Häme Castle is a medieval castle in Hämeenlinna

Hämeenlinna

Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...

, 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...

. The castle is located on the coast of lake Vanajavesi

Vanajavesi

Vanajavesi is a lake in Finland. It is part of the Kokemäenjoki basin. The lake gathers waters from a wide area in the regions of Pirkanmaa, Tavastia Proper and parts of the Päijänne Tavastia region.-Settlements:...

 in the city center. The castle was originally located on an island.

The castle's age is disputed. Traditionally the construction of the castle has been connected to the legendary Second Swedish Crusade

Second Swedish Crusade

The Second Swedish Crusade was a Swedish military expedition to areas in present-day Finland by Birger jarl in the 13th century. As a result of the crusade, Finland became permanently part of Sweden for the next 550 years.-Year of the crusade:...

 which would date the castle in the mid-13th century. However, there are no finds from the castle that can be firmly dated to a period earlier than 1320s. Also the contents of the crusade legend have been seriously contested. An earlier fortification from about 1300 only some 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) away in Hakoinen

Hakoinen Castle

Hakoinen Castle are the ruins of a fortification on a hill in Janakkala, Finland. Dated medieval, the fortification was situated on a very steep rock by lake Kernaala reminiscent of a hill fort tradition. The top of the rock is 63 metres above the water level in the lake. Today very little...

 also makes a 14th century dating for Häme Castle more probable. Only one castle ("Tauestahus") is listed in Tavastia in a royal document from 1308. Also, the Russian Novgorod Chronicle

Chronicle

Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...

 only mentions one castle during their plundering of Tavastia in 1311, its description matching well with the castle in Hakoinen:

The men of Novgorod went in war over sea to the country of the Germans (Swedes), against the Finnish (Yem

YEM

YEM may refer to:* Yemen, the country in Southwest Asia* Manitowaning/Manitoulin East Municipal Airport, the IATA airport code* You Enjoy Myself, a song by the jam band Phish* Yamashita Engineering Manufacture Inc.* Yeast Extract Mannitol...

) people – – And the Germans fell back into the citadel. For the place was very strong and firm, on a high rock, not having access from any side. And they sent with greeting, asking for peace, but the men of Novgorod did not grant peace, and they stood three days and three nights wasting the district.

The construction of Häme castle probably started after the Novgorod invasion. The first castle was made of gray stone, and later brick

Brick

A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...

s were used.

The castle lost military importance by the end of the 16th century. Its defensive systems were upgraded in the 18th century with bastions around the castle. The castle became a prison

Prison

A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...

 in the 19th century and served as such until 1953, when massive restoration work started. The castle has been a museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

since 1988. Facilities can also be rented for private events.

External links

• Official site: Häme Castle at the Finnish National Board of Antiquities
• Medieval castles in Finland, thisisFINLAND.fi
• Hame Castle at fortified-places.com