Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discover topics in history education in Estonia that are perceived to be controversial, and to analyse how teachers' epistemic cognition is reflected in the teaching of issues perceived to be controversial. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative research based on group and individual interviews with 12 teachers, plus data from lesson observations among 10 participants. Findings: Issues perceived to be the most controversial are topics from the 20th century. The reflection of epistemic cognition in practice is a result of a complex interplay between knowledge and knowing related beliefs and processes. Research limitations: The small number of participants (12). Developed categories must be considered with caution as exploratory findings.