Kuressaare () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

on the island of

Saaremaa Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hi ...

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 ...

. It is the administrative centre of

Saaremaa Municipality Saaremaa Parish, also known as Saaremaa Municipality (), is a municipality in Saare County in western Estonia. It is the largest municipality by land area and largest rural municipality – or parish – by population in Estonia. The administrati ...

and the seat of

Saare County Saare County ( or ''Saaremaa''; ; ; ; ) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It consists of Saaremaa, the largest island of Estonia, and several smaller islands near it, most notably Muhu, Ruhnu, Abruka and Vilsandi. The county borders Lääne Count ...

. Kuressaare is the westernmost town in Estonia. The recorded population on 1 January 2024 was 13,185. The town is situated on the southern coast of

Saaremaa island Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hi ...

, facing the

Gulf of Riga The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia (, , ) is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. The island of Saaremaa (Estonia) partially separates it from the rest of the Baltic Sea. The main connection between the gulf and t ...

of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

, and is served by the

Kuressaare Airport Kuressaare Airport (, ) is an airport in Estonia. The airport is situated about 3 km southeast of Kuressaare town centre in Saaremaa Municipality. Overview The first runway was built in the last half of the 1930s. The airport was opened officia ...

Roomassaare Kuressaare () is a populated places in Estonia, town on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Saaremaa Municipality and the seat of Saare County. Kuressaare is the westernmost town in Estonia. The recorded popul ...

harbour, and Kuressaare yacht harbour.

Names

Kuressaare's historic name Arensburg (from

Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; or ; , shortened as ''Mhdt.'' or ''Mhd.'') is the term for the form of High German, High German language, German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High ...

''a(a)r:''

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

, raptor) renders the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

denotation ''arx aquilae'' for the city's castle. The fortress and the eagle,

tetramorph A tetramorph is a symbolic arrangement of four differing elements, or the combination of four disparate elements in one unit. The term is derived from the Greek ''tetra'', meaning four, and ''morph'', shape. The word comes from the Greek for "fou ...

symbol of Saint

John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on how ...

, are also depicted on Kuressaare's coat of arms. The town, which grew around the fortress, was simultaneously known as Arensburg and Kuressaare linn; the latter name being a combination of ''Kuressaare''—an ancient name of the Saaremaa Island—and ''linn'', which means ''town''.Pospelov, p. 28 Alternatively, the town's name may come from ''kurg'' (''crane'') and ''saare'' (''island''), a name that may have come from the city's German name and coat of arms, or may have existed before German settlers arrived. Eventually, the town's name shortened to Kuressaare and became official in 1918 after Estonia had declared its independence from Bolshevist Russia. Under

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

rule, the town was renamed Kingissepa in 1952. This name came from the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

Kuressaare-native

Viktor Kingissepp Viktor Eduard Kingissepp (; – 4 May 1922) was an Estonian communist politician, the leader of the Estonian Communist Party. The son of a factory worker, he joined a Marxist circle as a schoolboy in Arensburg (now ) (which was renamed Kingi ...

executed in 1922. The name Kuressaare was restored in 1988.

History

The town first appeared on maps around 1154. The island of Saaremaa (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, ) was conquered by the

Livonian Brothers of the Sword The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (; ) was a Catholic Church, Catholic Military order (monastic society), military order established in 1202 during the Livonian Crusade by Albert of Riga, Albert, the third bishop of Riga (or possibly by Theode ...

under

Volkwin Volkwin von Naumburg zu Winterstätten (also ''Wolquin'', ''Folkwin'', ''Folkvin'', ''Wolguinus'', or ''Wolgulin''; Middle High German: ''Volkewîn''; died 22 September 1236) was the Master (''Herrenmeister'') of the Livonian Brothers of the Swo ...

of Naumburg in 1227, who merged with the

Teutonic Knights The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...

shortly afterwards. The first documentation of the castle (''arx aquilae'') was found in Latin texts written in 1381 and 1422. Over time, a town, which became known as Arensburg or Kuressaarelinn, grew and flourished around the fortress. It became the see of the

Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

established by

Albert of Riga Albert of Riga or Albert of Livonia ( – 17 January 1229) was the third Catholic Bishop of Riga in Livonia. As the Bishop of Livonia, in 1201, he founded Riga, the modern capital city of Latvia, and the city was later made a bishopric. The bu ...

in 1228, part of the

Terra Mariana Terra Mariana (Medieval Latin for 'Land of Mary (mother of Jesus), Mary') was the formal name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia. It was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade, and its territories were composed of present-day Estonia a ...

. Johann von Münchhausen, bishop since 1542, converted to

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

. With the advance of the troops of Tsar

Ivan IV of Russia Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia from 1547 until his death in 1584. ...

in the course of the

Livonian War The Livonian War (1558–1583) concerned control of Terra Mariana, Old Livonia (in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia). The Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of the Denmark–Norway, Dano-Norwegian Realm, the Kingdom ...

, Münchhausen sold his lands to King

Frederick II of Denmark Frederick II (1 July 1534 – 4 April 1588) was King of Denmark-Norway, Denmark and Norway and Duke of Duchy of Schleswig, Schleswig and Duchy of Holstein, Holstein from 1559 until his death in 1588. A member of the House of Oldenburg, Fre ...

in 1559 and returned to Germany. Frederick sent his younger brother Prince Magnus to Kuressaare where he was elected bishop the following year. It was through his influence that the city obtained its

civic charter Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in 1563, modeled after that of

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

. The bishopric was finally

secularised In sociology, secularization () is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism or irreligion, nor are they automatica ...

in 1572 and Kuressaare fell to the Danish Crown. In 1645, it passed to

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

control through the Treaty of Brömsebro after the Danish defeat in the

Torstenson War The Torstenson War was fought between Sweden and Denmark–Norway from 1643 to 1645. The name derives from Swedish general Lennart Torstenson. Denmark-Norway had withdrawn from the Thirty Years' War in the 1629 Treaty of Lübeck. After its vic ...

. Queen

Christina of Sweden Christina (; 18 December ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. 8 December1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Monarchy of Sweden, Queen of Sweden from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. Her conversion to Catholicism and ...

granted her favourite,

Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie (15 October 1622 – 26 April 1686) was a Swedish Empire, Swedish statesman and military man. He became a member of the Privy Council of Sweden, Swedish Privy Council in 1647 and came to be the holder of three ...

, the title of Count of Arensburg, the German and

name for Kuressaare at that time. The city was burnt to the ground by Russian troops in 1710 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 ...

and suffered heavily from the plague. Abandoned by the Swedes, it was incorporated into the

Governorate of Livonia The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, Baltic Governorate-General until 1876. Governorate of Livonia bordered Governorate of E ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

through the

Treaty of Nystad The Treaty of Nystad, or the Treaty of Uusikaupunki, was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of Russia and the Swedish Empire on in the then Swedish town of Nystad (, in th ...

in 1721. During the 19th century Kuressaare became a popular

seaside resort A seaside resort is a city, resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of an official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requi ...

on the

Baltic coast The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, between September and October 1917, German land and naval forces occupied Saaremaa with

Operation Albion Operation Albion was a German air, land and naval operation in the First World War, against Russian forces in October 1917 to occupy the West Estonian Archipelago. The campaign aimed to occupy the Baltic islands of Saaremaa (Ösel), Hii ...

. During

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 ...

, the Battle of Tehumardi took place. In October 1990, Kuressaare was the first town in Estonia to regain its self-governing status.

Tourism

Kuressaare is a well-known summer and resort town. The city is one of the most visited tourist centers in Estonia. The first known tourist group visited Kuressaare almost 165 years ago.

