Tartu vaatamisväärsused - Toy museum, angel/devil bridge (0)

Tartu's toy museum
Located in an old wooden building in the heart of Tartu’s Old Town, the Toy Museum transports its adult visitors back to their most joyful childhood days and offers children plenty to see and do.
The Tartu Toy Museum opened on 29 May 1994 under the auspices of the City Government of Tartu. The museum was located in the basement of a private house at the foot of Toome Hill and in a smaller adjoining building at the address 1 Lai St.
In late 2003, the Tartu Toy Museum moved to its new location , an old wooden building on Lutsu Street , which had been specially renovated to house the museum.
On 13 March 2004 a new permanent exhibit was opened, including a playroom and crafts room. The permanent exhibit displays toys that children in Estonia have played with throughout the ages . The display also includes artist-made dolls, souvenir dolls from around the globe and traditional Finno-Ugric toys.
On 2 December 2005 the exhibit of movie- and theatre puppets was opened in the former coach house in the museum’s courtyard, displaying characters, props and sketches of animated films made in Estonia over the last half century .
On the building’s second floor there is a display of theatre- and movie puppets from Estonia and other parts of the world.
Located in an old wooden building in the heart of Tartu’s Old Town, the Toy Museum transports its adult visitors back to their most joyful childhood days and offers children plenty to see and do.
Alternating exhibits and children’s activities are organized at the museum.
In 2010 a Theatre House of Tartu Toy Museum was opened. There children can watch performances, play puppet theatre by themselves and take part in different toy and theatre theme activities.
Nominee for the Tartu “Accomplishment of the Year ” Award , 2004.
• Winner of the UNICEF Bluebird Award, 2004.
• Winner in professional association category of “Tartu Kultuurikandja 2004” and people’s choice prize for “Tartu Kulturikandjad 2004.”
• Association of Estonian Interior Designers award in 2005 in the category of historical interior.
Angel 's/ Devil 's bridge
The Angel’s Bridge, located on Toome hill, was built in the 19th century and spans Lossi Street.
The writing on the bridge, “otium reficit vires“ ( rest restores strength ), invites one to use Toome hill as a place of rejuvenation.
The bridge, designed by J.W. Krause , was built in 1814-1816 and replaced an earlier temporary bridge. The bridge was thoroughly renovated in 1913, at which time a bust- portrait of the university ’s first rector, G. Fr. Parrot, and a dedication text, was placed on the bridge’s Toome Hill face (sculptor C. v. Wetter- Rosenthal ). Toome Hill´s larger bridge is the yellow and white, classical style.
The name is thought to come from a linguistic twist - part of the hill is landscaped likean English garden and the words "English"(inglise) and Angel(ingel) are nearly the same in Estonian. Local tradition says that when crossing it, you should hold your breath and make a wish!
The Devil’s Bridge was built in 1913 in honour of the 300th jubilee of tsarist Russia’s Romanov Dynasty, which is memorialized on the bridge by the dates 1613-1913.
The bridge is dedicated to Emperor Alexander I, who signed the founding treaty for the tsarist university - the second official opening of Tartu University, and whose embossed relief decorates the bridge side facing Vallikraavi Street.
Like the Angels ´s bridge, its name might also come from a a play of words - it was built under the supervision Werner Maximillian Friedrich Zoege von Manteuffel , whose surname in German translates to "Man-devil".