Sund, Åland
Encyclopedia
Sund is a municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland
and is very rich in history and culture and is one of the official 27 national landscapes of Finland.
The municipality has a population of and covers an area of km2 of which km2 is water. The population density
is PD/km2.
The municipality is unilingually Swedish
.
The old Medieval post route from Stockholm
, Sweden
to Turku
, Finland passes through Sund.
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The Medieval church of Sund is dedicated to John the Baptist
and was built sometime in the 13th century. It is the largest church in Åland. Inside the church there is a five-meter-tall crucifix
, the tallest in all of Scandinavia.
Kastelholm Castle
is the only castle in Åland, and is partially in ruins. The castle was built on a small island that was surrounded by water and moats filled with several lines of poles. It was first mentioned in 1388 in the contract of Queen Margaret I
, where a large portion of the inheritance of Bo Jonsson Grip
was given to her. The heyday of the castle was in the 15th and 16th centuries. King John III
kept his deposed brother Eric XIV
in captivity in the castle in the Fall of 1571. Today, it is partially restored and a popular tourist attraction. The whole castle was opened to the public in 2001.
The Bomarsund Fortress
is one of the most interesting historical places in Sund. After Sweden had lost the Finnish War
of 1808–09, fought against Russia, both Åland and Finland became part of the Russian Empire
. Russia began to build a fortress in Sund in 1830 in accordance with the orders of Emperor Nicholas I
. People of various cultural backgrounds came to Sund from all over Russia to build the fortress. A town, Gamla Skarpans, was built and another settlement, Nya Skarpans, was established inside the fortress. However, the fortress, designed for 5000 men and 500 cannons, was never finished because in 1854 during the Crimean War
English and French troops invaded and blew it up. Today, in addition to the fortress, there are the ruins of Gamla Skarpans and two watchtowers nearby, all open to visitors.
The Outdoor Museum Jan Karlsgården is next to Kastelholm Castle. There are old buildings from all over Åland, such as windmills, a steam sauna and a blacksmith's shop.
The Prison Museum Vita Björn is also near the Kastelholm Castle. It was originally built in 1784 to serve as a prison and operated until as recently as 1975. Today it is a museum.
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 very rich in history and culture and is one of the official 27 national landscapes of Finland.
The municipality has a population of and covers an area of km2 of which km2 is water. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is PD/km2.
The municipality is unilingually Swedish
Swedish 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...
.
The old Medieval post route from Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, 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....
to Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Finland passes through Sund.
History and landmarks
There are many pre-historic sites in Sund from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
and was built sometime in the 13th century. It is the largest church in Åland. Inside the church there is a five-meter-tall crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
, the tallest in all of Scandinavia.
Kastelholm Castle
Kastelholm Castle
Kastelholm Castle is a Swedish-built medieval castle located off Road 2 in Sund, Åland, Finland, approximately northeast of Mariehamn, overlooking a fjord to the south of the village of Kastelholm...
is the only castle in Åland, and is partially in ruins. The castle was built on a small island that was surrounded by water and moats filled with several lines of poles. It was first mentioned in 1388 in the contract of Queen Margaret I
Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century. Although she acted as queen regnant, the laws of contemporary Danish succession denied her formal queenship. Her title in Denmark was derived from her...
, where a large portion of the inheritance of Bo Jonsson Grip
Bo Jonsson (Grip)
Bo Jonsson was head of the royal council and marshal under the regency of Magnus IV of Sweden. Also in the council was his friend and colleague, Karl Ulfsson av Ulvåsa, eldest son of Saint Birgitta...
was given to her. The heyday of the castle was in the 15th and 16th centuries. King John III
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
kept his deposed brother Eric XIV
Eric XIV of Sweden
-Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn....
in captivity in the castle in the Fall of 1571. Today, it is partially restored and a popular tourist attraction. The whole castle was opened to the public in 2001.
Bomarsund, Åland
The Battle of Bomarsund was fought by an Anglo-French task force against Russian defenses at Bomarsund during the Crimean War.-Background:Bomarsund is a 19th century fortress which had started to built in 1832 by Russia in Sund on the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea...
is one of the most interesting historical places in Sund. After Sweden had lost the Finnish War
Finnish War
The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...
of 1808–09, fought against Russia, both Åland and Finland became part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. Russia began to build a fortress in Sund in 1830 in accordance with the orders of Emperor Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
. People of various cultural backgrounds came to Sund from all over Russia to build the fortress. A town, Gamla Skarpans, was built and another settlement, Nya Skarpans, was established inside the fortress. However, the fortress, designed for 5000 men and 500 cannons, was never finished because in 1854 during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
English and French troops invaded and blew it up. Today, in addition to the fortress, there are the ruins of Gamla Skarpans and two watchtowers nearby, all open to visitors.
The Prison Museum Vita Björn is also near the Kastelholm Castle. It was originally built in 1784 to serve as a prison and operated until as recently as 1975. Today it is a museum.
Economy
Tourism is one of the biggest lines of business in Sund. Agriculture is also popular, especially keeping livestock. Small businesses are also abundant and the biggest employers are the municipality and the local golf course.External links
- Municipality of Sund – Official website
- Map of Sund municipality