History

In the middle of the 19th century, Kuressaare became a spa town when large reserves of healing mud were discovered near the town. The first mud spa was built in 1840, but healing with mud baths has been tested on the west coast of Saaremaa since the mid-1820s. It was the health mud that became Kuressaare's key word. New sanatoriums and boarding houses were created, the order was considerably improved and the number of visitors continued to grow. Between 1918 and 1940, the resort's heyday continued. The share of Russians among visitors decreased, giving way to Latvians, Finns and Swedes. The development of tourism slowed down from the beginning of the Second World War until the end of the Soviet occupation, when the entire Saaremaa was declared a closed border zone, which excluded all foreign tourism. Only strictly limited and controlled domestic tourism was allowed. Today, Kuressaare is once again a resort town. New health facilities and hotels have been built, and historical monuments have been restored. Two thirds of the current visitors to the city are mainland Estonians, the remaining visitors are mainly from Finland, Sweden and Latvia.

Sights

In the old town of Kuressaare, mainly the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved. historical buildings from the 19th century, but there are also older ones. In the old town there are, for example, St. Nicholas Church and Laurentius Church, a goods yard, an old mill (1899), a harbor yard (1663) and residential buildings. The baroque town hall and council house date from the Swedish era in the 17th century, while the building of the Saaremaa Knights, located next to the Kuressaare town hall, dates from the 18th century. Among the oldest preserved buildings are also the parsonage building at Kauba tänav 5 and the Põlluvahi house at the corner of Kitsa and Kitzbergi streets.

Kuressaare bishop castle

The city's biggest attraction is the Kuressaare Bishop's Castle, which mainly dates from the 14th century, and currently houses the Saaremaa Museum. The square-shaped fortress consists of four building wings around the courtyard. On the northeast side are the gate and two towers: Pikk Hermann and Sturvolt. 17-18 are also important. The powerful earthen fortifications of the Kuressaare fortress around the medieval fortress core date from the 19th century. Kuressaare Castle is one of the best preserved in the Baltic States. It has been restored several times since the beginning of the 20th century. Since 2001, Kuressaare Castle Days have been organized every summer with knight tournaments, theatrical tours and processions, and other medieval attractions. To the south-west of the castle is Tori bay, where the port of Kuressaare is located. Kuressaare Castle Park and the historicist-style Kuressaare Kursaal are the center of resort life. Both were founded in the second half of the 19th century. At the beginning of Lossi Street, in the former fish market, there is a monument to those who fell in the Estonian War of Independence.

Neighborhoods of Kuressaare

There are nine neighborhoods of Kuressaare: *Ida-Niidu *Kesklinn *Kellamäe *Marientali *Põllu alev *Roomassaare *Smuuli *Suuremõisa *Tori.

Landmarks and culture

The medieval episcopal

Kuressaare Castle Kuressaare Castle (; ), also Kuressaare Episcopal Castle (), is a castle in Kuressaare on Saaremaa, Saaremaa island, in western Estonia. History The earliest written record mentioning Kuressaare castle is from the 1380s, when the Teutonic Order ...

today houses the Saaremaa Regional Museum. The original wooden castle was constructed between 1338 and 1380, although other sources claim a fortress was built in Kuressaare as early as 1260. In 1968, architect began studies on Kuressaare Castle. The town hall was originally built in 1654, and restored, retaining classicist and baroque features. It was last restored in the 1960s with dolomite stairs at the front. St Nicolaus Church was built in 1790. The annual Saaremaa Opera Days (''Saaremaa Ooperipäevad'') have been held in Kuressaare each summer since 1999. Other festivals include Kuressaare Chamber Music Days (''Kuressaare Kammermuusika Päevad''), held since 1995 and

Kuressaare Maritime Festival Kuressaare () is a town on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Saaremaa Municipality and the seat of Saare County. Kuressaare is the westernmost town in Estonia. The recorded population on 1 January 2024 was 1 ...

