Heinola
Encyclopedia
Heinola is a town and a municipality of inhabitants located in the Province of Southern Finland
. Heinola is perhaps best known for its summer activities such as the Sauna-sitting World Championships
.
until it gained significance in 1776 when Gustav III of Sweden
promoted it to be the governmental center of the province in which it was then located. The grid plan
of the city center is from that era. Heinola also became a center of commerce for nearby regions.
When Finland became a part of Russia
in 1809, the capital of the province was moved eastwards with the state border. To compensate this, Heinola gained a city status in 1839. Before the World War II
, Heinola was widely known as a spa town, and until 1972 it served as a location for an institute (seminaari) that taught elementary school teachers. These both were established in the 1890s and played important role in the town life.
Heinola has been economically an industrial town, mainly due to its wood processing industry. Industry remained the largest source of employment until 1970s, when the trade and services sector grew larger, following a national trend.
Heinola has been hit hard by Late-2000s recession. UPM-Kymmene
, that used to be the largest employer after the public sector, has reported closing down its sawmill and plywood mill in Heinola during 2010.
. A waterway connecting the lakes crosses the town and is, along with an esker
also crossing the town, a characterising geographical feature of Heinola.
A motorway (Finnish national road 4
/E75
) connects Heinola to Lahti
(distance 35 km (21.7 mi)) and Helsinki
(distance 138 km (85.7 mi)).
with Piešťany
in Slovakia
, Karlshamn
in Sweden
, Baranovichi
in Belarus
and Peine
in Germany
.
Southern Finland
Southern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.- History :...
. Heinola is perhaps best known for its summer activities such as the Sauna-sitting World Championships
World Sauna Championships
The World Sauna Championships were an annual endurance contest held in Heinola, Finland, from 1999 to 2010. They originated from unofficial sauna-sitting competitions that resulted in a ban from a swimming hall in Heinola. The Championships were first held in 1999 and grew to feature contestants...
.
History
Heinola used to be a remote village of then larger HollolaHollola
Hollola is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Päijänne Tavastia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water...
until it gained significance in 1776 when Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
promoted it to be the governmental center of the province in which it was then located. The grid plan
Grid plan
The grid plan, grid street plan or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid...
of the city center is from that era. Heinola also became a center of commerce for nearby regions.
When Finland became a part of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 1809, the capital of the province was moved eastwards with the state border. To compensate this, Heinola gained a city status in 1839. Before the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Heinola was widely known as a spa town, and until 1972 it served as a location for an institute (seminaari) that taught elementary school teachers. These both were established in the 1890s and played important role in the town life.
Economy
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Heinola has been economically an industrial town, mainly due to its wood processing industry. Industry remained the largest source of employment until 1970s, when the trade and services sector grew larger, following a national trend.
Heinola has been hit hard by Late-2000s recession. UPM-Kymmene
UPM (company)
UPM-Kymmene Corporation is a Finnish pulp, paper and timber manufacturer. UPM-Kymmene was formed by the merger of Kymmene Corporation and Repola Ltd and its subsidiary United Paper Mills Ltd in 1996...
, that used to be the largest employer after the public sector, has reported closing down its sawmill and plywood mill in Heinola during 2010.
Geography
Heinola is largely situated between two lakes, Ruotsalainen and KonnivesiKonnivesi
-References:* *...
. A waterway connecting the lakes crosses the town and is, along with an esker
Esker
An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America...
also crossing the town, a characterising geographical feature of Heinola.
A motorway (Finnish national road 4
Finnish national road 4
Finnish national road 4 is a highway in Finland. It is the main route from Helsinki to Northern Finland and a major road link in the country. It runs from Erottaja in Helsinki to Sami Bridge in Utsjoki. The road is long...
/E75
European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
) connects Heinola to Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
(distance 35 km (21.7 mi)) and Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
(distance 138 km (85.7 mi)).
Twin towns — Sister cities
Heinola is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Piešťany
Pieštany
Piešťany is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its own district. It is the biggest and best known spa town in Slovakia and has around 30,000 inhabitants.-History:...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Karlshamn
Karlshamn
Karlshamn is a locality and the seat of Karlshamn Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 12,957 inhabitants of the city core and 30 918 in the municipality ....
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Baranovichi
Baranovichi
Baranovichi , is a city in the Brest Province of western Belarus with a population of 173,000. It is a significant railway junction and home to a state university.-Overview:...
in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Peine
Peine
Peine is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, capital of the district Peine. It is situated on the river Fuhse and the Mittellandkanal, approx. 25 km west of Braunschweig, and 40 km east of Hanover.- History :...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
External links
- Town of Heinola – official website