Saaremaa Parish, also known as Saaremaa Municipality (Estonian: Saaremaa vald), is a municipality in Saare County in western Estonia. It is the largest municipality by land area and largest rural municipality – or parish – by population in Estonia. The administrative centre of the municipality is its only town Kuressaare.
It is one of three parishes comprising the county, along with Muhu and Ruhnu Parish. It was formed following the 2017 Estonian municipal reform on 21 October 2017 on the basis of all twelve former Saaremaa municipalities: Kuressaare town and Kihelkonna, Laimjala, Leisi, Lääne-Saare, Mustjala, Orissaare, Pihtla, Pöide, Salme, Torgu and Valjala parishes.
Contents
History
Saaremaa Municipality was formed following the 2017 Estonian municipal reform on 21 October 2017 on the basis of all twelve former Saaremaa municipalities: Kuressaare town and Kihelkonna, Laimjala, Leisi, Lääne-Saare, Mustjala, Orissaare, Pihtla, Pöide, Salme, Torgu and Valjala parishes.
Previously, in 2014, the municipalities of Kaarma, Kärla, and Lümanda had already merged, and initially wanted to use the name Saaremaa municipality for the merged municipality, but later decided in favour of the name of Lääne-Saare municipality.
In 2014, it became clear at a meeting of the heads of Saaremaa municipalities that other county municipalities would also not be against a merger, and the respective merger committees began their work as early as 2015. Although Pöide municipality did not initially join the merger agreement signed on 1 December 2016, the Government of Estonia, based on the proposal of the regional committee, decided to forcibly merge Pöide municipality with the upcoming Saaremaa municipality. As a result, the Pöide municipality council also decided to join the merger negotiations.
Government
The municipality is governed by the Saaremaa Municipality Council which consists of 31 members elected to four year terms via party list. The mayor and its cabinet is elected by the municipality council.
The current mayor is Rainer Antsaar. The current chairman of the municipality council is Kristjan Moora.
Districts
Saaremaa municipality is divided into thirteen (rural) districts – osavallad. The aim of the districts is to maintain local initiative and identity, to involve residents in deciding local issues and to represent local interests. The town of Kuressaare is a separate territorial unit, not being part of any district.
Service centres have been established in every district to provide and manage public services.
Settlements
Town
Kuressaare
Boroughs
Aste, Kihelkonna, Kudjape, Kärla, Leisi, Nasva, Orissaare, Salme, Valjala
Notable people
Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen (1778 in Lahetaguse – 1852), a Baltic German Russian cartographer and naval officer
John Christian Bechler (1784 – 1857), a Moravian bishop, composer and organist.
Alexander von Güldenstubbe (1800 in Kaarma - 1884), a Baltic German general of the Imperial Russian Army.
Peeter All (1829 at Loona – 1898), fisherman, farmer, ship's captain, shipowner, rescuer of mariners and salvage diver.
Oskar Kallas (1868 in Kirikuküla – 1946), diplomat, linguist and folklorist
Jakob Mändmets (1871 in Paiküla – 1930), journalist and writer of stories, novellas and short stories
Hugo Wittrock (1873 in Laugu – 1958), a Baltic German merchant and politician, Lord Mayor of Riga in WWII
Arthur von Buxhoevden (1882 at Muratsi manor – 1964), a Baltic German military colonel
Peeter Süda (1883 in Viki – 1920), composer, helped establish the Estonian Theatre and Music Museum
Artur Toom (1884 in Sagariste – 1942), ornithologist and conservationist who worked on Vilsandi National Park
Friido Kirs (1889 in Pihtla – 1948), schoolteacher and politician, elected Mayor of Pihtla Parish in 1919
Aleksander Antson (1899 in Võrsna – 1945), journalist, writer, and track and field athlete.