IAPL2012-CB-0531-052.. - The International Association for ...

SPECIAL EVENTS
IAPL 2012 CELEBRATION DINNER
KLOOSTRI AIT
SATURDAY, 2 JUNE
19:30-24:00
Kloostri Ait means “monastery granary” in Estonian. The present restaurant was
indeed built as a granary for the St. Catherine’s monastery of the Dominican order. The
monastery was established 1246 by some Dominican monks from Denmark and the
building work was finished by the 15th century. Constructed in the gothic style and
of limestone, the typically Northern Estonian building material, the whole monastery
ensemble is a fine example of Tallinn Old Town architecture and of the mastership of
the local stonemasons. After the monastery was destroyed during the Reformation,
the granary building for a long time served as the city armoury, later as a garage and
as a film prop workshop. After Estonia regained its independence 1991, the monastery
buildings were turned into a multifunctional cultural centre and in 1994 the Kloostri
Ait restaurant was established. It was a major intellectual and artistic hub during the
1990s and continues to host concerts and other cultural events.
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