Pikk 70
Tel. 641 1408
Bus: 3 Trolley: 1, 2
Open: 10am-
6pm Wed- Sun
Estonian Maritime Museum
Open: 10am- 6pm Wed- Sun
www.meremuuseum.ee
Fat Margaret Tower or Paks Margareeta is a defense tower that was part of the external buildings of the Tallinn city wall at the end of Pika street in the old town of Tallinn. The Estonian Maritime Museum is located there.
Construction and Early History (14th–16th Centuries)
The site has
defensive roots going back to the 14th century. The Great Coastal Gate
was first mentioned in 1359 (as “Strandporte”) and by 1384 as the “major
Strandporte.” This gate system protected Tallinn (then Reval) — a key
member of the Hanseatic League — from seaward threats while controlling
access to the important trading harbor.
In the early 16th century,
during a major reconstruction of Tallinn’s medieval fortifications
(starting around 1510–1511), the city added the massive artillery tower
known as Fat Margaret. Construction ran from roughly 1511 to 1530/1531.
It was likely designed by Clemens Pale, with master craftsman Gert
Koningk (from Münster, who also worked on St. Olaf’s Church) leading
much of the work from the 1520s onward.
Key features:
Shape
and size: A three-quarter circle with a diameter of about 25 meters,
height of roughly 20 meters (varying from 16m to 22m due to ground
subsidence), and walls up to 5 meters thick (typically 2.25–5.5m,
tapering upward).
Armament: Originally equipped with up to 155
loopholes (embrasures) for cannons.
Purpose: Primarily a cannon tower
to defend the harbor, but also built to impress arriving visitors by
sea, showcasing the city’s power and wealth.
The tower was
initially called the Round Tower (Ümmargune torn) or New Rose Tower
(Rozencrantz). The name “Fat Margaret” (or “Dicke Margarethe”) emerged
later, likely in the 19th century. Popular explanations include its
stout proportions or folk tales (e.g., a cook or a cannon named
Margaret), but its exact origin remains unclear.
It formed part of a
larger complex: a defensive side wall connected it to the Stolting
Tower, and later additions included barbicans and a rampart gate
(1603–1609) with Renaissance portals and a drawbridge. In the 17th
century, further bastions (like the Hornbastion) were added.
Later Uses and Military Adaptations (17th–19th Centuries)
The tower’s
role evolved with changing warfare and politics:
In 1683–1704, it was
modified: machicolations were removed, a regular artillery floor was
added, and it received a tall stone roof.
It served as a storehouse
for gunpowder and weapons.
By the 19th century, it was repurposed as
a prison. In 1884, a four-story limestone prison building was added on
the southern side.
20th Century: Revolution, Decay, and Revival
During the February Revolution of 1917, the prison became the site of
violence: a mob of workers, soldiers, and sailors attacked it, murdering
the prison guards/warden, and the complex was damaged by fire and left
in ruins.
In the 1920s, there were plans (never realized) to convert
it into an artists’ home.
After Estonian independence and through the
Soviet era, the structure was stabilized. Major reconstruction occurred
in 1978–1981 (designed by Polish architect Jerzy Matusiak-Tusiacki) to
house the Estonian Maritime Museum. This work included reinforced
concrete ceilings, restoration of the open platform, and efforts to
return the exterior to a more historical appearance. The museum opened
in 1981, timed around the 1980 Moscow Olympics sailing events in
Tallinn.
Modern Era and the Maritime Museum (1981–Present)
Since 1981, Fat Margaret has been the main home of the Estonian Maritime
Museum (with a major branch at the Seaplane Harbour / Lennusadam). A
significant renovation closed the site from 2018 until late 2019,
resulting in a modernized Museum and Visitor Centre with expanded
exhibition space (about 1,000 m²), interactive exhibits, and a new
building in the courtyard for key artifacts.
Highlights of the
current museum:
The star exhibit is the wreck of a 13th-century
cog (a Hanseatic trading ship), the oldest found in Estonia, discovered
in 2015 near Pirita. It includes archaeological finds showing how such
ships were built and what they carried.
Ship models, navigation
history, maritime professions, and Estonia’s seafaring story from
Neolithic times through the Middle Ages, sailing ships, steam era, and
modern vessels.
Archaeological fragments from earlier 14th–15th
century fortifications on the site.
A rooftop observation platform
with café offering panoramic views over the Old Town and harbor.
The complex remains part of Tallinn’s defensive heritage and is
integrated into the UNESCO-listed Old Town.
Overall Dimensions and Form
Diameter: Approximately 25 meters.
Height: About 20 meters (varies slightly due to uneven terrain; roughly
16m on the west side and 22m on the east).
Wall thickness: Up to
5–6.5 meters at the base (tapering slightly upward), making it the
stoutest tower in Tallinn's defenses—hence the "Fat" nickname.