(''Kuressaare Merepäevad''), held since 1998. Kuressaare also hosts the

FC Kuressaare FC Kuressaare, commonly known as Kuressaare, is an Estonian professional football club based in Kuressaare, Saaremaa island. The club's home ground is Kuressaare linnastaadion. Founded on 14 March 1997, the club competes in the Meistriliiga, t ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club. File:Kuressaare.Raekoda.jpg, Town hall File:Kuressaare-linnus, 2010.jpg, The

in winter File:Rüütelkonna hoone.jpg, Former House of the Oesel Knighthood

Demographics

Climate

Kuressaare has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb), bordering on an oceanic climate (Cfb). The Estonian Environmental Agency since 2008 conducts weather observations in Roomassaare neighbourhood of Kuressaare. Its temperatures during the older observation period showed a stronger correlation with humid continental climate.

Economy

Transportation

Kuressaare is served by

, located on a peninsula southeast of the town. There is regular traffic to Tallinn, as well as seasonal flights to the island of

Ruhnu Ruhnu (; ; ) is an Estonian island in the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. Its territory of is administratively part of Saare County, Saare ''maakond'' (county). Ruhnu lies geographically closer to the coast of Courland on the mainland of Latvia ...

. There are bus connections around the island, as well as with

Kuivastu Kuivastu is a village on the eastern coast of the Estonian island Muhu. (retrieved 28 July 2021) Kuivastu Harbour is the primary gateway to the biggest Estonian island Saaremaa (Muhu and Saaremaa are distinct islands but since 1896, they have b ...

on Muhu Island, a ferry terminal with connection to the mainland. In 1917, during the German occupation, an urban railway was built in Kuressaare, and in 1918, it was transferred to the town administration. It connected the port with the city center. One of the stations was provisionally located in Kurhouse, and in 1924, the dedicated Park Station was built. The railway functioned until the 1930s when it was gradually disused and mostly dismantled. An attempt to revive the railway in the beginning of the 1950s, during the Soviet period, was unsuccessful, and ended up with rails fully removed from the streets.

Notable people

* Adam Georg von Agthe (1777–1826), Russian military officer *

Tiiu Aro Tiiu Aro (born June 18, 1952, in Kuressaare) is an Estonian physician and politician. She is a former Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia The Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia () is a government ministry of Estonia responsible for Soc ...

(born 1952), Estonian physician and politician *

Eugen Dücker Eugen Gustav Dücker ( – 6 December 1916) was a German landscape painter, born a Russian Imperial subject on Saaremaa (then Governorate of Livonia, present-day Estonia), associated with the Düsseldorfer Malerschule. Biography He was born ...

(1841–1916), Baltic German painter *

Maria Faust Maria Faust (born 18 April 1979) is an Estonian jazz saxophonist. She has worked with John Parish and Mark Howard. She frequently tours in western Europe and has performed in the Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partial ...

(born 1979), Estonian saxophone player and composer *

Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven Alexander Otto Hermann Wolfgang Bernd(t) Freiherr Freytag von Loringhoven (6 February 1914 – 27 February 2007), was a Baltic German officer in the German Army during World War II. In 1956, he joined the German Federal Armed Forces, the ''Bund ...

(1914–2007), German military officer *

Louis Kahn Louis Isadore Kahn (born Itze-Leib Schmuilowsky; – March 17, 1974) was an Estonian-born American architect based in Philadelphia. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935. Whil ...

(1901–1974), American architect *

Madis Kallas Madis Kallas (born 22 April 1981) is an Estonian decathlete and Politics of Estonia, politician, who currently serves as the Ministry of the Environment (Estonia), Minister of the Environment of Estonia. He was the mayor of Saaremaa Municipalit ...

(born 1981), Estonian decathlete and politician *

(1888–1922), Estonian communist politician *

Heli Lääts Heli Lääts (24 June 1932 – 16 February 2018) was an Estonians, Estonian singer (mezzo-soprano) whose career began in the mid-1950s. Lääts predominantly performed Music of the Soviet Union#Soviet estrada, estrada, chamber music, chamber, P ...

