Väike-Maarja
Väike-Maarja () is a small borough () in Lääne-Viru County, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Väike-Maarja Parish. The population of Väike-Maarja in January 2023 was 2,155 people.
Key facts
- Settlement.name
- Väike-Maarja
- Settlement.settlement_type
- Small borough
- Settlement.image_skyline
- Väike-Maarja keskväljak G. Lurichi monumendiga.png
- Settlement.image_caption
- Väike-Maarja's central square with the Georg Lurich monument
- Settlement.pushpin_map
- Estonia
- Settlement.pushpin_label_position
- bottom
- Settlement.pushpin_map_caption
- Location in Estonia
- Settlement.subdivision_type
- Country
- Settlement.subdivision_type1
- County
- Settlement.subdivision_name1
- 24px Lääne-Viru County
- Settlement.subdivision_type2
- Municipality
- Settlement.subdivision_name2
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Name
- Church
- Climate
- Notable people
- Gallery
- References
- External links
Väike-Maarja () is a small borough () in Lääne-Viru County, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Väike-Maarja Parish. The population of Väike-Maarja in January 2023 was 2,155 people.
==Name== Väike-Maarja was attested in historical sources as Weike-Maarja in 1826 and Wäikse-Maarja in 1883. It was known as Klein-Marien in German and as Nienkerken in Low German. The Estonian name Väike-Maarja and the German name Klein-Marien literally mean 'little Mary', and the Low German name Nienkerken means 'new church'. When the area of what is now Väike-Maarja was transferred from ancient Järva County to Virumaa County in the early 15th century, a new parish was established, referred to as the 'new church' (thus the Low German name Nienkerken). The new church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and, because there was already a church dedicated to Mary in nearby Ambla in Järva County, the parish was referred to as Väike-Maarja 'little Mary' to distinguish it from the former. A similar differentiation was applied to the settlements of Suure-Jaani () and Väike-Jaani (, now Kolga-Jaani) in Viljandi County.