The tower is circular (originally sometimes called the Round Tower or
Ümmargune torn) and was designed as a low, broad, heavily fortified
structure optimized for artillery rather than height. It features a
distinctive red-tiled conical or domed roof with a battle
platform/terrace on top.
Historical Construction Context
Construction occurred between 1511 and 1530 during the reconstruction of
Tallinn's (then Reval) medieval gate system. It replaced an earlier
eastern round tower flanking the Great Coastal Gate. The project was led
by architect Clemens Pale (design around 1520), with site master Gert
Koningk from Münster overseeing building. It was one of the last major
defensive additions to the city walls.
The complex includes the tower
plus a defensive side wall (about 3m thick and 6.8–7m high) connecting
to other fortifications, with artillery slits. It was built not only for
defense against sea attacks but also to impress arriving visitors by
sea.
Architectural Features: Defensive Design
Multi-level gun
platforms: Originally a four-story structure with a battle platform on
top. Ceilings rested on a central pillar for structural support.
Embrasures/Loopholes: Around 155 loopholes for cannons and smaller arms.
Gun chambers on lower levels included ventilation channels to manage
smoke from artillery fire.
Horizontal defense principle: Cannons were
positioned for broadside fire, especially on the first floor, allowing
effective coverage of the harbor and approaches.
Robust masonry:
Built primarily of local limestone with incredibly thick, battered
(sloping) walls at the base for resistance to cannon fire. The design
reflects late medieval/early Renaissance artillery fortification
principles, transitioning from taller, thinner towers to lower, wider
ones capable of withstanding gunpowder-era weapons.
The tower's
massive scale and thick walls left limited interior space, a challenge
addressed in modern museum adaptations.
Interior Layout and
Adaptations
Floors: Multiple levels (historically 4–5, including
cannon floors and upper riflemen levels). A central support pillar was
key to the original construction.
Modern museum use (since 1981, with
major renovations around 2018–2019): The Estonian Maritime Museum
occupies the tower. Renovations added a cylindrical glass elevator in
the center for better circulation and dug out an additional lower level
to connect to the courtyard. This helped overcome the thick walls'
constraints and previous single-staircase limitations.
Exhibits cover
maritime history, with spaces like the "hall of sailing ships." The
thick walls create intimate, cave-like exhibition rooms.
Integration with the Great Coastal Gate
The tower works in tandem
with the Suur Rannavärav (a 16th-century arched gateway flanked by
smaller towers). Together they formed a formidable harbor defense
system, with additional outer defenses like a moat and Zwinger (second
wall with embrasures) added over time.
Later History and Current
State
Used as a gunpowder/weapons storehouse and later a prison
(19th–early 20th century). It saw violence during the 1917 Revolution.
Renovated 1978–1981 for the Maritime Museum; further modernized recently
with new courtyard buildings for artifacts like a 700-year-old cog
shipwreck.
Today, the rooftop offers panoramic views of the Old Town
and Tallinn Bay, with a terrace café.
Architectural Significance
Fat Margaret exemplifies Northern European medieval defensive
architecture in the gunpowder age—prioritizing mass, low profile, and
firepower over verticality. Its robust, unadorned limestone masonry
contrasts with the more ornate elements of Tallinn's merchant houses,
embodying the pragmatic, powerful engineering of Hanseatic League
cities. The recent adaptive reuse brilliantly preserves its historic
fabric while making it accessible as a major cultural attraction.
There are two main folk legends explaining the nickname, both tied to
a woman named Margaret. These likely arose or were popularized after the
tower gained its stout appearance.
The Vengeful Guards Legend
(Darker Version):
A large, stout woman named Margaret served as a
cook for the fortress guards. She was notorious for preparing terrible,
unpalatable food and serving stingy portions, leaving the soldiers
perpetually hungry and dissatisfied. In revenge, the guards allegedly
walled her up alive inside the tower’s thick walls. Her name and
imposing physical presence supposedly inspired the tower’s nickname,
evoking both her size and the structure’s massive, “fat” proportions.
The Romantic Legend (Lighter Version):
This involves a pair of
star-crossed lovers: Herman, a peasant’s son, and Margaret, a
fisherman’s daughter. They were deeply in love and would stroll
hand-in-hand through the city in the evenings. However, a curse forced
them to part and leave the town before midnight each night. The story
romanticizes the tower as a silent witness to their tragic, timeless
affection.
A more prosaic historical explanation is that the name
was given in the second half of the 19th century (or early 19th century)
by bored Russian sailors in the port, who nicknamed the stout, wide
tower after its bulky, unmistakable silhouette—“Fat Margaret” as a
personification of its strength and girth. This practical, humorous
attribution is widely accepted as the most likely origin.