History

Archaeological findings suggest that people first inhabited the territory of the current Tartu County about 5000 years ago. Tartu was first mentioned in historical records in 1030, when an Estonian stronghold stood at the place where the Tartu Toome Hill is now. In 1224, after the conquest of the stronghold by the German invaders, Tartu became the capital of a diocese, stretching from Northern Estonia to Latvia. Since the 13th century, Tartu belonged to the Hanseatic League, and the town became a well-known trade centre in the Baltic Sea region.

In 1632, the King of Sweden, Gustav Adolf, established Tartu University. Closed after the Great Northern War, it was re-opened in 1802 as the only German language university in Russia. From this point, the economic and cultural life of Tartu County began to make rapid progress.

Tartu County has always been renowned for the remarkably good level of public education. The first teachers' training school in Estonia was established here in 1684. The first Estonian newspaper came out in Tartu in 1806. In the second half of the 19th century, the national awakening of Estonians began from the Tartu area and the first national choir singing festival in 1869 established the beginning of a tradition that obtained a symbolic meaning for Estonian people.

After Estonia gained independence (February 24, 1918), Tartu University started work in the Estonian language in 1919 and between the two World Wars, Tartu became the cultural centre of Estonia, where most of the Estonian intelligentsia of the time lived and worked.

Estonia's regained independence from the Soviet occupation was initiated by the student movement in Tartu. Here is also where the first private businesses started to operate.

Tartu County has preserved its cultural traditions through the economic transition and social changes. Music and folklore festivals, and other cultural events, attract numerous visitors each year.