Estonian rural society and its changes from the beginning of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. 25 April at 13.00. The year 2026 marks an extraordinary milestone in Estonian cultural history — one hundred years since the first publication of Part I of Anton Hansen Tammsaare’s great work “Truth and Justice”. To mark the anniversary year, we invite you to take part in a special four-part lecture series in which distinguished lecturers will help explain the circumstances of the era of “Truth and Justice”, the spirit of the age, and Tammsaare’s life and work. The first lecture deals with peasant society and land-ownership relations from the beginning of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, explaining terms such as saunikud, asunikud, popsid and vabadikud and analysing the rights and obligations connected with land ownership. The focus is on community relations and the central role of land in shaping social structure and values. The lecture will be given by Tiit Rosenberg, Professor Emeritus of Estonian History at the University of Tartu, Cand. Hist. Professor Rosenberg’s decades-long research has been of fundamental importance in interpreting the development history of Estonian rural life and agriculture. His scholarly reach extends from manor economy in the transition period and the process by which peasants bought their farms freehold to settlement activity in the era of independence and the complex land reforms of the late 20th century. Tiit Rosenberg’s lecture offers a rare opportunity to view the literary Vargamäe through a rigorous historical lens, helping us understand the reasons behind our national identity and the development of rural life. Start at 13.00. Lecture duration 1.5 hours. The lecture takes place in the museum cattle barn at Vargamäe Museum, the writer’s birthplace, in Vetepere village. Tickets can be bought at the museum or on Fienta. Participation fee: 10 euros. The lecture series is supported by the Estonian Cultural Endowment. Refreshing drinks and homemade pastries will be provided by Tammsaare-Lõuna farm. Payment can be made in cash or by card. From theory to practice: an exploration of the Vargamäe cultural landscape. After Professor Rosenberg’s lecture, we will exchange the lecture room for direct experience. We invite you to a two-hour spring walk on Tammsaare’s land, where museum curator Siiri Kvell will explain the socio-economic layers of Tammsaare’s heritage directly in the landscape. The route follows the old winter road and ditch embankments to the Jägala River, focusing on the history of boundaries and land use. We will learn how the farms’ hayfields and pastures came into being and what traces land-improvement works have left in our landscape memory. Please dress for spring conditions and choose moisture-resistant footwear. Participation in the spring walk is included in the event fee. The approximate starting time for the curator’s walk is 15.00.