(1932–2018), Estonian singer *

Karl Patrick Lauk Karl Patrick Lauk (born 9 January 1997 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . Major results ;2016 : 5th Time trial, National Road Championships ;2017 : 1st Overall Tour of Estonia ::1st Points cla ...

(born 1997), Estonian cyclist * Adelaida Lemberg (1904–1986), Estonian journalist and translator *

Tullio Liblik Tullio Liblik (born November 12, 1964, in Kuressaare) is an Estonian entrepreneur, the CEO and member of the board of the investment company Saarte Investeering and the chairman of the council of Kuressaare Regional Training Centre. Education * ...

(born 1964), Estonian entrepreneur *

Jörgen Liik Jörgen Liik (born 12 March 1990) is an Estonian stage, film and television actor. Early life and education Jörgen Liik was born in Kuressaare, Saare County on the island of Saaremaa. He attended primary school at Orissaare Gymnasium in Orissa ...

(born 1990), Estonian actor *

Ivo Linna Ivo Linna (born 12 June 1949 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian singer. Eurovision Song Contest and Eesti Laul He represented Estonia alongside Maarja Liis Ilus in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 in Oslo with the song " Kaelakee Hääl" (The Sound ...

(born 1949), Estonian singer *

Richard Maack Richard Otto Maack (; 4 September 1825 – 25 November 1886) was a Russian naturalist, geographer, and anthropologist. He is most known for his exploration of the Russian Far East and Siberia, particularly the Ussuri and Amur River valleys. ...

(1825–1886), Russian naturalist *

Konstantin Märska Konstantin Märska ( in Kuressaare, Saaremaa, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – 30 August 1951 in Tallinn) was an Estonian cinematographer and film director. Märska is buried at Rahumäe Cemetery in Tallinn Tallinn is the capital c ...

(1896–1951), Estonian cinematographer and film director *

Gerd Neggo Gerd Neggo (9 November 1891 – 1 September 1974) was an Estonian dancer, dance teacher and choreographer. She studied the musical response methods of É. Jaques-Dalcroze, trained under Rudolf von Laban in Hamburg, Germany, and in 1924 establis ...

(1891–1974), Estonian dancer and choreographer *

Marek Niit Marek Niit (born 9 August 1987, in Kuressaare) is a sprinter from Estonia who won a gold medal at the 200 metres at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China. He is also the current national record holder in 100 met ...

(born 1987), Estonian sprinter *

Sulev Nõmmik Sulev Nõmmik (11 January 1931, in Tallinn – 28 July 1992, in Kuressaare) was an Estonian theatre and movie director, actor, humorist and comedian. He's mostly associated with the comical character of Kärna Ärni and the related fictional villag ...

(1931–1992), Estonian actor, director, humorist and dancer *

Tiidrek Nurme Tiidrek Nurme (born 18 November 1985) is an Estonian long and middle-distance runner, the current national record holder of the 1500 metres and 3000 metres. Nurme is one of only five men in the history of the Olympic Games to have qualified for ...

(born 1985), Estonian runner *

Margus Oopkaup Margus Oopkaup (11 March 1959 – 6 January 2025) was an Estonian stage, film and television actor and playwright who was engaged at the Endla Theatre from 1982 to 2000. In 1983, he was awarded the Best Young Actor award for his performance in ...

(born 1959), Estonian actor *

Mikk Pahapill Mikk Pahapill (born 18 July 1983) is a retired Estonian decathlete. His personal best score is 8398 points, achieved at the 2011 Hypo-Meeting in Götzis. His coach is Remigija Nazarovienė. He won the 2009 European Indoor Championships in hept ...

(born 1983), Estonian decathlete *

Grete Paia Grete Paia (born 27 August 1995) is a singer and songwriter. She is best known internationally for participating in the Eurovision Song Contest country stage competitions (''Eesti Laul'') in 2013, 2016, 2019, and in 2022 (in 2022 in a duet with A ...

