Hämeenlinna
Encyclopedia
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 province of Southern Finland
. Nearby cities include the capital Helsinki
(98 km (60.9 mi)), Tampere
(73 km (45.4 mi)) and Lahti
(72 km (44.7 mi)).
The medieval Häme Castle
() is located in the city.
The municipalities of Hauho
, Kalvola
, Lammi
, Renko
and Tuulos
were consolidated with Hämeenlinna on 1 January 2009.
by the lake Vanajavesi
in where the city now stands since the Viking Age
. The castle was built in the late 13th century to secure the Swedish power in central Finland. A village was born near to the Häme Castle
to provide services and goods to inhabitants.
The village was granted city rights in 1639 and soon after that the King of Sweden moved it one kilometre south on the hill where it now stands.
The city is known for its schools and academies where many famous Finns have studied. Schools, government and the military have characterized Hämeenlinna's life all through history.
Finland's first railway line opened between Hämeenlinna and Helsinki in 1862. The current Hämeenlinna railway station
( in Finnish
) was built in 1921.
was born and raised in Hämeenlinna. He graduated from Hämeenlinna Lyseo in 1885.
Poet Eino Leino
graduated from Hämeenlinnan lyseon lukio.
Juho Kusti Paasikivi
(Seventh President of Finland
) graduated from Hämeenlinnan lyseon lukio (Hämeenlinnan lyseon lukio is Hämeenlinna Lyseo Upper secondary school, roughly the equivalent of a US highschool).
The folk/Viking metal band Turisas
is from Hämeenlinna.
Antony Hämäläinen
(Vocalist for the Greek/Swedish Melodic Death Metal band Nightrage
) was born in Hämeenlinna.
Strongman and actor Jouko Ahola
was born in Hämeenlinna. He won the 1997 and 1999 World's Strongest Man
, and now serves as a one of the judges at the contest.
NHL Minnesota Wild forward Antti Miettinen
was born in Hämeenlinna in 1980 and returns there in the off-season.
Kimi Räikkönen
(Formula One
driver) and Jenni Dahlman
were married in 2004 in Hämeenlinna.
with:
Tavastia (historical province)
Tavastia, Tavastland or Häme, Russian Emi or Yemi, is a historical province in the south of Finland. It borders Finland Proper, Satakunta, Ostrobothnia, Savonia and Uusimaa.- Administration :...
in the south of 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...
and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper
Tavastia Proper
Tavastia Proper is a region of Finland. It borders to the regions Finland Proper, Pirkanmaa, Päijänne Tavastia, and Uusimaa.Hämeenlinna is the largest urban area in the region...
, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor
Provincial Governors of Finland
The Governor, Maaherra, or Landshövding, of a province of Finland headed the activities of the State Provincial Office, Lääninhallitus, or Länsstyrelse until the end of 2009, when the provinces were abolished. The governors were appointed by the President...
of the province of Southern Finland
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 :...
. Nearby cities include the capital 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...
(98 km (60.9 mi)), Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
(73 km (45.4 mi)) and 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...
(72 km (44.7 mi)).
The medieval Häme Castle
Häme castle
Häme Castle is a medieval castle in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The castle is located on the coast of lake Vanajavesi in the city center. The castle was originally located on an island....
() is located in the city.
The municipalities of Hauho
Hauho
Hauho is a former municipality of Finland. It was situated in the province of Southern Finland and is today a part of the region of Tavastia Proper ....
, Kalvola
Kalvola
Kalvola is a former municipality of Finland. Its seat was in Iittala. It was consolidated with Hämeenlinna on 2009-01-01.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region. The municipality had a population of 3,449 and covered an area of 338.81 km² of...
, Lammi
Lammi
Lammi is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with Hämeenlinna on 2009-01-01.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region. The municipality had a population of 5,507 and covered an area of 611.24 km² of which 73.69 km² is water. The...
, Renko
Renko
Renko is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with Hämeenlinna on 2009-01-01.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region. The municipality had a population of 2,378 and covered an area of of which is water. The population density...
and Tuulos
Tuulos
Tuulos is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with Hämeenlinna on January 1, 2009.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region. The municipality had a population of 1,536 and covered an area of 171.24 km² of which 13.14 km² is...
were consolidated with Hämeenlinna on 1 January 2009.
History
There has been a settlement called VanajaVanaja
Vanaja is a former municipality of Finland. It was located in Tavastia Proper about north of Helsinki. It is also speculated that it might have been the name for an Iron Age and early Middle Ages settlement found opposite to the Häme Castle....
by the 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 where the city now stands since the Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
. The castle was built in the late 13th century to secure the Swedish power in central Finland. A village was born near to the Häme Castle
Häme castle
Häme Castle is a medieval castle in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The castle is located on the coast of lake Vanajavesi in the city center. The castle was originally located on an island....
to provide services and goods to inhabitants.
The village was granted city rights in 1639 and soon after that the King of Sweden moved it one kilometre south on the hill where it now stands.
