Harku () is a

small borough The following is a list of Populated places in Estonia, boroughs () and Populated places in Estonia, small boroughs () in Estonia. Boroughs *Aegviidu *Järva-Jaani *Järvakandi *Kiili *Kohila *Kohtla-Nõmme *Lavassaare *Märjamaa *Paikuse *Pärn ...

() in

Harku Parish Harku Parish () is a rural municipality in Harju County, northern Estonia, located west and neighbouring the capital Tallinn. It occupies an area of and has a population of 16,973 (as of June 1, 2022). The population density is . The administra ...

Harju County Harju County ( or ''Harjumaa''), is one of the fifteen counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the southeast, Rapla Count ...

, northern

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

. As of the 2011 census, the settlement's population was 868, of which the

Estonians Estonians or Estonian people () are a Finnic ethnic group native to the Baltic Sea region in Northern Europe, primarily their nation state of Estonia. Estonians primarily speak the Estonian language, a language closely related to other Finni ...

were 539 (62.1%). Harku was first mentioned probably in 1242 as ''Harkua''. The only women's prison in Estonia

Harku Prison Harku Prison () was an Estonian prison. The prison was located in Harku, Harju County. The prison was established in 1926. * In 1965, the prison was adapted to a women's prison. * In 2011, Harku Prison was merged with Murru Prison. * In 2016, ...

is located in Harku. Politician

Edgar Savisaar Edgar Savisaar (31 May 1950 – 29 December 2022) was an Estonian politician, one of the founding members of Popular Front of Estonia and the Estonian Centre Party, Centre Party. He served as the Prime Minister of Estonia, acting Prime Minister ...

(1950–2022) was born in the prison.

Harku manor

Harku manor () was founded in 1372 by the

Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

. In 1583 it became a private property and was subsequently owned by several

Baltic German Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are Germans, ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), their resettlement in 1945 after the end ...

families from the

Baltic nobility The Baltic German nobility was a privileged social class in the territories of modern-day Estonia and Latvia. It existed continuously from the Northern Crusades and the medieval foundation of Terra Mariana. Most of the nobility consisted of Bal ...

. Following the

Estonian Declaration of Independence The Estonian Declaration of Independence, formally titled the Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia (), is the founding document which established the independent democratic Estonia, Republic of Estonia in 1918. Issued during a period of intense p ...

, it was taken over by the state and used as a youth prison until the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Following the war the main building befell what is today known as the Estonian Agricultural University. The main building that we see today dates from the 18th century and has been rebuilt several times. It received its present external look during a reconstruction in 1875. The Capitulation of Estonia and Livonia during the

Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

was negotiated in the manor (1710).

References

External links

Harku Parish
{{Boroughs of Estonia Boroughs and small boroughs in Estonia Kreis Harrien