Owners

PARENBECKE - FARENSBACH ERA

Vaimõisa (Waddemois) manor was established around 1398–1421 by the bailiff of diocese Ösel-Wieck Wilhelm I Parenbecke. Some historical documents are indicating that this was a local ruling family in Wieck region of Estonia. After a conflict with the new bishop, Parenbecke family was forced to renounce some of their manors, but still use them as temporary feoffs. The first written evidence of Vaimõisa estate dates back to 1494, when Hans Parenbecke was the owner. In 1553 the manor aquired status of an independent knight’s manor, owned at that time by Heinrich Farensbach.

During the Livonian war, members of Farensbach family supported Livonia’s independence under Duke of Livonia Magnus and then the idea of local autonomy under Polish King. Sweden conquered the country and confiscated all the manors of Farensbach family as those of enemies, but in 1592, Sweden’s new king Johan III returned them to rightful historical owners.

FLEMING ERA

In 1630, the manor remained without any heirs and was bought by neighbouring Tellista (or Orgita) manor owners the Fleming family. The Flemings were actively involved in military and civil service to Crown of Sweden, so very little attention was paid to all their manors in Estonia, which in fact were managed by local stewards.

Fleming family officially owned Vaimõisa esate until the end of the Great Northern War in 1721. Since Flemings were not interested in their former property under Russian rule all their manors were sold to new owners.

WETTER-ROSENTHAL ERA

In 1724 Vaimõisa, among other manors, was bought by former captain of Swedish army Karl Heinrich von Rosenthal (1680–1755). A new wooden manor house was erected and renovation of agricultural production activities was started. These activities were continued by his son Johan Adolf von Wetter-Rosenthal (1731–1777), who developed both Vaimõisa and Orgita in the spirit of baroque epoque.

Johan Adolf’s elder son Gustav Heinrich von Wetter-Rosenthal (1753–1826) was one of four Europeans, who participated in the American Civil War for USA under the psedonym „John Rose”. During 1803-1806 he was the head of Estonian Knighthood and organised the adopting of new peasant law. He married daughter of the neighbouring Vigala manor owner and moved to the Velise manor for good.

In 1777, after father’s death his younger son Karl Friedrich von Wetter-Rosenthal (1754–1795) became the Lord of Vaimoisa. Alcochol distilling was introduced in 1766, but lands were still rented out.

NASACKIN ERA

In 1792 the Vaimõisa manor was sold to Magnus Reinhold von Nasackin (1729–1792). After his death to his son Carl Johann von Nasackin (1761–1793) and after his death his widow Beata Johanna von Nasackin (born von Fischbach) were the owners. Construction of the new limestone main building started.

BARANOFF ERA

In 1797 the Vaimõisa estate was sold to Carl Reinhold von Baranoff (1760–1818). The manor owned qoiute good agricultural land, enough forest, a new distillery (1801), three loal tavers, small brick industry, limekiln and watermill on Konnaoja river.

In the end of XVIII century there was a general crisis in traditional manor economy - feudal ownership and transition to capitalist market economy did not enable to manage the local estates in the same way as earlier. Several manors went bankrupt and were resold to new owners.

WILCKEN ERA

In 1802 Heinrich Nikolai von Wilcken (1779–1859) buys the Vaimõisa manor. His marriage to a rich merchant’s daughter from Riga, Ewa Maria Blankenhagen, enabled to renovate or build new buildings in the manor and finish one of the most exclusive main buildings in the neighbourhood.

In 1859 his sons Robert Leonhard ((1806–1887) and Karl Gregor von Wilcken (1810–1889) together became the owners of Vaimõisa. The development of new English style park was started and local elementary school for peasant children was opened by their sister Emilie Charlotte von Wilcken (1803–1883). In 1870–1880 the leading industry in the manor was dairy together with manufactures – sawmill, limekiln, water and windmill were the most common. The first conservatories, special vegetable and fruit garden were established.

KNORRING ERA

In 1891 the Vaimõisa manor was inherited by general Nikolai von Knorring (1811–1892), but ownership goes to Michael von Knorring (1846–1910). He had studied international relations at Tartu University, but was mainly working in St.Peterburg as a member of court or was abroad in Russian diplomatic service. The manor was mainly used as a summer residence and was in fact managed by neighbouring manor-owners.

SCHMIDT ERA

In 1899 Vaimõisa manor was bought by Alfred Christian Reinhold Schmidt (1874–1947). Different industrial activities were started and so the estate became also an important manufacturing centre, where saw- and windmills, limekilns were exploited together with different agricultural activities.

TIME OF ESTONIAN OWNERS

In 1916 Johannes Kiver and Peeter Sashulin became the owners of Vaimõisa but in 1918 the ownership moved to Jaan Kängsepp. Republic of Estonia disposessed the manor in 1919 and a small 50-hectare Restgut was formed. Narrow-gauged railway was extended from Riiispere to Vaimõisa for transporting local wood – Vaimõisa became a centre of forest industry. Sawmills were still actively used. In the end of 1920s, prices for raw wood dropped and the owner went bankrupt.

In 1930 Vaimõisa manor was bought by Jaan Treffner but in 1933 it was sold to Juhan Oha (1877–1941). He continued the traditional agricultural activities.

In 1940, the manor was nationalized by Soviet regime. During the Word War II there was a German military hospital in the main building. After WW II the local school was opened in the manor house (1948–1974), manorial lands were used by local collective farm.

In 1991 the Vaimõisa manor complex with 150 hectares of agricultural and forest land was restored to the family of last manor owner Juhan Oha.

In 2003 the manor was sold to current owners.