Manor History
From Knight’s Manor to Organic Farm
16th century
1528 – 1550 Georg von Tiesenhausen
Tõlluste manor’s history as a knight’s estate began in 1528, the moment when Georg von Tiesenhausen, Bishop of Saare-Lääne, granted this land to the knight Heinrich Köppken
1550 – 1561 Dietrich Berh
Ownership passed to the provost Dietrich Berh, who expanded the estate at the expense of the Tölzene family’s lands, and the manor received the name Tõlluste.
The name Tölsen goes back to the ancient island name Töl / Tõll, the one that formed the basis of the legends about the giant Suur Tõll. The surname “Tölsen” is interpreted as “Töl-son”, meaning “sons of Töl.”
1561 – 1590 Hertsog Magnus
In the 1560s – 1580s,Saaremaa became the possession of Duke Magnus of Livonia, the younger brother of the Danish king.
In 1561, Duke Magnus granted the manor to his chamberlain Johann von Taube. Von Taube family is an ancient Baltic-German (Ostsee-German) lineage in Old Livonia and Estonia. They are often also called Tuve / Thuwe.
17th-18th centuries
1590 – 1685 Matthias Budde
In 1590, Johann von Taube sold Tõlluste manor for 9,000 Reichstalers to the governor of Saaremaa — Matthias Budde.
After Mathias Budde’s death, the estate was held by his descendants until the death of Johann Budde in 1685.
1685 – 1788 von Vietinghoffid
At the auction the manor was sold to Johann von Vietinghoff, but in 1704 it was transferred to creditors due to debts. The Great Northern War and the plague of 1710 left ruins behind. Around 1735, Otto Friedrich von Vietinghoff bought the manor back.
1747–1764 – stone rebirth
In 1747, an impressive stone barn with an arcade and a unique garden house with a massive mantelkorsten chimney were built. The date 1764 is carved on the stone of garden house.
Later the estate passed to Baron Eduard von Sass (born 1828) and then, to the last owner from the Von Sass line, Baron Robert von Sass.
18th-20th centuries
1788 – 1908 Von Sassid
In 1788 – 1789 the manor was sold to Georg Friedrich von Sass for 62,000 rubles, and in 1811 it passed to his son, Baron Ferdinand Alexander von Sass. Later the estate passed to
Baron Eduard von Sass (born 1828) and then, to the last owner from the Von Sass line, Baron Robert von Sass.
1908 – 1919 Von Sengbushid
In the years 1908 – 1918, the manor was owned by the von Sengbusch family, and the estate was leased to Wolf von Buhrmeister.
Tõlluste Knight’s Manor was nationalized in 1919, and ownership passed to the Republic of Estonia. The last resident of the manor was Baron Reinhold von Buxhövden.
1919 – . . .The manor today
1920
After the agrarian reform of 1919, the manor was nationalized; it was used as a school, a club, a library, and for other public needs.
In 1920 a 4-grade school opened in the main house (operating until 1970). Later the building was used as Kingiseppa (Soviet naming of Kuressaare) district recreation base.
At the end of the 19th century, the manor complex had 17 buildings. Today, 8 of them still remain, in better or worse condition. The most notable outbuildings are the granary and the garden house.
1990
In the mid-1990s, heritage specialist Tõnu Sepp bought the abandoned garden house and began restoring it to use as a home.
In December 2007, entrepreneur Toomas Leis became the owner of the Tõlluste manor complex. He started major restoration works on the main building, and his family lived in the garden house.
2014
In 2014, inspired by the magical oak and the spirit of antiquity, the estate was purchased by Mr. Trubnikov, the owner of the largest cosmetics production company in the Baltics, Eurobio Lab.
In 2014 the manor was transformed into a certified organic farm where chamomile, cornflower, calendula, berries are grown for the production of organic cosmetic extracts.
2018
In 2018 restoration of the main house was continued, the main building was in poor condition — the roof had almost collapsed. After the owner’s death, the factory continued its work, as well as the restoration of the manor. More than 1.5 million euros have been invested in the restoration, and the work continues.
The manor is now opened to visitors during the Open Farm Days, and the garden house Tõlluste Villa is available for tourists to book. Excursions and workshops are held at the manor. Organic cosmetic shop is open for visitors.
