Kuressaare,Saaremaa, Estonia
aka Kuressaare Merekool
aka Kuressaare Merekool
(Estonian Kapten J.Teãri Eramerekool, Kuressaare, Saaremaa, Eesti)written and translated by Rex Urmas Rattur
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Consequent to my trip to Estonia in the summer of 2006 I felt that I
had to mark the sights that I had seen with a more permanent expression of
Estonian culture and to explain the relevance of the places to my family.
One of the places that I was thrilled to see was the site of my
father's maritime academy in the town of Kuressaare on the island of Saaremaa
off the west coast of Estonia.
This page is the the result of my research on the subject of the J.Teãr
Maritime Academy, where Estonians were educated to become navigation officers
in pre-War period.
From an examination of documents at the time the formal name
of the academy was Kapten J.Teãri Eramerekool but it seems from the
memoirs of the sea captains that the academy was colloquially referred to as as
Kuressaare Maritime Academy [Estonian Kuressaare merekool]
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My research demonstrated that there is a limited amount of knowledge
available on the Maritime Academy in English.
Wello Rattur wrote in his manuscript of his experiences at the Maritime
Academy.
See pp. 60-62, 70 of my book
Eyewitness: Estonia 1909-1949 ISBN 978-0-9758008-0-5
As well, my father's classmate Elmar Anniko talks about his life at the
Maritime Academy on pp. 60-61 of his book
Elmar Anniko Laevakapten
ISBN 978-9985-854-01-3
which is written in Estonian.
There is also contains a class photograph of Navigation
Class 2 which includes staff at the academy page 96-97.
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Kuressaare Merekool was established in 1891. It operated from the
Pidula building at 44 Pikk Street until 1903, from 1903-1915 from the location
at the corner of Kohtu and Komandandi Streets, in 1915 it was evacuated to
Herson in Russia.
With the establishment of the Estonian republic when it
resumed at its original site in 1919 at the town school building at 4
Suur-Põllu Street.
The school operated at this address until 1928 when the drop in student numbers
resulted in its closure.
However its functions were continued under the
auspicices of its former director/ principal Julius Teär [1889-1941], who also
was at the time one of the biggest shipowner's in Saaremaa as the Captain
J.Teär's Private Maritime Academy until the spring of 1941.
The state promulgated in 1939 that it was to resume using its previous name Kuressaare Merekool and that its functions to be taken over by the state with its staff becoming state employees.
The state promulgated in 1939 that it was to resume using its previous name Kuressaare Merekool and that its functions to be taken over by the state with its staff becoming state employees.
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See
p.x for Julius Teär's biography and pp 149-151 of my book for the events relating to the mass
murder at Kuressaare Castle, whose victims included my father's navigation
school principal,Julius , and classmate, Arnold Lipp.
The school remained closed during the German occupation until autumn
1942, when it resumed operations under the auspices of Julius Teär's brother,
sea captain Karl Teär [1903-1945]. The school was renamed after Julius Teär in August 1943, and a director was appointed. The school continued until 25 of March 1944, when it closed due to the wartime conditions. From 1942-1944 the Captain J.Teär's Private Maritime Academy operated from the address.
More Photographs of Wello Rattur
For readers who wish to see more on Wello Rattur after reading my book,
some more photographs of him at the time are in Anniko's book
on pages
pp
68-69 Kuressaare Merekooli I Klass front row, 3rd from the right.
p
93 Martha crew 1937 front row centre,3rd from the left, as captain,
in overalls
p
98 Dance Class Kuressaare back row, 2nd from the right
Some links to relevant websites.Most of the information on these links is in Estonian.
Postscript
Shortly after publishing this page, an email with the following link was sent to me by the well-renowned Estonian member of parliament and former mayor of Kuressaare, Urve Tiidus. On the front page a photograph of the pesent-day restored building is shown and on the history (Estonian: ajalugu) page of the Kallemäe School website a brief description of the school after 2005 is given. You are most welcome to make donations to the school directly or assist them to obtain specialised equipment for the school and its students..
My Translation of the description follows:
Kuressaare(prev.CaptainJ.Teãr's Maritime Academy,Kuressaare , Saaremaa, Estonia aka Kuressaare Merekool) is a branch of the Kallemäe National General Education Schools
Network for Children with Moderate, Severe
and Profound Intellectual Disabilities.
Kallemäe School is administered by the Ministry of Education and Science. It is an elementary school for students with special
educational needs school in Saaremaa, Estonia. It
is located, in saaremaa county, Valjala municipality, Kallemäe
village.
The school set up an affiliated branch in Kuressaare on September 1, 2005 at number Suur- Põllu street, called the Kallemäe School For Children with Special Needs.
The school set up an affiliated branch in Kuressaare on September 1, 2005 at number Suur- Põllu street, called the Kallemäe School For Children with Special Needs.
Demolition works on the old building by EBC
Building began in December 2006.
In January 2007, construction and
renovation works began.
On September,1 2007 special neeeds classes began at the Kuressaare Kallemäe Branch in the
newly renovated Suur- Põllu 4 building.
The renovation of the old building project
was accomplished under the auspices of the the Kuressaare City Government, the
architect being Katrin Tomberg- Tohteri,
and a coperative partnership between the State Property Construction Partnership
, EBC Building and the schools.
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