(born 1995), Estonian singer and songwriter *

Tõnis Palts Tõnis Palts (born 29 March 1953, in Kuressaare) is an Estonian politician and former mayor of Tallinn and Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, an ...

(born 1953), Estonian politician and businessman *

Jüri Pihl Jüri Pihl (17 March 1954 – 3 February 2019) was an Estonian politician, a member of the Social Democratic Party. From 1993 to 2003 he served as the General Director of Kaitsepolitsei, the central security institution in Estonia. After that, f ...

(1954–2019), Estonian police officer and politician * Keith Pupart (born 1985), Estonian volleyball player *

Ilmar Raag Ilmar Raag (born 21 May 1968 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian media executive, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his socio-critical film '' The Class''. He was CEO of Estonian Television from 2002 to 2005. He is a well known ...

(born 1968), Estonian film director and media personality *

Mihkel Räim Mihkel Räim (born 3 July 1993) is an Estonian cyclist, who currently rides for Ferei Quick-Panda Podium Mongolia Team. In October 2020, he was named in the startlist for the 2020 Vuelta a España. He is four time Estonian national road race champ ...

(born 1993), Estonian cyclist *

Tuuli Rand Tuuli Rand (born 1 March 1990 in Kuressaare, Saaremaa) is an Estonian singer. Early life and education She is a graduate of Kuressaare Gymnasium and Georg Ots Music Singing School. Career She is the lead singer in bands TuuliKustiPeep, Funkif ...

(born 1990), Estonian singer *

Getter Saar Getter Saar may refer to: * Getter Saar (badminton) * Getter Saar (footballer) {{hndis, Saar, Getter ...

(born 1992), Estonian badminton player *

Indrek Saar Indrek Saar (born February 20, 1973) is an Estonian actor and politician. He has been the leader of the Social Democratic Party from 2019 to 2022 and the Minister of Culture of Estonia from 2015 to 2019. Saar has been elected to the Estonian parl ...

(born 1973), Estonian actor and politician *

Benno Schotz Benno Schotz (28 August 1891 – 11 October 1984) was an Estonian-born Scottish sculptor, and one of Scotland's leading artists during the twentieth century. Biography Early life Schotz was the youngest of six children of Jewish parents, Ja ...

(1891–1984), Scottish sculptor * Hannibal Sehested (1609–1666), Danish statesman *

Karen Sehested Karen Sehested (1606–1672) was a Danish court official and landowner. She served as principal lady-in-waiting and royal governess for the children of King Christian IV of Denmark and Kirsten Munk from 1631 to 1634. She was portrayed in the famo ...

(1606–1672), Danish court official *

Adeele Sepp Adeele Sepp (also credited by her married name Adeele Jaago; born 10 November 1989) is an Estonian stage, film, and television actress. Early life and education Adeele Sepp was born in Kuressaare, on the island of Saaremaa in 1989. Her parents d ...

(born 1989), Estonian actor *

Jaanus Tamkivi Jaanus Tamkivi (born 17 November 1959 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian politician of the Estonian Reform Party. He was Mayor of Kuressaare from 1996 to 2005, a member of the Riigikogu from 2005 to 2015, and the Minister of the Environment from 2007 t ...

(born 1959), Estonian politician *

Tarmo Teder Tarmo Teder (born 18 April 1958 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian writer, poet and critic. Born on the island of Saaremaa, Teder studied from 1973–76 at the Tallinn Polytechnic and 1976–78 at Kingissepa, now Kuressaare. He began work in Tartu a ...

(born 1958), Estonian writer and critic *

Ivar Karl Ugi Ivar Karl Ugi (9 September 1930 in Saaremaa, Estonia – 29 September 2005 in Munich) was an Estonian-born German chemist who made major contributions to organic chemistry. He is known for the research on multicomponent reactions, yielding the ...

(1930–2005), German chemist *

Voldemar Väli Voldemar Väli (10 January 1903 – 13 April 1997) was an Estonian two-time Olympic medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling. Career Voldemar Väli was born in Kuressaare, on the island of Saaremaa. He began training in wrestling at age 17, and four ...

