Raseborg

Raseborg ( Swedish, [ rɑ səbɔrj ː ], Finnish Raasepori [ rɑ sɛpɔri ː ] ) is a city and municipality in the south of Finland, which was created on 1 January 2009 by the merger of the towns Ekenäs and Karis and the community Pohja. It is located in the west of the landscape Uusimaa. Administrative seat and largest town is Ekenäs ( Tammisaari ). Your name bears the city after the medieval castle Raseborg. Two thirds of the 28 851 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) are Finland Sweden. Officially, the city is bilingual with Swedish as majority and Finnish as a minority language.

• 5.1 Economics
• 5.2 traffic

Geography

Raseborg is located in the western Uusimaa landscape on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Neighboring cities and municipalities are in the south of Hanko, Kimitoön in the West, Salo in the northwest, the northeast and Lohja Ingå in the east. The capital Helsinki is located 93 km to the east.

Overall Raseborg has an area of ​​2354.2 square kilometers. Excluding the marine areas there are 1,204.7 square kilometers, of which 57.0 square kilometers of inland waters. Thus Raseborg is larger in area than Berlin or Moscow. In fact, there is no structured urban area. Rather, the city consists of several population centers and the intervening rural areas. The largest town is Ekenäs, which lies on a peninsula between two narrow bays. The coast of Raseborg is heavily dissected by numerous bays and peninsulas. Upstream is an archipelago with more than a thousand islands and islets. A part of the archipelago territory belongs to Ekenäs - warping National Park.

The climate is very mild in Raseborg by the moderating influence of the Baltic Sea and the protected by the offshore archipelago location for Finnish standards. To thrive in Raseborg rare in Finland oaks, where the capital Ekenäs owes its name ( Ekenäs means " oak peninsula ").

History

In the Middle Ages the Swedish Empire extended its influence in the landscape of Uusimaa on the south coast of present-day Finland. In the 13th century, agriculture settled driving Swedish settlers in Uusimaa. Previously, the inhabitants located in the Finnish inland landscape Häme and the Estonians had used from the opposite side of the Gulf of Finland coastline area as a hunting and fishing grounds, permanent settlement had hardly existed. To 1374, the castle was built Raseborg. For feudal district of the castle belonged to the entire Western Uusimaa.

In the region of today's Raseborg originated in the Middle Ages, the six parishes Bromarv, Ekenäs, Karis, Pohja, Snappertuna and Tenala. 1546 issued by King Gustav I. Wasa Ekenäs the municipal law. In the 20th century there were several municipal mergers: The Kirchdorf of Karis in 1930 as an independent market town ( kauppala ) from the surrounding rural community Karis solved. In 1969, the rural community was again incorporated into the borough, 1977 Karis received its town charter. In 1977, the municipality Bromarv was dissolved and added to for the most part the community Tenala to a smaller part of the town of Hanko. In the same year the church Snappertuna and the rural community Ekenäs were incorporated into the city Ekenäs. In 1993, the incorporation of Tenala in Ekenäs. In 2007 decided the cities Ekenäs and Karis and the community Pohja to associate for the new city Raseborg.

Population

The beginning of 2009 had 28 834 inhabitants Raseborg. The coastal region of Uusimaa part of the traditional settlement area of ​​Finland Sweden. Today, talk of the city's residents and 31.0 percent 66.2 percent Swedish Finnish as their mother tongue. Officially, the city is bilingual with Swedish as majority and Finnish as a minority language. Of the former municipalities that merged in the city Raseborg, Ekenäs and Karis were mostly Swedish- and Finnish-speaking majority Pohja.

Policy

Management

The strongest political force in Raseborg is the Swedish People's Party, the traditional advocacy of Finland Sweden. In the local elections 2008, she received 44.2 percent of the vote in the city council, the highest decision-making authority in local affairs, makes them 27 out of 59 deputies. Also well represented are the Social Democrats with 32.7 percent and 20 seats in the city council. The other two major parties play in Finland Raseborg contrast, no significant role: The conservative Coalition Party only came to 3.2 percent of the vote and two deputies, the Centre Party failed at 1.1 percent even a place in the city council. Furthermore represented on the city council are the Green collar with four, the independent electoral list Raseborgs obundna - Raaseporin sitoutumattomat with three, and the Left Alliance and the Communist Party, each with a deputy.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Raseborg was designed in 2008 by Henrik Strömberg for the newly founded city. It shows in the green plate eight circularly arranged anemones. The escutcheon is placed a golden mural crown. The eight flowers stand for the eight former municipalities, which originally existed in the territory of today's: Bromarv, city and country Ekenäs community, city and country community Karis, Pohja, Snappertuna and Tenala. The mural crown symbolizes the history of the town and the castle Raseborg.

Economy and infrastructure

Economy

The area of Raseborg is the cradle of the Finnish metal industry. In the former rural community Pohja originated in the 17th century, the ironworks Antskog (1630 ), Billnäs ( 1641) and Fiskars ( 1649). The company Fiskars exists today and now produces craft equipment such as knives, axes and scissors. The company's headquarters is now in Helsinki, with 450 employees Fiskars but is still the largest private employer in Raseborg. Other major employers in Raseborg are the truck manufacturer Sisu Auto and marine equipment suppliers SBA Interior, both of which produce in Karis. In the public sector the city Raseborg 1700, the District Nursing Westuusimaa 550 and a garrison of the Finnish armed forces employ 250 people in the place Dragsvik.

Traffic

By Raseborg leads the state road 25 Hyvinkää to Hanko. You will cross through the places Karis and Raseborg. Shortly before Karis branches from the state highway 25, the main road 51, which runs parallel to the coast over Ingå and Kirkkonummi to Helsinki. In Raseborg the main road beginning 52 to Salo.

At Karis railway station intersect two rail lines: The coastal railway from Helsinki to Turku and the railway line Hyvinkää Hanko. Karis is the terminus of a line of S -Bahn Helsinki and is also served by all long distance trains that run between Helsinki and Turku. This Raseborg is well connected to the capital region. The journey to Helsinki takes just over an hour. On the route Karis - Hanko keep the trains also on Ekenäs station. Consists only of goods between Karis and Hyvinkää.

Attractions

Landmarks and well-known landmark of Raseborg is the ruin of the eponymous castle Raseborg near the village Snappertuna. In the summer in the castle numerous events like a midsummer festival, medieval festivals, concerts and theater performances. The castle is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Finland. From the medieval castle also Grabbacka contrast, only a few ruins remain. The cultural landscape between Snappertuna and belonging to the neighboring community Ingå Fagervik including the castles Raseborg and Grabbacka and the ironworks at Fagervik is counted among the landscapes in Finland.

Also among the Finnish Nationallanschaften include historic ironworks Antskog, Billnäs and Fiskars, which go back all to the 17th century, and dating from the 19th century ironworks Åminnefors. In all four ironworks historic industrial buildings, housing estates and manor houses have been preserved from the period between the 18th and 20th centuries. Another ironworks located in Svartån ( Mustio ) at Karis. It is mainly because of the 1783-92 built manor house of the landowner of importance.

Ekenäs has a well-preserved old town with wooden houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. In the center of the old town is built in the 17th century Church of Ekenäs. Other important churches in Raseborg are the medieval stone churches of Karis, Pohja and Tenala. The construction type of wooden cruciform church represented the Church of Snappertuna and the Church of Mustio from the 17th or 18th century. The youngest of the churches in Raseborg is the Church of Bromarv, which was built in 1980-81 in place of a previous building burnt down.