The 700th Anniversary of Tallinn Cathedral School

As early as 1266, Tallinn’s cathedral chapter had an official who was in charge of the cathedral school. The first written record of the Tallinn Cathedral School is from 3 January 1319, when Danish King Eric VI Menved gave the cathedral chapter exclusive school operation rights in Tallinn. Based on the first mention of the school’s name, Tallinn Cathedral School is celebrating its 700th anniversary in 2019, as the oldest operating school in Estonia and one of the oldest in the Baltic Sea region.

The top stamp in the souvenir sheet depicts the Tallinn Cathedral, where the school was founded in the 13th century. The bottom stamp shows two buildings: the building at Toom-Kooli 11 was where the school operated until its closure in 1939, and the building at Apteegi 3 is where it was re-opened in 2011. The edges of the sheet depict historical figures closely connected to the school, and their symbols. The timeline on the first day cover an overview of major events in the distinguished 700-year-long history of Tallinn Cathedral School, and the first day of issue postmark features a Luther rose also found in the school’s coat of arms. It signifies the Lutheran heritage of the school, which operates as a private Christian school.