The Lutheran Church of St. Jaan in Viljandi was founded in the 15th century by Franciscan monks who established an abbey here. The abbey in Viljandi existed for a hundred years and was destroyed during the Livonian War. The church and the Catholic order were restored by the Poles who came here, then the place of worship passed to the Swedes, and the church became Lutheran. Repeatedly rebuilt and changed hands, St. Jaan's Church acquired its modern look at the beginning of the 19th century. In Soviet times, the church building was used as a furniture warehouse.→