List of rulers of Estonia
The following list of rulers of Estonia indicates the rules throughout that nation's history. This list starts with the ancient Counties and Parishes each headed by Seniores and Meliores as noted by Henry of Livonia. The highest political institutions in Estonia during ancient times were the Maavald Kingdom The administrative jurisdiction of the parish and county elders were limited, the counties themselves remained autonomous until the German and Danish conquest in the 13th century. Ending with the states and the rulers of states who either ruled or laid claims of sovereignty over some parts of the territory of present-day Estonia, as well as the leaders of the independent Republic of Estonia since 1918.
Ancient counties
Alempois
Title: ElderHarju">Harjumaa (ancient county)">Harju
Title: ElderJärva">Järva County">Järva
Title: Elder[Jogentagana]
Title: Elder[Läänemaa]
Title: Elder[Mõhu]
Title: Elder[Nurmekund]
Title: Elder[Revala]
Title: ElderSaaremaa">Saare County">Saaremaa
Title: Elder – It is probable that these men, whose names appear on a treaty with the Order of the Brethren of the Sword in 1251, were the chiefs of administrative units on Saaremaa, Muhu, and Sõrve. Their "signatures" were, in all likelihood, phonetically "Latinized" by the authors of the document.- Ylle
- Culle
- Enu
- Muntelene
- Tappete
- Yalde
- Melete
- Cake
Sakala
Title: Elder
[Vaiga]
Title: Elder[Virumaa]
Title: Elder- Kyriavanus
- Tabelinus
Rulers of Estonia
Part of the Kingdom of Denmark
[House of Estridsen]
In 1346, Northern Estonia is sold to the Livonian Order. This Order was already ruling Southern Estonia since 1237.Southern Estonia
Bishoprics of Livonia (Bishopric of Riga) and Estonia (Bishopric of Leal)
Livonian Order
- 1237–1238 Hermann Balk '
- 1238–1241 Dietrich von Grüningen
- 1241–1244 Andreas von Velven '
- 1244–1245 Heinrich von Heimburg
- 1245–1247 Dietrich von Grüningen
- 1247–1253 Andreas von Stirland
- 1253–1254 Eberhard von Seine '
- 1254–1257 Anno von Sangershausen
- 1257–1261 Burchard von Hornhausen
- 1261....... Georg von Eichstadt
- 1261–1263 Werner von Breithausen
- 1263–1266 Konrad von Mandern '
- 1266–1270 Otto von Lutterberg
- 1271....... Andreas von Westphalen
- 1271–1273 Walther von Nordeck '
- 1273–1279 Ernst von Ratzeburg '
- 1279–1280 Gerhard von Katzenelnbogen
- 1280–1282 Konrad von Feuchtwangen
- 1282....... Mangold von Sternberg '
- 1282–1288 Wilhelm von Nindorf '
- 1288–1290 Konrad von Hazzigenstein '
- 1290–1293 Halt von Hohembach '
- 1294–1295 Heinrich von Dinkelaghe '
- 1296–1298 Bruno
- 1298–1305 Gottfried von Rogge
- 1305–1306 Wennemar I
- 1307–1322 Gerhard von Jork '
- 1322–1324 Konrad Kesselhut
- 1324–1328 Reimar Hane
- 1328–1340 Eberhard von Monheim
- 1340–1345 Burchard von Dreileben
- 1345–1346 Goswin von Herike
Northern and Southern Estonia (reunited)
Livonian Order
- 1346–1359 Goswin von Herike
- 1359–1364 Arnold von Vietinghof
- 1364–1385 Wilhelm von Friemersheim '
- 1385–1388 Robin von Eltz
- 1388–1389 Johann von Ohle
- 1389–1401 Wennemar von Bruggenei '
- 1401–1413 Konrad von Vietinghof
- 1413–1415 Dietrich Tork
- 1415–1424 Siegfried Lander von Spanheim
- 1424–1433 Cysse von Rutenberg '
- 1433–1435 Frank von Kersdorf
- 1435–1437 Heinrich von Bockenvorde '
- 1438–1450 Heinrich Vincke von Oberbergen '
- 1450–1469 Johann von Mengeden '
- 1470–1471 Johann Wolthus von Herse
- 1471–1483 Bernhard von der Borch
- 1483–1494 Johann Freitag von Loringhoven
- 1494–1535 Wolter von Plettenberg
- 1535–1549 Hermann von Bruggenei
- 1549–1551 Johann von der Recke
- 1551–1557 Heinrich von Galen
- 1557–1559 Johann Wilhelm von Fürstenberg
- 1559–1561 Gotthard Kettler
- 1247–1251 vacant
- 1251–1263 Unknown person
