/6986950579_0a397c6dff[1].jpg)
The Raeapteek or Town Council Pharmacy is located on the north side of the Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats). Pharmacy or apothecary was located here since the medieval times. It was first mentioned in 1422 when it was owned by Burkhardt family. Subsequent 10 generations of this dynasty worked in pharmaceutical business in a current Raeapteek. The pharmacy is divided into 2 rooms. One rooms is dedicated to a pharmacy itself, where they still sell modern drugs and medicines. The second room is a small museum full of ancient potions made from dried herbs, burned bees, earthworms and many other unusual components. These medicines are not for so sale, however. The Raeapteek is open to the public free of charge. Visitors are often treated with marzipan deserts.
Early History and Founding (14th–15th Century)
The exact founding
date is unknown, but the pharmacy was first mentioned in historical
records on 8 April 1422. In the Tallinn town council's notebook,
apothecary Nyclawes (or Nuclawes/Claus, likely the third owner) stated
that the pharmacy and its furnishings were owned by ten honorable men,
mostly councilmen (aldermen). This implies it had already been operating
for some time.
Historians suggest it may date back to around 1415
(possibly founded by Johann Molner, who later sold it to a pharmacist
named Hermann), or even earlier in the mid-14th century as Tallinn's
medieval center developed. Some speculative theories push it to 1392 or
as early as 1248 when Tallinn received city rights, though these lack
strong evidence. By the second half of the 15th century, medicines were
actively sold there.
In medieval Tallinn (then known as Reval, part
of the Hanseatic League), Raeapteek served not just as a dispensary but
as a social and advisory hub. Pharmacists often acted as physicians,
providing medical advice, treatments, and even spiritual support. It
sold a wide range of goods beyond medicines, including paper, ink,
sealing wax, dyes, tobacco (one of the first places in the region),
pipes, playing cards, torches, fabrics, gunpowder, salt, spices, and
sweets.
A 1695 price list (Taxa) illustrates the eclectic inventory:
54 waters, 25 fats, 32 balsams, 62 preserves, 128 oils, 20 tinctures, 49
ointments, and 71 medicinal teas. Exotic or peculiar items included
burnt bees, stallion hooves, burnt hedgehogs, earthworm oil, bleached
dog feces, human fat, mummy powder, bat powder, snakeskin, swallow's
nests, and powdered unicorn horn. Marzipan was sold as a remedy for
heartache and memory loss. Customers could also enjoy claret (a spiced
Rhine wine), and the pharmacy later gained privileges to import French
cognac tax-free.
The Burchart Dynasty (1582–1911)
The most
prominent chapter in Raeapteek's history spans over 300 years (about 329
years) and ten generations under the Burchart (Burchard) family. This
dynasty began around 1582 when Hungarian immigrant Johann Burchart (born
János Both Bélaváry de Szikava from Pressburg/Bratislava) leased the
pharmacy from the town council. He married the daughter of Tallinn's
mayor and established a lasting legacy.
Family tradition required the
eldest son to be named Johann and trained as a pharmacist. Many were
well-educated, serving as both apothecaries and physicians, and played
key roles in town life. Highlights include:
Johann Burchart IV —
Purchased the pharmacy outright from the city council in 1688 for 600
thalers, confirmed by Swedish King Charles XI in 1690.
Johann
Burchart V (1683–1738) — Operated during the Great Northern War and the
1710 Black Plague; supplied medicines to the Russian army; became town
doctor and garrison/naval hospital physician. Russian Tsar Peter the
Great reportedly summoned him (though Burchart arrived too late).
In 1802, Johann Burchart VIII founded a private museum called "Mon
faible" (featuring local curiosities) and organized Tallinn's first art
exhibition. Items from his collection later went to the Estonian History
Museum. The family hired the first Estonian-speaking pharmacist with a
university degree (Oskar Mildebrath) in the 1880s.
The Burchart era
ended in 1911 when the last male heir's sisters sold the property to
C.R. Lehbert after the final two Johanns (of poor health) had leased it
out.
20th Century to Present
1911–1940: Owned by the Lehbert
and Schneider families. In 1907–1908, C.R. Lehbert produced "Ferratol,"
an anti-anemia preparation considered a pioneer of the Estonian
pharmaceutical industry.
Soviet Era (1940–1991): Nationalized;
operated under a number rather than its historic name but remained busy.
Post-1991: Returned to city oversight after Estonia's independence.
Extensive restoration (lasting over a decade until ~2003) revived the
building after decades of neglect.
Today, Raeapteek continues as
a modern pharmacy on the ground floor while integrating historic
elements. Part of the building houses a small museum with antique
apothecary jars, old instruments, historical prescriptions, curiosities
(e.g., dried toads, marzipan displays), and the Burchart family coat of
arms (a griffin with a crown, rose between lilies, dated 1635). A garlic
restaurant ("Balthasar") operates upstairs, and there's an antiques
shop.
