At the invitation of the Estonian Friendship Society in 1988,
some Swedish Rotarians visited Tallinn where till 1940 a Rotary
Club had existed.
There they found that the meeting place of the former Tallinn
Rotary club had become the Palace of Pioneers. Unfortunately
they did not find a single living pre-war Rotarian. Things did
not go any further than information. In the spring of 1989 a
return visit took place. The delegation included Tynu Karu of
Estonia and three Russians, people convinced of the necessity to
create clubs like Rotary in East Europe, and those who wanted to
learn more about such a club's everyday work, traditions and
laws.
After visits to many Rotary clubs in Scandinavia, members of the
delegation returned home with a desire to prepare ground for the
re-creation of a new club in Tallinn. In 1991, the Tallinn Club
was chartered and this was followed soon afterwards by Tartu.
Nomme took a little longer but it too is now back in the Rotary
fold. The clubs in Estonia are now in District 1420 with
Finland. Present day members include: Mr. Andres Ansip, PM
(Previously Major of the City of Tartu), Dr.Toomas Savi, former
speaker of Parliament, Euro Parliamentarian, Professor Dr. Peter
Tulviste, Euro Parliamentarian. The President of Estonia Mr.
Arnold Rüütel is a Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of
Saaremaa, his home island in the western part of Estonia.
This account of Rotary in Estonia has been compiled from RI
Records, and with information from Rotary Global History Historian
PDG Kari Tallberg of
D1420.
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