Selja, Hiiumaa Parish
Selja | |
|---|---|
Village | |
The Rudolf Tobias Museum at his birthplace | |
Selja | |
| Coordinates: 58°49′40″N 22°44′19″E / 58.82778°N 22.73861°E | |
| Country | Estonia |
| County | Hiiu County |
| Parish | Hiiumaa Parish |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Selja is a village in Hiiumaa Parish, Hiiu County in northwestern Estonia.[1]
Name
Selja was attested in historical sources as Selja Tönniß in 1665 (i.e., 'Tõnis [Anthony] from Selja', referring to a resident of the village) and Sellia by (i.e., 'Selja village') in 1709. The toponym is relatively frequent in Estonia and is derived from the common noun selg (genitive: selja) 'back, crest, ridge (of a hill)'.[2]
Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Selja include the following:
- Rudolf Tobias (1873–1918), first Estonian professional composer, born and spent his early childhood in Selja. In 1973, Tobias's birthplace was converted into a museum.
- Johannes Tobias (1847–1909), parish clerk and father of Rudolf Tobias
References
- ^ Classification of Estonian administrative units and settlements 2014 (retrieved 28 July 2021)
- ^ "Selja". Dictionary of Estonian Place Names. Tallinn: Eesti Keele Instituut. Retrieved November 23, 2025.