Hämeenlinna

Hämeenlinna [ hæmɛ nlin ː ː ɑ ] (Swedish Tavastehus ) is a city in southern Finland. It is since the Middle Ages the historic center of Häme region. Besides the city itself is one of Hämeenlinna administratively a vast area of over 2,000 km ². Hämeenlinna has a total of 67 531 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012), including around 45,000 in the urban core.

Geography

The core city of Hämeenlinna is located on the shores of Lake Vanajavesi in the center of Kanta -Häme about halfway between Helsinki (98 km south) and Tampere (75 km north), the two largest metropolitan areas of the country. In the actual city of around 45,000 people ( 2000 figure ).

Apart from the core city is part of the administrative city area since a large congregation merger in 2009, a vast area of a total of 2067 km ² (slightly less than Luxembourg ). This area is mostly rural with structured individual intervening settlement centers ( taajama ). The boundaries of the administrative city limits are quite curious nature: the territory of the former municipality Kalvola is separated by the neighboring community Hattula of Hämeenlinna and is de facto an exclave dar. Because after the Finnish Local Government Act but only municipalities can merge that have a common border, Hattula had to cede a smaller area of 27 km ² to form a corridor between Hämeenlinna and Kalvola.

Neighboring communities of Hämeenlinna are Padasjoki, Asikkala, Hämeenkoski and Kärkölä in the east, and Janakkala Loppi in the south, Tammela in the West, Pälkäne, Urjala, Akaa and Valkeakoski in the north and Hattula, which is almost completely surrounded by the city administrative area Hämeenlinnas.

History

The area of Hämeenlinna was inhabited during the Iron Age. Hämeenlinna was the end point of the ox path of the historic trading route from Turku to malice. In the 13th century a Swedish army undertook under Birger Jarl a crusade to malice. In order to strengthen the Swedish rule in the late 13th century the castle Häme (Finnish Hämeen linna ) was built. The castle is one of the few examples of medieval brick architecture in Finland. 1639 was the Swedish governor general Per Brahe complete the castle and founded the city of Hämeenlinna north of the castle. 1777 moved King Gustav III. the city to its present location a little further south. After a devastating fire in 1831, was built in the Empire style Hämeenlinna again. From the historic structure, however, has hardly remained something today. The first railway line in Finland resulted from Helsinki to Hämeenlinna was opened in 1862. 1952 some of the swimming competitions of the Olympic Summer Games in Helsinki were held on Ahvenisto Lake on the outskirts of Hämeenlinna.

1948 a part of the territory of the defunct rural community Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna was slammed in 1967 was followed by parts of the community Vanaja. At the beginning of 2009, churches Hauho, Kalvola, Lammi, Renko and Tuulos were incorporated to Hämeenlinna. Thus, the number of inhabitants Hämeenlinnas be enlarged by one third the area of ​​the city verelffachte to do.

Policy

Management

The two strongest parties in Hämeenlinna are the Conservative-Liberal Coalition Party and the Social Democratic Party. In the local elections 2008, both parties were given almost the same result by 32.3 and 32.2%. In the City Council, the highest decision-making authority in local affairs, they represent both each 20 by 59 deputies. The third major party in the country, the Centre Party, which enjoys strong support, especially in the rural areas of Finland, follows in Hämeenlinna relegated to the third place with 13.4% of the vote and eight seats in the city council. Furthermore represented on the city council are the Green collar with four, the Christian Democrats with three and the Left Alliance and the populist right-wing base Finns with two deputies.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Hämeenlinna was designed by heraldist Gustaf of Numers 1956. The blazon is: In the red box on the lower edge a corrugated wall that extends from one edge of the plate to the other, about two towers with pointed roofs and between a building; all in silver, the windows are black; about a sun with face.

The castle and the waves at the lower edge are for the built on the banks of Vanajavesi Häme Castle. Designed by Numers coat of arms replaced an older coat of arms, which is also the Häme Castle and the Vanajavesi represented, but another, heraldic not correct coloring had. The coat of arms motif goes back to a city seal from the 17th century.

Twinning

Hämeenlinna is twinned with the following cities:

• Germany Weimar in Germany
• Germany Celle in Germany
• Norway Bærum in Norway
• Gronland Fiskenaesset in Greenland
• Iceland Hafnarfjörður in Iceland
• Russia Tver in Russia
• Püspökladány Hungary in Hungary
• Poland Toruń in Poland
• Sweden Uppsala in Sweden

Attractions

The Häme Castle served until 1972 as a prison. After an extensive restoration (1953-1988), visitors can visit the castle since 1979. In her now a museum is housed. Also located in the castle grounds a prison museum and the Historical Museum of the City of Hämeenlinna, which are housed in the former prison buildings from the 19th century.

The city of Hämeenlinna Church on the east side of the town square was built 1792-1798 after the model of the Pantheon in Rome. King Gustav III. had given the construction of the church architect Louis Jean Desprez his after a trip to Italy in order. According to legend, the king had kept the inhabitants of the region for as heathen, that the Church of the shape of the Pantheon was given to them as light as possible to rebuild when not in use to a theater can. The original striking appearance has been greatly altered by later changes. After the great fire of 1831, the church was provided with a tower, and the end of the 19th century it was expanded, and they received a cross-shaped floor plan.

Hämeenlinna is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius and the poet Paavo Cajander. In Sibelius ' birthplace is now a Sibelius museum is housed. At Cajander, a statue on the market square. In the city center can continue the house Palander, one of the few remaining wooden buildings of the 19th century, to the public.

Also in the center is the historical museum of the city. On the east bank of the Vanajavesi the Hämeenlinna Art Museum is located. On the western edge of town is the motorsport race Ahveniston Moottorirata on which in the past took place international automotive and motorcycle racing, with an automotive museum. The barracks was converted into Finnish Artillery Museum.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Uno Cygnaeus (1810-1888), cleric, teacher and chief inspector of the country's school system
• Sigurd Savonius (1884-1931), architect and inventor
• Launis Armas (1884-1959), a composer, but also folk music scientist, university teacher, writer and journalist
• Jean Sibelius (1865-1957), composer
• Jalmari Sauli (1889-1957), Athlete
• Erkki Aaltonen (1910-1990), composer
• Tauno Suojärvi (1928-2013), jazz bassist
• Pauli Toivonen (1929-2005), rally driver
• Juhani Pallasmaa ( b. 1936 ), architect
• Vexi Salmi ( born 1942 ), poet and songwriter
• Irwin Goodman (1943-1991), folk musician
• Eija -Liisa Ahtila ( born 1959 ), filmmaker and video artist
• Jouko Ahola (born 1970 ), bodybuilder and actor
• Tony Virta (born 1972 ), ice hockey player
• Mika Ahola (1974-2012), Enduro athletes
• Riku Hahl ( born 1980 ), ice hockey player
• Antti Miettinen ( born 1980 ), ice hockey player
• Janne Kujala ( born 1981 ), ice hockey player
• Juuso Hietanen ( born 1985 ), ice hockey player
• Taru Laihanen ( born 1986 ), football player