The city is known for its schools and academies where many famous Finns have studied. Schools, government and the military have characterized Hämeenlinna's life all through history.
Finland's first railway line opened between Hämeenlinna and Helsinki in 1862. The current Hämeenlinna railway station
Hämeenlinna railway station
Hämeenlinna railway station is located in the town of Hämeenlinna, Finland....
( in Finnish
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...
) was built in 1921.
Notable persons
The composer Jean SibeliusJean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
was born and raised in Hämeenlinna. He graduated from Hämeenlinna Lyseo in 1885.
Poet Eino Leino
Eino Leino
Eino Leino was a Finnish poet and journalist and is considered one of the pioneers of Finnish poetry. His poems combine modern and Finnish folk elements. The style of much of his work is like the Kalevala and folk songs. Nature, love, and despair are frequent themes in Leino's work...
graduated from Hämeenlinnan lyseon lukio.
Juho Kusti Paasikivi
Juho Kusti Paasikivi
Juho Kusti Paasikivi was the seventh President of Finland . Representing the Finnish Party and the National Coalition Party, he also served as Prime Minister of Finland , and was generally an influential figure in Finnish economics and politics for over fifty years...
(Seventh President of Finland
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
) graduated from Hämeenlinnan lyseon lukio (Hämeenlinnan lyseon lukio is Hämeenlinna Lyseo Upper secondary school, roughly the equivalent of a US highschool).
The folk/Viking metal band Turisas
Turisas
Turisas is a Finnish folk metal band from Hämeenlinna. It was founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström and named after an ancient Finnish God of war....
is from Hämeenlinna.
Antony Hämäläinen
Antony Hämäläinen
Antony Hämäläinen , is a Finnish musician and composer living in the United States.-Biography:In the early 1990s, he started playing bass, drums, and singing for multiple bands based both in the USA and Finland...
(Vocalist for the Greek/Swedish Melodic Death Metal band Nightrage
Nightrage
Nightrage is a Greek/Swedish melodic death metal band formed by guitarist Marios Iliopoulos and his close friend Gus G. who later re-located to Gothenburg, Sweden.-Sweet Vengeance:...
) was born in Hämeenlinna.
Strongman and actor Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola is a Finnish strongman and actor. He won the 1997 and 1999 World's Strongest Man, and finished second in 1998. Ahola won the Europe's Strongest Man contest twice in 1998 and 1999, and finished fourth in 1996. Jouko won the World's Strongest Team in 1997 and 1999, and was second in 1998...
was born in Hämeenlinna. He won the 1997 and 1999 World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...
, and now serves as a one of the judges at the contest.
NHL Minnesota Wild forward Antti Miettinen
Antti Miettinen
Antti Miettinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who plays for Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL in Russia-Playing career:...
was born in Hämeenlinna in 1980 and returns there in the off-season.
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
(Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
driver) and Jenni Dahlman
Jenni Dahlman
Jenni Dahlman-Räikkönen is a former Finnish model and Miss Scandinavia 2001. She is the daughter of Hannu and Alice, and her older brother is Kalle. She started modeling at the age of fourteen, and she was chosen the first runner-up to Miss Finland 2000. One year later, she became Miss Scandinavia...
were married in 2004 in Hämeenlinna.
Largest employers (by number of employees)
- City of Hämeenlinna: 2,490
- State of Finland: 2,480
- Kanta-Häme Hospital District: 1,460
- RuukkiRautaruukkiRautaruukki Corporation is a Finnish company, headquartered in Helsinki, which manufactures and supplies metal-based components and systems to the construction and engineering industries....
(Rautaruukki Oyj): 1,030 - Huhtamäki Oyj: 700
- Hämeen AMK: 510
- Aina Group Oyj: 500
- Kansanterveystyön ky: 490
- Patria Vehicles Oy: 430
- Konecranes Standard Lifting Oy: 330
- Koulutuskeskus Tavastia: 270
- Lindström Oy: 175
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Hämeenlinna 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:
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Sport
- Ice hockey team HPKHPKHPK is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Hämeenlinna, Finland at the Hämeenlinnan jäähalli. HPK was established in 1929. The full name of the club is HPK-Edustusjääkiekko Ry and the team is sometimes promoted as the "Hockey Playing Knights", with the logo representing a knight...
- Football team FC HämeenlinnaFC HämeenlinnaFC Hämeenlinna is a Finnish football club, based in Hämeenlinna. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division . The club's manager is Teuvo Palkki, and it plays its home matches at Kaurialan Kenttä.The team was formed in 1991....
- The city hosted the modern pentathlonModern pentathlon at the 1952 Summer OlympicsAt the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, two events in modern pentathlon were contested. For the first time, a team event was part of the Olympic program.-Medal summary:-Medal table:...
competition for the 1952 Summer Olympics1952 Summer OlympicsThe 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in neighboring HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki 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...
.
External links
- 1952 Summer Olympics official report. pp. 60–2.
- City of Hämeenlinna – Official site
- Häme Castle