Rehbinder House

The Furniture Has a Story

Rehbinder House is a furniture museum that exhibits the most valuable pieces from the collections of Virumaa Museums, 15 other museums, and collectors. Some items displayed haven’t been seen in this region for over half a century.

The permanent exhibition on furniture history, “Leaning on a Chair. Luxury and Simplicity from the Middle Ages to Luther,” is a fascinating journey that provides an overview of furniture from the Middle Ages up to the birth of the Luther Furniture Factory and the start of industrial production. At the heart of each exhibition hall is a chair, a single item that undergoes a remarkable transformation, showcasing the evolution of furniture styles.

The museum also showcases furniture from Estonian manors, including various chairs that once belonged to the von Nolcken family, were used in Alatskivi Manor and loaned to the museum from the Ostpreußische Landesmuseum in Lüneburg. Other chairs have seated members of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, counts and princes, and town citizens, connecting us to a rich historical past.

The exhibition house – the noble residence of Count Rehbinder – is a sight to behold, as the renovation work revealed the oldest paintings in Rakvere discovered to date.