Description: This paper focuses on issues of historical documentation and analysis of teacher education principles, content and organisation for promoting teacher education programmes in institutions of higher education. Theoretically, two opposites can be identified in the long-term operation of teacher education programmes. In countries with relatively stable social order and long traditions the principles and organisation of teacher education, tends to remain unchanged for decades (see e.g. Houston, 1996). A historical inspection of past practices and renewal campaigns might be helpful for understanding the meaning and perspectives future renewal initiatives in this case. In other countries, which have undergone or are undergoing radical social changes a historical research of the past experiences might be even more beneficial. This especially applies to many post-socialist countries. In these countries the Communist regime declared many deeply ingrained educational ideas, approaches and traditions as inappropriate for pursuing its educational goals. Though the regime's grip weakened since the Khrushchev's "melting" in the beginning of 1960-ties no alternative ideology was tolerated until the collapse of the Soviet block. Isolation, ideological brain washing and cultivating of so-called Soviet pedagogy lasted in these countries from 50 to 70 years. These conditions infected many generations of people with a biased and narrow worldview in these societies and created a kind of culture of its own (see e.g. Mestenhauser, 1993). Today, when almost 15 years have passed since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, at least two questions rise when one tries to understand changes in teacher education that took place in the conditions of establishing democracy in countries that suffered under this regime: (1) what impact had the long lasting Communist regime on the emerging or re-emerging institutional or national systems of teacher education, and (2) what were these features of teacher education, if any, that the new curricula and organisation of teacher education could retain, benefit or rely on? An inspection of teacher education curricula and organisation at the University of Tartu,, Estonia, (Krull and Trasberg) proved that learning the past could be a fruitful method for finding answers to these and many others questions relevant to teacher education. A short introduction of this research exemplifies the potentiality of historical case study as of a method for informing the current decision-making aimed at promoting teacher education policy and programmes. Methodology: This is a qualitative approach based on principles of historical reseach and case study (see e.g. Fraenkel and Wallen, 2003). Different sources were used for the reconstrustion and analysis of teacher education practices throughout two centuries: monographs on the history of Tartu University; research papers and surveys on the history of teacher education; primary sources like archive documents, and teacher education guidelines and programmes; aministrative regulations; reports of decision-making bodies and commissions; publications of teacher educators debating current issues in the field; and interviewing of retired professors of teacher education. Conclusions: Our historical analysis showed that the principles, content, and organization of teacher education were not so different in the period Soviet rule from traditional approaches except ideological deformations and totalitarian leadership. The replacement of its well functioning institutions (like that of integrated and harmonized programmes of pedagogical studies) with democratic organization of teacher education calls often for much bigger efforts and good will of teacher educators than it was necessary in the conditions of totalitarian rule. As a method the used approach is especially effective for understanding and promoting teacher education programmes in countries or societies that have survived numerous and radical social changes in a relatively short period of time.