Postitee

Inns on the road

Inns as distinctive village centres have formed a part of Estonian cultural life since as early as the 15^th century, and inns in towns are even older. By the end of the 17^th century every manor had its own inn, and some more than one. Inns have traditionally always been drinking places. Regular vodka in inns was strong; about 50 proof. Yet an inn was not just a drinking place: besides the church, it was almost the only other place the peasant folk could meet. Whereas in the pulpit it was the minister who had his say, in the inn it was the lay people who could say what they wanted. It was a drive-in yard and a place of accommodation for travellers; it performed the functions of a community or cultural centre; it was a meeting-place for men, and a place to look for work or make a deal.

The golden age of inn culture was the 19^th century. At the time there were many large wooden or stone inn buildings with a stable or two attached to them on every major road. In 1895 there were 1448 inns in the Estonian Province and about as many again in Livonia. Most inns were closed in 1900 after the introduction of the state spirit monopoly, continuing to operate as shops of the monopoly or other establishments such as diners and community centres.

The earliest records of the inns that operated in Postitee can be found in the archive file on the division of bridges in Tartu County in 1699. All of the inn buildings still standing in Postitee to this day date back to the 19^th century.