HISTORY OF THE AREA
From 1899 to 1915 the Waldhof cellulose factory, one of the largest in Europe at the time, was operating in the area. It was owned by an enterprise of the Russian Empire of the same name that, in turn, was a subsidiary of a large enterprise of the same name established in 1884 in Mannheim, Germany. Waldhof – or Valtov as it was known among locals – was situated lengthwise from the borough’s cemetery to Papiniidu station (on the premises of the current Kaubamajakas shopping centre) and broadways from Pärnu river to the sea, covering approximately 100 hectares. A railway branch entered the factory’s territory to bring in raw material and the establishment also had its own harbour quay on the river. Waldhof employed thousands of people, increasing the town’s population. In addition to factory buildings, nearby-houses, that in most part have been preserved and are still in use today, were built for its officers, leading hands and workers. The factory was closed in June 1915 and its equipment evacuated to Perm, Russia. The factory was blown up on 20 August 1915 after a fleet of the German Empire arrived in the Pärnu Bay. Remains of the buildings were ultimately demolished in 1936.
