Paul Eduard von Rehbinder (1794–1870)

 

Count Paul Eduard von Rehbinder was born on 27 January 1794 as the second son of Karl Friedrich von Rehbinder. In addition to Saku manor, he also owned Saue and Riidaku manors. Paul Eduard was married twice. His first marriage was to Helene Juliane von Ungern-Sternberg, an 18-year-old from Suure-Lähtru, who died young, and his second marriage was to Eva Sophie Juliana Reutern, from whom he divorced. Paul Eduard von Rehbinder and Helene Juliane had 11 children, 7 of whom died as babies.

Karl Friedrich’s son, Paul Eduard von Rehbinder, had a high-Classicist representative manor house built in Saku in the 1820s. According to the most common legend, the manor house, which has survived to this day, was commissioned by Count Paul Eduard von Rehbinder between 1825 and 1830, and the architect is believed to have been C. Rossi.

However, according to some data, this date cannot be considered correct, as the price of the manor has not changed practically between 1820 and 1845 – in both cases, it is a little over 90,000 silver roubles. However, such a building cost at least 35,000 silver roubles at that time. Thus, the mansion had to be completed before 1820.

It is more likely that the building was ordered by Count Karl Friedrich von Rehbinder, who could not be inferior to his older brother, Count Gustav Dietrich von Rehbinder, in terms of his place of residence. The latter had built his home as a small palace in Udriku.

In addition, the wife of Karl Friedrich, the Countess of Nassau, and the heiress of the La Leck estates, were also accustomed to a much higher standard of living than provincial manors, such as the old-fashioned Saue or the uninhabitable Saku could offer at the turn of the century.

The residential building erected in Saku Manor is undoubtedly one of the most successful Classicist buildings in Estonia. This forces us to look for its designer among the most famous architects of Russia at that time.

It is possible that it was Giacomo Quarenghi (1744–1817), who arrived in St. Petersburg in 1780 and is also known to be the author of the design of the monument to Admiral Samuel Greigh in Tallinn Cathedral.

It can be assumed that the life that Count Paul Eduard von Rehbinder lived finally swallowed all his savings, and in 1843, he was forced to sell Saku Manor for 92,500 silver roubles to county councillor Rudolf von Patkul. Patkul owned the manor for only seven years, and in 1850, he resold it to Carl von Baggehufwudt for 110,000 silver roubles at a large profit.

Carl’s son Valerian von Baggehufwudt expanded the small brewery founded by Karl Eduard von Rehbinder in 1820 into a large factory, where industrial brewing only started during the Baggehufwudts.

Paul Eduard von Rehbinder died on 28 April 1870, at the age of 76.

In 1919, with the land reform, the manor was transferred from the Baggehufwudts.

The founder of Saku beer production is Karl Friedrich Rehbinder, who was the father of Paul Eduard, the founder of the current manor house. Saku Brewery, however, was founded by Valerio Baggehufwudt, whose reign was also successful. This is indicated by the 300 pure-blooded East Frisian bulls, pedigree pigs, a large hen house, a steam-powered dairy, 2 watermills, a cloth house with a dyeing house, greenhouses, an inn, a beer shop, 2 taverns, etc.

Valerio (Valerian) von Baggehufwudt (1843–1923)

Josephine von Ungern-Sternberg (1839–1917)

The Baggehufwudt family comes from Scandinavia, where their ancestor Hans Pehrson went from Norway to Sweden in 1565. His son Nils Bagge arrived in Estonia at the beginning of the seventeenth century and in 1614, became the bailiff of Tallinn Castle. From 1612, he was also the owner of Sama and Käravete manors, and from 1614, Alavere Manor. He was made a noble in 1652 under the name Baggehufwudt.

Valerio was born on 13 May 1843 in St. Petersburg, Russia, and moved to Saku Manor as a little boy.

Saku Manor was bought by Valerian’s father Carl von Baggehufwudt as soon as in 1850. In addition, they also owned Nõva Manor.

Valerian studied at the University of Tartu and received his diploma in 1865. In 1866, he became the owner of Saku Manor and lived mainly there. Valerio also acquired Vasalemma Manor in 1886. Vasalemma Manor is located in Harju County, a little past Keila.

Josephine von Baggehufwudt (von Ungern-Sternberg) was born in 1839 and came from a wealthy family. Josephine married Valerio von Baggehufwudt. An interesting fact is that Josephine was a divorced woman, which was not very common at the time.

Josephine’s sister Stella Charlotte Rehbinder (Ungern-Sternberg) was married to a descendant of the Rehbinder family.

Josephine was mainly involved with Vasalemma Manor and she was the one to initiate and fund the new main building. Valerio himself was more involved in the management of Saku Manor and was the founder of Saku Brewery. During his time, the brewery was modernised and they started to produce beer industrially.

The people of Saku had a better life during the rule of the Baggehufwudts. The Baggos were rich and Valerian’s father tried to organise many things for the people and even wanted to open a school, but the Keila pastor had dismissed the idea and the school was not opened. Saku School was opened during Valerian’s reign with the start of the brewery.

In addition to the brewing industry and other large-scale activities (district judge, etc.), Valerio Baggehufwudt was also active in dairy farming. In 1888, on his initiative, the Estonian Dairy Association was founded, of which he was elected chairman.

At the age of 51, Valerio von Baggehufwudt got married for the second time, to Lucie Eveline Marie von Kotzebue, who was 15 years younger than him.