Tartu, the University Town of Estonia, Tartu, Estonia

Outside the Town Hall of Tartu, in Estonia is a statue of two students kissing. Or maybe they are newlyweds? The Kissing Statue was added to the fountain in Town Hall Square fifty years after it was built. This fountain was considered to bring good luck so newly-weds and their guests would visit the fountain and no doubt a lot of kissing went on. A more popular theory claims that it reflects the popularity of the fountain as a meeting place for students studying at the University of Tartu. The University is the very heart of the town of the town and its centre is the Town Hall Square. Since time immemorial Town Hall Square has been the centre of Tartu. During the Middle Ages it also became the centre of the municipal government and the first Town Hall was erected. This building was later replaced and its successor was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1775 which devastated the centre of the town. The present town hall was built during the period of early Classicism, and reflects this as well as following the tradition of Baroque urban palaces. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).