Alexander Nikolai von Glehn (16 July 1841 inJälgimäe Manor,Kreis Harrien,Governorate of Estonia,Russian Empire – 7 September 1923 inBrazil), was aBaltic German landowner and public figure, most notable for being the founder of the town ofNõmme (now part ofTallinn).
He was born into the wealthy Glehn family, and was the brother ofPeter von Glehn, a noted botanist.[1] He studied economics, medicine, philosophy and architecture at theUniversity of Tartu and in Germany.
Glehn established a new settlement calledNõmme in the northern part of the lands of hisJälgimäe Manor. In 1873 he gave out the first plots near therailway station which was established a year before on theTallinn–Paldiski railway (part of theBaltic Railway). In 1917 Nõmme gained the borough rights and in 1926 thetown rights, but was merged withTallinn in 1940.
Glehn also built himself a new Mustamäe Manor (German:Hohenhaupt), nowadays known as theGlehn Castle into Nõmme. The main building ("castle") was finished in 1886 by himself being the architect. The castle is surrounded by a park with several buildings like palm house (1900–1910), observatory tower (1910) and sculptures "Kalevipoeg" (1908), "Crocodile" (1908), all of those created by Glehn himself.[2]
After a departure forGermany in 1918, he went toBrazil to treat his ill son, Manfred von Glehn (1867–1924), in the warm climate.
On 12 November 2011 a sculpture bySeaküla Simson was unveiled beside the footbridge in the centre ofNõmme to honor Glehn.
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