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Restaurant
Address: Tallinn, Old Tallinn , Vanaturu kael 3
Tel:  +372 641 8358
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Home page HOPNER COMFORTS THE HUNGRY AND THE THIRSTY
We are open: ma-to 10.00-23.00
pe-la 10.00-23.00
No. 3 Vanaturu Street is a merchant`s dwelling-house of venerable age. The fundamental walls on the courtyard side date from the 14th century, the part facing the street has a high triangular gable characteristic of the Hanseatic Gothic style and was builtin 1419-1423. In all probability the large diele (hallway-kitchen) with a mantle-chimney was originally used as a tavern: the flagstone floor inclinde towards the street in the same way as in the taverns in Ancient Rome, so that whwnever a beer or winw butt happened to break, it was easy to sweep the liquid out into the street. In 1471-1492 the house belonged to a baker by the name of Marcus Stein. In those years the basement of the house was used as a bakery and the black and white bread baked there was sold either in the diele or at a small stall in front of thehouse.

Alderman and Mayor Peter Möller, who owned the house in 1563-1601, had a liking for strong drinks. To avoid the temptation endangering himself and his household, Peter Möller had an artistically sculptured innerstone portal built in the living-room at the head of the staircase to the wine cellar. It bears a warning in Low German from Chapter 5 of Isaiah´s Book in the Old Testament. The full text, which on the portal is abbreviated, runs as follows: “WOE UNTO THEM THAT RISE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING, THAT THEY MAY FOLLOW STRONG DRINK, THAT CONTINUE UNTIL NIGHT, TILL WINE INFLAME THEM.” The alderman would not admit his secret comfort to the public. Therefore, above the main portal of the house there was the inscription: ”THO GODT MYN TROST ALEIN” (God is my sole consolation).

Good porter and beer have been much appreciated in this house also in later years. The name symbolism of one of the owners of the house in the true sense of the word actually required that. Namely, in 1662-1723 this beautiful house belonged to a family called HOPNER OR HOPPNER, which derived from the Low-German word “hoppe” (the English “hop”). Thus HOPNER=HOPMAN. Three Hopner brothers arrived from Luebeck and settled in Tallinn in 1627. Soon they proved to be among the best-known merchants and members of the Great Guild, belonging also to the Brewers` Company, which held the monopolyfor brewing beer for sale. Thus, the Hopners were really Hopmen in all respects. That is also testified by the family`s coat of arms, most beautiful specimen of which can be seen to this day on the main entrance to “The Three Sisters, the most famous group ofhouses in the Old Town: a woodsman clad only in a loin-cloth of hop vine and a wreath of hop on his head, leaning on a staff also wreathed round with hop. The Hopner family gave the town three aldermen and several other worthy citizens. In the 18th century the namecame to be spelt “Höppener”. The descendants of the family now live in Germany.