- 1263–1268 Alexander
- 1268–1288 Friedrich von Haseldorf
- 1289–1299 Bernhard I
- 1303–1312 Dietrich II Vyshusen
- 1312–1313 vacant
- 1313–1323 Nikolaus
- 1323–1341 Engelbert von Dolen
- 1341–1342 vacant
- 1342–1344 Wescelus
- 1344–1346 vacant
- 1346–1373 Johannes I Viffhusen
- 1373–1377 Heinrich I Velde
- 1377–1379 vacant
- 1379–1400 Dietrich III Damerow
- 1400–1400 vacant
- 1400–1410 Heinrich II Wrangel
- 1410–1411 vacant
- 1411–1413 Bernhard II Bülow
- 1413–1440 Dietrich IV Resler
- 1440–1442 vacant
- 1442–1459 Bartholomäus Savijerwe
- 1459–1468 Helmich von Mallinkrodt
- 1468–1468 vacant
- 1468–1473 Andreas Peper
- 1473–1473 vacant
- 1473–1485 Johannes II Bertkow
- 1485–1485 vacant
- 1485–1498 Dietrich V Hake
- 1498–1499 vacant
- 1499–1505 Johannes III von der Rope
- 1505–1513 Gerhard Schrove
- 1513–1514 vacant
- 1514–1514 Johannes IV Duesborg
- 1514–1518 Christian Bomhower
- 1518–1518 vacant
- 1518–1527 Johannes V Blankenfeld, Archbishop of Riga
- 1527–1532 vacant
- 1532–1543 Johannes VII Bey
- 1543–1544 vacant
- 1544–1551 Jodokus von der Recke
- 1551–1554 vacant
- 1554–1558 Hermann II Wesel
- 1229–1234 vacant
- 1234–1260 Heinrich I
- 1260–1262 vacant
- 1262–1285? Herman I de Bekeshoevede
- 1285?–1290? vacant
- 1290?–1294 Heinrich II
- 1294–1297? vacant
- 1297?–1307? Konrad I
- 1307?–1310 vacant
- 1310–1321 Hartung
- 1321–1322 vacant
- 1322–1337 Jakob
- 1337–1338 vacant
- 1338–1362 Hermann II Osenbrügge
- 1362–1363 vacant
- 1363–1374 Konrad II
- 1374–1381 Heinrich III
- 1381–1385 vacant
- 1385–1419 Winrich von Kniprode
- 1419–1420 vacant
- 1420–1423 Kaspar Schuwenflug
- 1423–1423 vacant
- 1423–1432 Christian Kuband
- 1432–1432 vacant
- 1432–1438 Johannes I Schutte
- 1438–1439 vacant
- 1439–1449 Ludolf Grove
- 1449–1449 Ludolf Grove ; Johannes II Creul
- 1449–1457 Ludolf Grove ; Johannes II Creul
- 1457–1458 Ludolf Grove
- 1458–1458 vacant
- 1458–1463 Johannes Vatelkanne
- 1463–1468 Johannes Vatelkanne ; Jodokus Hoenstein
- 1468–1471 Jodokus Hoenstein
- 1471–1471 vacant
- 1471–1491 Peter Wedberg
- 1491–1515 Johannes III Orgas
- 1515–1527 Johannes IV Kievel
- 1527–1527 vacant
- 1527–1530 Georg von Tiesenhausen
- 1530–1532 vacant
- 1532–1541 Reinhold von Buxhövden
- 1532–1534 Reinhold von Buxhövden ; Wilhelm
- 1534–1541 Reinhold von Buxhövden
- 1541–1542 vacant
- 1542–1559 Johannes V von Münchhausen
- 1559–1572 Magnus, Duke of Holstein
- 1572–1573 vacant
Duchy of Estonia
Part of the [Swedish Empire] (1561–1721)
[House of Vasa]
[House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken], a branch of the [House of Wittelsbach]
House of Hesse">Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel">House of Hesse
Governors during Swedish rule
- 1561–1562 Lars Ivarsson Fleming
- 1562–1562 Henrik Klasson Horn
- 1562–1564 Svante Stensson Sture
- 1564–1565 Hermann Pedersson Fleming
- 1565–1568 Henrik Klasson Horn
- 1568–1570 Gabriel Kistiernsson
- 1570–1572 Hans Björnsson
- 1572–1574 Clas Åkesson Tott
- 1574–1575 Pontus de la Gardie
- 1576–1578 Karl Henriksson Horn
- 1576–1577 Nilsson Hans Eriksson Finne
- 1577–1580 Göran Boije af Gennäs
- 1580–1581 Svante Eriksson Stålarm
- 1582–1583 Göran Boije
- 1583–1585 Pontus De la Gardie
- 1585–1588 Gustaf Gabrielsson Oxenstierna
- 1588–1588 Hans Wachtmeister
- 1588–1590 Gustaf Axelsson Banér
- 1590–1592 Erik Gabrielsson Oxenstierna
- 1592–1600 Göran Boije
- 1600–1601 Karl Henriksson Horn
- 1601–1602 Moritz Stensson Leijonhufvud
- 1605–1608 Axel Nilsson Ryning
- 1611–1617 Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna
- 1617–1619 Anders Eriksson Hästehufvud
- 1619–1622 Jacob de la Gardie
- 1622–1626 Per Gustafsson Banér
- 1626–1628 Johan Pontusson
- 1628–1642 Philipp Scheiding
- 1642–1646 Gustaf Gabrielsson Oxenstierna
