Vanhakaupunki
Encyclopedia
Vanhakaupunki is a neighbourhood of the city of Helsinki
, Finland
, to the north of Toukola
. The district's name (meaning "old town") is because Helsinki was originally founded at the Vanhakaupunki area. Vanhakaupunki even appears in the new Helsinki foundation document from 1639, and the forms Gamla staden or Gammelstaden went into common use later. In contrast, the Finnish
translation of the name only started appearing in the late 19th century. The current names were established as official in 1909. The district was named Vanhakaupunki in 1959.
founded Helsinki on June 12, 1550 on the mouth of the Vantaa River
on the site of the medieval village of Forsby
(Finnish: Koskela
). The city was to compete with Tallinn
for the commerce in the Bay of Finland and to reduce the illegal trading done by peasant
s. The inhabitants from the city were drawn from the cities of Rauma
, Ekenäs
, Ulvila
, and Porvoo
, which were discontinued.
In 1570, a fire
broke out in Helsinki in the winter, and in summer, the black plague spread into the city. The city has about 500 inhabitants at that point.
In the 1640s, Helsinki was moved to its current location on the Vironniemi
peninsula because of better harbour conditions, to boost the city commerce. Vanhakaupunki was slowly deserted.
Only one map, a small-scale map drawn by Hans Hansson
in 1645, remains of the first Helsinki. It depicts the city's location and the layout plan for the latest years. The city's block
s appear in the map, but the lots aren't marked. The only building drawn on the map is the church, which was located west of the north end of the current Vanhankaupungintie road.
bay. The area has about 230 inhabitants and 850 jobs.
The Vanhankaupungin peruspiiri circle is a larger area, also including the districts of Toukola
, Kumpula
, Käpylä
, and Koskela
. Toukola also contains the new residential area of Arabianranta
on the coast of the Vanhankaupunginlahti bay. The circle has an area of 5.38 km² and about 17400 inhabitants in total.
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...
, 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...
, to the north of Toukola
Toukola
Toukola is a district of Helsinki, Finland, around 4 km north of the town centre, at the port of Vanhankaupunginlahti. Toukola is part of the administrative region of Vanhakaupunki....
. The district's name (meaning "old town") is because Helsinki was originally founded at the Vanhakaupunki area. Vanhakaupunki even appears in the new Helsinki foundation document from 1639, and the forms Gamla staden or Gammelstaden went into common use later. In contrast, the 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...
translation of the name only started appearing in the late 19th century. The current names were established as official in 1909. The district was named Vanhakaupunki in 1959.
History
The Swedish king Gustav VasaGustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
founded Helsinki on June 12, 1550 on the mouth of the Vantaa River
Vantaa River
The Vantaa River is a long river in Southern Finland. The river starts from the lake in Hausjärvi and flows into the Gulf of Finland at in Helsinki...
on the site of the medieval village of Forsby
Forsby
Forsby is a locality situated in Gävle Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 646 inhabitants in 2005....
(Finnish: Koskela
Koskela
Koskela , Forsby is a district in the city of Helsinki, Finland.-Politics:Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011 in Koskela:*Social Democratic Party 24.2%*True Finns 16.8%*Left Alliance 16.0%...
). The city was to compete with Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
for the commerce in the Bay of Finland and to reduce the illegal trading done by peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
s. The inhabitants from the city were drawn from the cities of Rauma
Rauma, Finland
Rauma is a town and municipality of ca. inhabitants on the west coast of Finland, north of Turku, and south of Pori. Granted town privileges on May 17, 1442 , Rauma is known of its high quality lace , and of the old wooden architecture of its centre , which is a Unesco world heritage...
, Ekenäs
Ekenäs
Ekenäs is a former town and municipality of Finland comprising the former municipalities Snappertuna and Tenala together with the town of Ekenäs. It was merged with Pohja and Karis to form the new municipality of Raseborg on January 1, 2009....
, Ulvila
Ulvila
Ulvila is a town and municipality of Finland. It is one of the six medieval cities of Finland. Its position as city was taken over by Pori in the 16th century....
, and Porvoo
Porvoo
Porvoo is a city and a municipality situated on the southern coast of Finland approximately east of Helsinki. Porvoo is one of the six medieval towns in Finland, first mentioned as a city in texts from 14th century...
, which were discontinued.
In 1570, a fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
broke out in Helsinki in the winter, and in summer, the black plague spread into the city. The city has about 500 inhabitants at that point.
In the 1640s, Helsinki was moved to its current location on the Vironniemi
Vironniemi
Vironniemi is a district of Helsinki, Finland, forming the core part of the city centre, thus also the central location of the Finnish governmental and financial decision making, and the location of Helsinki's most important churches...
peninsula because of better harbour conditions, to boost the city commerce. Vanhakaupunki was slowly deserted.
Only one map, a small-scale map drawn by Hans Hansson
Hans Hansson
Hans Hansson was a Swedish alpine skier who competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics.He was born in Åre.In 1948 he finished sixth in the combined event, tenth in the downhill competition, and eleventh in the slalom event....
in 1645, remains of the first Helsinki. It depicts the city's location and the layout plan for the latest years. The city's block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
s appear in the map, but the lots aren't marked. The only building drawn on the map is the church, which was located west of the north end of the current Vanhankaupungintie road.
Currently
Currently Vanhakaupunki appears in the subdivision of Helsinki as an area of 0.32 km² west of the VanhankaupunginlahtiVanhankaupunginlahti
Vanhankaupunginselkä is a bay area which together with parts of adjoining Viikki district constitute a natural conservation zone near downtown Helsinki in the southern part of Finland...
bay. The area has about 230 inhabitants and 850 jobs.
The Vanhankaupungin peruspiiri circle is a larger area, also including the districts of Toukola
Toukola
Toukola is a district of Helsinki, Finland, around 4 km north of the town centre, at the port of Vanhankaupunginlahti. Toukola is part of the administrative region of Vanhakaupunki....
, Kumpula
Kumpula
Kumpula is a verdant neighbourhood in Helsinki, bordered by Eastern Pasila to the west, Vallila to the south, Käpylä and Koskela to the north and Toukola and Arabianranta to the east. As of January 1, 2003, Kumpula had approximately 3,600 inhabitants....
, Käpylä
Käpylä
Käpylä is a neighbourhood of Helsinki with 7,600 inhabitants. Administratively speaking, Käpylä is a part of the Vanhakaupunki district.It is located between Kumpula, Oulunkylä and Koskela...
, and Koskela
Koskela
Koskela , Forsby is a district in the city of Helsinki, Finland.-Politics:Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011 in Koskela:*Social Democratic Party 24.2%*True Finns 16.8%*Left Alliance 16.0%...
. Toukola also contains the new residential area of Arabianranta
Arabianranta
Arabianranta or Arabiastranden is a fast growing residential part of Helsinki, Finland. It is bound by Vanhankaupunginlahti bay from east, and connects to neighboring boroughs of Vanhakaupunki in north, Hermanni in south and Toukola and Kumpula in west...
on the coast of the Vanhankaupunginlahti bay. The circle has an area of 5.38 km² and about 17400 inhabitants in total.