(1903–1997), Estonian wrestler * Sulev Vare (born 1962), Estonian politician *

Mihail Velsvebel Mihail Velsvebel (9 November 1926 – 21 November 2008) was an Estonian middle-distance runner. He competed in the men's 1500 metres at the 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Ol ...

(1926–2008), Estonian runner *

Alexander Vostokov Alexander Khristoforovich Vostokov (born Alexander Woldemar Osteneck; ; – ) was one of the first Russian philologists. Background He was born into a Baltic German family in Arensburg, Governorate of Livonia, and studied at the Imperial Aca ...

(1781–1864), Russian philologist *

Richard Otto Zöpffel Richard Otto Zöpffel (14 June 1843 – 7 January 1891) was a Baltic German church historian and theologian born in Kuressaare, Arensburg, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire (today Kuressaare, Estonia). He studied theology at the University o ...

(1843–1891), Baltic German theologian

Twin towns and sister cities

The former municipality of Kuressaare (until 2017) was twinned with: * Ekenäs,

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

(since 21 November 1988) *

Kuurne Kuurne () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises only the town of Kuurne proper. On January 1, 2006, Kuurne had a total population of 12,591. The total area is 10.01 km2 which gives a po ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

(since 9 August 1998) *

Mariehamn Mariehamn ( , ; ; ) is the capital of Åland, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. Mariehamn is the seat of the Government and Parliament of Åland, and 40% of the population of Åland live in the city. It is mostly surrounded b ...

, Finland (since 24 October 1991) *

Rønne Rønne () is the largest town on the Denmark, Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,675 (1 January 2025). It was a municipality in its own right from 1970 until 2002, when Bornholm was a Bornholm County, county (D ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

(since 3 October 1991) *

Skövde Skövde () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and urban centre in Skövde Municipality and Västra Götaland County, in the Västergötland, Västergötland (Western Gothland region) in central southern Sweden. Skövde is situated around 150 k ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

(since 23 June 1993) *

Talsi Talsi (; , ) (population 11,371) is a town in the Courland region of Latvia. It is the administrative centre of Talsi Municipality. It is nicknamed the "green pearl of Courland". Etymology It is believed that the name is derived from an old Livo ...

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

(since 27 May 1998) *

Turku Turku ( ; ; , ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Southwest Finland. It is located on the southwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Aura River (Finland), River Aura. The population of Turku is approximately , while t ...

, Finland (since 30 May 1996) *

Vammala Vammala is a former town and municipality of southwestern Finland, chartered in 1907. On 1 January 2009, Vammala was consolidated with the municipalities of Mouhijärvi and Äetsä, to form a new city named Sastamala. Geography Vammala was locat ...

, Finland (since 30 June 1994)

Significant depictions in popular culture

* Arensburg (Kuressaare) is one of the starting towns of the

State of the Teutonic Order The State of the Teutonic Order () was a theocratic state located along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. It was formed by the knights of the Teutonic Order during the early 13th century Northern Crusades in the region ...

in the turn-based strategy game '' Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms''.

References

Notes

Sources

*Е. М. Поспелов (Ye. M. Pospelov). "Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь." (''City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary.'') Москва, "Русские словари", 1993.

External links

{{Authority control Saaremaa Cities and towns in Estonia Former municipalities of Estonia Populated coastal places in Estonia Populated places in Saare County Gulf of Riga Spa towns in Estonia Kreis Ösel Populated places established in the 1380s 1380s establishments in Europe Port cities and towns in Estonia

Names

History

Tourism

Tourism

History

Sights

Kuressaare bishop castle

Neighborhoods of Kuressaare

Landmarks and culture

Demographics

Climate

Economy

Transportation

Notable people

Twin towns and sister cities

Significant depictions in popular culture

See also

References

Notes

Sources

External links