- 1646–1653 Erik Axelsson Oxenstierna
- 1653–1655 Heinrich von Thurn-Valsassina
- 1655–1656 Wilhelm Ulrich
- 1656–1674 Bengt Klasson Horn
- 1674–1681 Andreas Lennartson Torstensson
- 1681–1687 Robert Johannson Lichton
- 1687–1704 Axel Julius De la Gardie
- 1704–1706 Wolmar Anton von Schlippenbach
- 1706–1709 Niels Jonsson Stromberg af Clastorp
- 1709–1710 Carl Gustaf von Nieroth
Part of the [Russian Empire] (1721–1917)
[House of Romanov]
| Monarch | Coat of arms | Portrait | Birth | Marriage | Emperor from | Emperor until | Death |
| Peter I the Great | 9 June 1672 Moscow, Tsardom of Russia | Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina 1689 3 children Marta Helena Skowrońska 1707 9 children | 10 September 1721 | 8 February 1725 | 8 February 1725, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Catherine I | 15 April 1684 Ringen, Duchy of Livonia, Sweden | Peter I of Russia 1707 9 children | 8 February 1725 | 17 May 1727 | 17 May 1727, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Peter II | 23 October 1715 St. Petersburg, Tsardom of Russia | unmarried | 18 May 1727 | 30 January 1730 | 30 January 1730, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Anna | 7 February 1693 Moscow, Tsardom of Russia | Frederick Wilhelm, Duke of Courland November 1710 no children | 13 February 1730 | 28 October 1740 | 28 October 1740, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Ivan VI ' | 23 August 1740 St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | unmarried | 28 October 1740 | 6 December 1741 | 16 July 1764 Shlisselburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Elizabeth | 29 December 1709 Kolomenskoye, Tsardom of Russia | Alexey Razumovsky 1742 no children | 6 December 1741 | 5 January 1762 | 5 January 1762, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Peter III | 21 February 1728 Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst 16 August 1745 one son | 9 January 1762 | 17 July 1762 | 17 July 1762, Ropsha, Russian Empire | ||
| Catherine II the Great | 2 May 1729 Stettin, Kingdom of Prussia | Peter III of Russia 16 August 1745 one son | 9 July 1762 | 6 November 1796 | 6 November 1796, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Paul I | 1 October 1754 St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | Princess Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt 29 September 1773 one stillborn son Princess Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg 26 September 1776 ten children | 17 November 1796 | 11 March 1801 | 11 March 1801, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Alexander I the Blessed | 23 December 1777 St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | Princess Louise of Baden 28 September 1793 2 daughters | 24 March 1801 | 1 December 1825 | 1 December 1825, Taganrog, Russian Empire | ||
| Constantine I ' | 27 April 1779 Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire | Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld 26 February no children | 1 December 1825 | 26 December 1825 | 27 June 1831 Vitebsk, Russian Empire | ||
| Nicholas I | 6 July 1796 Gatchina, Russian Empire | Princess Charlotte of Prussia 13 July 1817 7 children | 26 December 1825 | 2 March 1855 | 2 March 1855, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Alexander II the Liberator | 29 April 1818 Moscow, Russian Empire | Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine 16 April 1841 8 children | 2 March 1855 | 13 March 1881 | 13 March 1881, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Alexander III the Peace-Maker | 10 March 1845 St. Petersburg, Russian Empire | Princess Dagmar of Denmark 9 November 1866 6 children | 13 March 1881 | 1 November 1894 | 1 November 1894 Livadiya, Russian Empire | ||