The site remains a tourist attraction and cultural venue,
participating in Tallinn Medieval Days, Museum Night, and offering
guided tours/workshops. It is supported by the Tallinn Culture and
Sports Board and is considered Estonia's oldest company and health
institution operating continuously in the same premises.
Overall Structure and History of the Building
The current building
is not a single medieval structure but a composite of three separate
medieval buildings that were joined over time. One component was
originally a weighing house (libra), documented as early as 1358, used
for measuring goods entering or leaving the city.
It stands
directly opposite the Tallinn Town Hall on the historic market square
(Raekoja plats) in the heart of Tallinn's UNESCO-listed Old Town.
The
architecture reflects Tallinn's Hanseatic and medieval heritage, with
later modifications, especially during the 19th–20th centuries and a
major refurbishment after 1990 (lasting until around 2003) following
Soviet-era neglect.
The building has a relatively modest, functional
facade typical of merchant and guild-related structures in Northern
European medieval towns, blending into the surrounding historic
streetscape rather than dominating it.
Exterior Architecture
The facade is pale (off-white or light beige) with a distinctive
red/orange tiled roof featuring several dormer windows. Key features
include:
Ground floor: Large multi-pane windows with prominent
black iron grilles (a common security and decorative element in historic
Tallinn buildings). Stone or concrete corbels (protruding supports) run
along the base of the projecting upper floors or bays.
Bay
window/projection: A notable oriel or bay window on the corner/ground
floor level adds depth and character.
Entrance: A charming, historic
doorway often featuring symbolic pharmacy motifs, such as intertwined
snakes (a traditional emblem of healing and pharmacies, linked to the
Rod of Asclepius). The main entrance has a welcoming, vintage feel with
steps leading up.
Signage: A prominent pharmacy sign with a mortar
and pestle emblem and text noting "Apteek ad. 1422." Additional signs
for the attached antiques shop ("RaeAntik") and restaurant.
Roof and
upper levels: Steeply pitched red-tiled roof with dormers, chimneys, and
gables. The building integrates harmoniously with adjacent structures in
the dense Old Town layout.
Overall style: Primarily medieval Northern
European (influenced by Gothic and Hanseatic merchant architecture),
with Baroque/Classical refinements from later periods. It lacks the
grand spires or elaborate stonework of the nearby Town Hall but
emphasizes practicality and longevity.
The building forms part of
a cohesive historic ensemble on the square, contributing to Tallinn's
well-preserved medieval atmosphere.
Interior Architecture and
Layout
The interior blends active pharmacy functions with museum-like
historical elements, creating a layered, atmospheric experience. Key
features:
Pharmacy area (main floor): Traditional wooden
cabinetry, shelves, and display cases filled with both modern medicines
and historical jars/bottles. Dark wood paneling, glass-fronted cabinets,
and counters evoke 18th–19th century apothecary shops. Exposed wooden
beam ceilings (some original or restored) add warmth and authenticity.
Chandeliers and warm lighting enhance the historic ambiance.
Museum
section: A small but rich collection of historical artifacts, including
old medical instruments, chemist tools, scales, mortars, and
curiosities. A large stone coat of arms of the Burchart family (1635) is
embedded in the wall, depicting a griffin with a crown and a rose
between lilies. Other heraldic elements and carved details (e.g., a
pillar dated 1663 with Burchart arms) survive.
Upper floors and
extensions: The second floor houses the "Balthasar" garlic restaurant.
Historical rooms feature preserved elements like wooden floors, thick
walls, and period furnishings. Parts of the building include vaulted or
beamed ceilings typical of medieval merchant houses.
Materials and
details: Thick stone or brick walls (common for fire resistance and
durability in medieval Tallinn), wooden beams and floors, tiled or
checkered flooring in display areas, and restored plasterwork. The
interior feels intimate and labyrinthine, reflecting organic growth over
centuries.
Architectural Significance
Raeapteek exemplifies
the evolution of functional civic/commercial architecture in a Hanseatic
trading city. Its survival in the same location for over six centuries
makes it a rare living monument. While not as ornate as churches or
guildhalls, its unpretentious, enduring design underscores the practical
merchant culture of medieval Reval (Tallinn's historic German name).
Renovations have balanced preservation with modern needs, maintaining
its role as both a working pharmacy and a cultural site.
The building
also connects to broader Tallinn architecture: its location ties it to
the Gothic Town Hall (the only preserved Gothic town hall in Northern
Europe), reinforcing the square's role as the civic and commercial heart
of the Old Town.