In 1891 a wooden lighthouse
was built in Käsmu and the ship "Salme" (Est. Salme), which crossed
the ocean. The lighthouse is included in the Estonian State Register
of Cultural Monuments.
The Lungins' family, Anastasia
Tsvetaeva, Moscow conceptualists and many others rested in Käsmu.
The Käsmu Maritime Museum (est. Käsmu Meremuuseum) is located in
Käsmu.
Since 2008, the Viru Folk music festival has been held
in Käsmu.
Legend of the founding of Käsmu
The legendary
founding father of the village is Captain Kaspar. He drove his ship
across the sea along the coast. Near the territory of present-day
Käsmu, the ship was caught in a strong storm and wrecked. Of the
whole team, only Kaspar made it to the shore, he offered up a prayer
for salvation and vowed to build a chapel on this very spot.