| Saint Nicholas II | 6 May 1868 Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire | Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine 26 November 1894 5 children | 1 November 1894 | 15 March 1917 | 17 July 1918 Yekaterinburg, Russian SFSR | ||
| Michael II ' | 22 November 1878 Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire | Natalia Brassova 15 October 1911 one son ' | 15 March 1917 | 16 March 1917 | 12 June 1918 Perm, Russian SFSR |
Governors during Russian rule
- 1710–1711 Rudolph Felix Bauer – General-Governor
- 1711–1719 Prince Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov – General-Governor
- 1719–1728 Count Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin – General-Governor
- 1728–1736 Friedrich Baron von Löwen
- 1736–1738 Sebastian Ernst von Manstein
- 1738–1740 Gustaf Otto Douglas
- 1740–1743 Woldemar von Löwendahl
- 1743–1753 Peter August Friedrich von Holstein-Beck
- 1753–1758 Prince Vladimir Petrovich Dolgorukiy
- 1758–1775 Peter August Friedrich von Holstein-Beck – General-Governor
- 1775–1792 Count George Browne – General-Governor
- 1783–1786 Georg Friedrich von Grotenhielm
- 1786–1797 Heinrich Johann Baron von Wrangell
- 1797–1808 Andreas von Langell
- 1808–1809 Peter Friedrich Georg von Oldenburg
- 1809–1811 Vacant
- 1811–1816 Grand Duke Paul Friedrich August von Oldenburg
- 1816–1819 Berend Baron Üxküll
- 1819–1832 Gotthard Wilhelm Baron Budberg von Bönninghausen
- 1832–1833 Otto Wilhelm von Essen
- 1833–1841 Paul Friedrich von Benckendorff
- 1842–1859 Johann Christoph Engelbrecht von Grünewaldt
- 1859–1868 Wilhelm Otto Cornelius Alexander Ulrich
- 1868–1870 Mikhail Nikolaiyevich Galkin-Vraskoy
- 1870–1875 Prince Mikhail Valentinovich Shakhovskoiy-Glebov-Strezhnev
- 1875–1885 Viktor Petrovich Polivanov
- 1885–1894 Prince Sergey Vladimirovich
- 1894–1902 Yefstafiy Nikolaiyevich Skalon
- 1902–1905 Aleksey Valerianovich Bellegarde
- 1905–1906 Nikolay Georgiyevich von Bünting
- 1906–1907 Pyotr Petrovich Bashilov
- 1907–1915 Izmail Vladimirovich Korostovetch
- 1915–1917 Pyotr Vladimirovich Veryovkin
Russian Provisional Government, 1917
- Georgy Evgenyevich Lvov – 21 July
- Aleksandr Kerensky – 7 November
Part of the [German Empire] (1917–1918)
[House of Hohenzollern]
The October Revolution of 1917 era
Title: Chairman of the Soviet Executive Committee of Estonia- Jaan Anvelt
- Jaan Poska
Soviet Republic of Sailors and Builders of Nargen
- Stepan Petrichenko
Republic of Estonia
- Otto August Strandman
- Jaan Tõnisson
- Ado Birk
- Jaan Tõnisson
- Ants Piip
- Ants Piip
- Konstantin Päts
- Juhan Kukk
- Konstantin Päts
- Friedrich Karl Akel
- Jüri Jaakson
- Jaan Teemant
- Jaan Tõnisson
- August Rei
- Otto August Strandman
- Konstantin Päts
- Jaan Teemant
- Kaarel Eenpalu
- Konstantin Päts
- Jaan Tõnisson
- Konstantin Päts
- Konstantin Päts
- Konstantin Päts
- Konstantin Päts
- Johannes Vares
- Jüri Uluots
- August Rei
- Aleksander Varma
- Tõnis Kint
- Heinrich Mark
- Otto Tief
- Johannes Sikkar
- Aleksander Warma
- Tõnis Kint
- Heinrich Mark
- Enno Penno
- Arnold Rüütel
- Arnold Rüütel
President of the Republic
!Reign
United Baltic Duchy
Title: Regent Councillor- Adolf Pilar von Pilchau
Commune of the Working People of Estonia
- Jaan Anvelt
Estonian SSR
- Johannes Vares-Barbarus
- Nigol Andresen
- Eduard Päll
- August Jakobson
- Johan Eichfeld
- Aleksei Müürisepp
- Aleksander Ansberg
- Artur Vader
- Meta Vannas
- Johannes Käbin
- Arnold Rüütel
- Arnold Rüütel
Soviet Union
- Joseph Stalin
- Nikita Khrushchev
- Leonid Brezhnev
- Yuri Andropov
- Konstantin Chernenko
- Mikhail Gorbachev
Reichskommissariat Ostland
- Adolf Hitler
- Karl-Siegmund Litzmann
- Hjalmar Mäe