Padise is one of the most historic places in Harju county and in all of Estonia.  This area, once known as Rävala Province was already important in the iron age. 

In 1220 the Dünamünde Cistercian Monastery, in present day Riga, was granted 30 ploughs of land at Padise and its surroundings to help efforts in Christianizing the local population.  Monks from the Dünamünde Monastery relocated to Padise and built a modest stone chapel around the year 1254 probably located just north of the manor house.  In the year 1305 the Dünamünde Cistercian Monastery was forced to sell the main monastery in Riga to the German Teutonic Order. 

The relocation of the monastery’s brethren to Padise ensued and a larger fortified monastery complex was built.  The independent monastery is believed to have started its work  in 1317.  The permission to build had been given in 1305 by the Danish king, Erik Menved.  The Golden Age of the Padise Monastery (Padise Kloostri) was around 1400 when the Padise Monastery not only owned extensive lands in Estonia but also bought land in Southern Finland, the lands of Porvoos, Sipos and Pernajes.

Towards the end of 1550 and at the start of the Livonian war, Russia began to invade the lands of old Livonia, now Estonia and Latvia.  Fearing the Swedes would invade and conquer the monastery, Gotthard Kettler, the last master of the Livonian Order took possession of Padise, (Padis) monastery and disbanded the monks.  He then fortified Padise since it no longer served a religious function. Many heated battles were fought during the Livonian war and the Padise  monastery suffered severe damage, particularly to the southern side.  During the 30 Years War Sweden took control of Riga in 1621 with the notable help of Thomas von Ramm who was the Burg Graf (Count of the Castle) and Master of the Mint.  Thomas used his considerable influence with the citizens of Riga to open the gates to the beleaguering Swedes and broke with the Poles.  At this time Estonia was already under Swedish rule and in 1622, the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf granted Thomas von Ramm Padise Monastery and its possessions, elevated him to Swedish nobility and made him Burgermeister of Riga.  In part this grant also compensated Thomas for the damages incurred to his estates outside of Riga as a result of the Swedish/Polish war.  Padise monastery was then rebuilt in a palatial manner to accommodate the von Ramm family.

The family continued to live in the monastery until 1766 when it said to have been struck by lightening during the midday meal and the resultant fire made the building uninhabitable. Wood and other building materials were salvaged from the monastery ruins and used to build a new one story manor house (Padise Mõis) adjacent to the monastery which now was used only for storage.  The new building was constructed in the Baroque Style and in 1848 a second story was added to accommodate the very large von Ramm family.  The main floor of the manor was altered and new decorations added.  A new wing housing kitchens and other facilities for the staff was constructed on the south side of the manor.  

During the 19^th century several of the others buildings were constructed near the manor house.  Of particular note is the neo-gothic granary constructed by Clas Gustaf Reinhold von Ramm in 1832.  During this era the von Ramm family also owned Wichtarpalu (Wichtarpal), Hatu (Hatoküll), and Vasalemma (Wasalem) estates.  At Padise the original manor stables still exist and are located at the end of the paved road on the south side of the manor. The stables were reconstructed for use in modern times and are currently used by the Padise village.  To the southwest on the river were a watermill and a distillery. Unfortunately, the distillery burned down in 2001 so that only ruins remain.  Across the Keila/Hapsalu road one can still see the fish ponds which were originally constructed by the brotherhood of monks.

The history of the von Ramm family in Padise continues into the 20th century.  The upheavals and consequences of the world wars left the von Ramm family no choice but to leave Estonia.  The manor and the lands of Padise were nationalized in 1920.  The manor was converted into a school, known as the Padise School, and continued as such until 1982 when the school moved to another building. Koidula Kolhoosi company then used the building for manufacturing electrical equipment.  After Estonia achieved independence  in 1991 the manor belonged to the Padise municipality.  In 1997 Olaf Thomas von Ramm and his cousin Clas Marten von Ramm were able to purchase Padise Manor.  A new wing on the south side of the house was constructed over the site of the old kitchens, bakery and staff rooms which had been demolished in 1956.  

A large front terrace was built along with extensive landscaping of the pond and land surrounding the manor house.  The renovated manor house is intended to turn the beautiful building into a hotel, meeting venue and restaurant.  The renovation of the Padise Manor House was financed by Olaf Thomas von Ramm who is a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina in the United States.

The crest seen on the left and in many places around the manor house is the crest of the von Ramm family picturing a ram with an arrow through its belly.  This crest can also be seen in main entrance of the old part of the manor house, in a carved stone which was relocated from the monastery to the manor after the great fire of 1766. 

We wish all of our guests a pleasant and restful stay in this wonderful old building so full of history and memories. 

- Olaf Thomas von Ramm