The first information about the Brotherhood of Blackheads dates back to 1399. Only young unmarried merchants could become members of this association. When they married, they could only apply for membership in the Brotherhood. Foreign merchants temporarily residing in Tallinn could also join the guild. The Brotherhood was named in honour of Saint Mauritius. His image can be seen on the coat of arms of the association. Although it is not known why the young merchants named their brotherhood after the dark-skinned saint. This guild operated only on the territory of Estonia and Latvia, in other countries it was practically unknown. The Montenegrins were rich and influential. In addition to trade, the members of the brotherhood were patrons of the arts. And this status they managed to maintain for quite a long time.
In 1597, the famous sculptor and architect Arent Passer reconstructed a Gothic building bought by the Order for its needs, which has survived to this day and is called the House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads. The architect succeeded in giving the house expressive features typical of the Renaissance period. The main element of the façade of the building is the design of the central entrance. The arch is decorated with lion masks. In addition, on the stone slabs located here on both sides of the main entrance, the coat of arms of the brotherhood is carved, which is a shield with the head of St Mauritius. The architect decorated the building with all kinds of reliefs and sculptures. Among them can be seen the coats of arms of the drawing rooms of some cities of the Hanseatic League, images of Sigismund and Queen Anne of Austria, reliefs symbolising peace and justice, as well as an image of Christ.
The exterior of the Blackhead Brotherhood House, and especially its façade, represents the best example of Renaissance architecture among the buildings in Tallinn. The façade of the building, created at the end of the 16th century, has retained its original appearance to this day. It was renovated only in 1982-85 by the Polish restoration firm PKZ (architect T. Mixon, interior A. Maazik). However, the interior, which has undergone numerous alterations and remodelling, has no great historical value.
