Fire, flood or disaster · 21.12.1965
The night the university's great hall burned
On the night before 21 December 1965 fire broke out in the main building of the University of Tartu, the classical landmark built in 1804 to 1809. It started around midnight, and the firemen began putting it out only before five in the morning. The centre of the building was lost: the roof, the attic with two of its old student lock-up cells, the great hall and the rooms beside it on the second and third floors. In all 900 of 6,255 square metres burned. Investigators traced the fire to an electrical fault in a windowless darkroom of the physics department. The building was restored by 1 September 1966 and the great hall by 28 April 1967.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Ööl vastu 21. detsembrit 1965 puhkes tulekahju Tartu Ülikooli peahoones, mis oli ehitatud aastatel 1804 kuni 1809. Tuli sai alguse umbes keskööl ja tuletõrje alustas kustutamist alles enne kella viit hommikul. Hävis hoone keskosa: katus, pööning koos kahe vana kartseriga, aula ning sellega külgnenud ruumid teisel ja kolmandal korrusel. Kokku põles 6255 ruutmeetrist ära 900. Uurimine leidis, et põleng sai alguse üldfüüsika kateedri aknata pimedas ruumis tekkinud elektririkkest. Peahoone taastati 1. septembriks 1966 ja aula 28. aprilliks 1967.
Source: Estonian Wikipedia: Tartu Ülikooli peahoone; English Wikipedia: Main building of Tartu University. ↗