Helsingin normaalilyseo
Encyclopedia
Helsingin normaalilyseo (Finnish
for "Normal Lyceum of Helsinki") is a school
in Helsinki
, Finland
, consisting of the upper part of primary school (peruskoulun yläaste, grades 7 to 9) and secondary school
(lukio).
Unlike most other schools in Helsinki, the school is not owned by the city of Helsinki, but is instead part of the University of Helsinki
, which itself is owned directly by the state of Finland. The school is considered one of the most prestigious. It is the third hardest to get into, in the entire country, after Ressun Lukio and SYK
.
The established nickname for the school is Norssi, which also means a student of the school. Former students who have graduated from the school are called vanha Norssi (Finnish for "old Norssi"). The school has a constant, good-natured rivalry with Ressun lukio (Ressu Upper Secondary School, previously known as "Helsingin reaalilyseo") and Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu
which are considered even more prestigious than the Normal Lyceum.
normal lyceum of Helsinki. Because of linguistic political reasons, the Finnish classes were ordered to be discontinued in 1871, but the Finnish schooling continued directly in a privately owned Helsinki Finnish Primary School. In the autumn of 1878, the Primary School moved to a newly-built school building at Ratakatu 2 in Punavuori
, Helsinki.
In 1887, the Primary School became state-owned and was named the Helsinki Finnish Normal Lyceum. The school went through several name changes until finally becoming the Helsinki Normal Lyceum on January 1, 1995.
The school operated at Ratakatu 2 from 1887 to 1905 until it moved to a new building at Ratakatu 4 (nowadays Ratakatu 6). In the spring of 2006 teaching started again in the old school building at Ratakatu 6a, which has been completely renovated and modernized. At the same time a phased renovation of the school building at Ratakatu 6b started. Currently the teaching takes place at Ratakatu 6a and in some parts of Ratakatu 6b.
"Wanha Bensis" in the Finnish drama series Kotikatu
.
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
for "Normal Lyceum of Helsinki") is a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in 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...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, consisting of the upper part of primary school (peruskoulun yläaste, grades 7 to 9) and secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
(lukio).
Unlike most other schools in Helsinki, the school is not owned by the city of Helsinki, but is instead part of the University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
, which itself is owned directly by the state of Finland. The school is considered one of the most prestigious. It is the third hardest to get into, in the entire country, after Ressun Lukio and SYK
Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu
Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu, commonly abbreviated SYK, is a free Finnish private school located in the district of Etelä-Haaga in the city of Helsinki. SYK is the oldest Finnish-speaking school in Finland and considered to be one of the most prestigious.-History:SYK was founded in 1886...
.
The established nickname for the school is Norssi, which also means a student of the school. Former students who have graduated from the school are called vanha Norssi (Finnish for "old Norssi"). The school has a constant, good-natured rivalry with Ressun lukio (Ressu Upper Secondary School, previously known as "Helsingin reaalilyseo") and Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu
Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu
Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu, commonly abbreviated SYK, is a free Finnish private school located in the district of Etelä-Haaga in the city of Helsinki. SYK is the oldest Finnish-speaking school in Finland and considered to be one of the most prestigious.-History:SYK was founded in 1886...
which are considered even more prestigious than the Normal Lyceum.
History
The Helsinki normal lyceum was initially conceived in the autumn of 1867, when Finnish-speaking classes were added to the SwedishSwedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
normal lyceum of Helsinki. Because of linguistic political reasons, the Finnish classes were ordered to be discontinued in 1871, but the Finnish schooling continued directly in a privately owned Helsinki Finnish Primary School. In the autumn of 1878, the Primary School moved to a newly-built school building at Ratakatu 2 in Punavuori
Punavuori
Punavuori is a neighbourhood in Helsinki, the capital of Finland.After the new location and growth of Helsinki in the 18th century, Punavuori became the area next to the center. During the 19th century the district had a seedy reputation. Most of the brothels and beerhouses were found in Punavuori...
, Helsinki.
In 1887, the Primary School became state-owned and was named the Helsinki Finnish Normal Lyceum. The school went through several name changes until finally becoming the Helsinki Normal Lyceum on January 1, 1995.
The school operated at Ratakatu 2 from 1887 to 1905 until it moved to a new building at Ratakatu 4 (nowadays Ratakatu 6). In the spring of 2006 teaching started again in the old school building at Ratakatu 6a, which has been completely renovated and modernized. At the same time a phased renovation of the school building at Ratakatu 6b started. Currently the teaching takes place at Ratakatu 6a and in some parts of Ratakatu 6b.
Notable alumni
- Matti KlingeMatti KlingeMatti Klinge is a Finnish historian.He studied at the University of Helsinki and gained his Ph.D. in 1969. Later, he was Visiting Professor at the University of Paris 1970–1972, and held the Swedish Professorship of History at the University of Helsinki between 1975 and 2001. Klinge is one...
, professor of history - Lasse PöystiLasse PöystiLasse Pöysti is a Finnish actor , director, theatre manager and writer....
, actor and playwright - Pentti SaarikoskiPentti SaarikoskiPentti Saarikoski was one of the most important poets in the literary scene of Finland during the 60's and 70's...
, poet
Trivia
Right next to the school was a disused gas station, which was used as the scenery for the fictional caféCafé
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
"Wanha Bensis" in the Finnish drama series Kotikatu
Kotikatu
Kotikatu is a Finnish drama television series broadcast on YLE TV1. Its first episode aired on August 24, 1995 and its last episode will air on December 8, 2012. It is the longest running Finnish drama television series....
.