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Hariduse (Haridus)
Education, training, schooling. After the Ministry of Education which has offices in this street although, with characteristic Estonian flair, the official address is Tõnismägi. Known in the mid-19th C as Vaestepatuste (poor sinners), or Ger. Armesündergasse (condemned man’s alley or ‘dead man walking’), for being the quickest (no pun intended) route from Toompea to Võllamägi (Gallows Hill, see Vana-Veerenni). Although this may be a myth or a legacy of local memory: public executions seem to have stopped by the mid-18th C. Later (1896), to prevent suspicious characters skulking about, the police asked it to be closed, earning it the name Suletud or Sperrgasse, Closed Street. However, that might have referred only to the section north of present-day Pärnu since the ‘Pharus-Plan Reval’ street map of Tallinn gives it as carrying on south, crossing Ahju as a T-junction and on to Liivalaia, a section which, interestingly, no longer exists.
Kaarli (Kaarel)
Charles (church and road), most likely Swedish king Karl XI who had its wooden ancestor built in 1670. The spot on which it stands is believed to have been a Hiis (see Hiie) since at least the middle ages. Present church consecrated in 1870. Mid-life crisis (1950-1989) as Suvorovi A. during the Soviet occupation.
Hermanni K.A.
(Karl August Hermann, 1851-1909)
Composer, linguist, author of the first Estonian grammar in Estonian by an Estonian, Eesti keele Grammatik (1884), romantic writer, journalist and important musical character during Estonia’s period of awakening (1850-1918). After studying comparative linguistics at Leipzig, went on to learn 16 languages, as one does. His research led him to believe that Estonians were descended from ancient Sumerians (Brazilian linguist Luiz Caldas Tibiriçá promoted a similar trajectory for Tupi speakers in South America). His wife is said to have sewn the first Estonian blue, black and white flag.
Kappeli J.
(Johannes Kappel, 1855-1907)
Composer (of liturgical music?...), studied at St-Petersburg Conservatory and remained in Russia. Given the German term Kapellmeister (lit. chapel master, or master of the chapel choir), it is very tempting to see an example of nominative determinism (interesting article, worth reading) here, where prople tend to gravitate towards professions/trades reflecting their names (but see Kapi A.). Interestingly, the hero of this street gets two plaques in his name, one at each end of the street, but narry the number known…
