photos: City of Turku
leitnm r kuTu
Written by Roope Lipasti
1229
1634
1917
The Pope orders the bishopric to be moved from Nousiainen to the new city of Turku. By the river Aura in Koroinen, there is a white memorial cross standing in the place where the Bishop’s little castle once was. It is a nice place to visit, as is the entire riverbank, where one can walk or go jogging.
The first map of Turku is published, and for a good reason, too: there were already 6,000 habitants, so the city was huge!
Finland declares independence.
1300 The Turku cathedral is inaugurated. It is the most beautiful cathedral in Finland. Not least because it is also the only proper cathedral in Finland.
1308 The first documented mention of the Turku Castle, although the construction probably began as early as the 1280s. Builders in Turku were in no hurry, as the castle wasn’t completed until 1588. The most magnificent Renaissance period in the history of Finland was seen in Turku castle during the reign of Catharina Jagiellon and Duke John (later king John III) 1562–1563.
1640 The University of Turku is established. Nowadays, Turku is still a renowned city of higher education with more than 40,000 students studying at six universities.
1642 Finlands first printing house is established in Turku. It prints books, among them the thesis Aboa Vetus et Nova by Mr Daniel Juslenius (1676–1752), in which he studies the birth of Turku. His conclusion was that the people in Turku are decendants of Jaafet, the third son of Noah.
Sweden loses Finland to Russia in 1809, and in 1812 Helsinki is declared as the new capital – something that still slightly upsets people in Turku.
1414
1827 Turku burns down and almost the whole city must be built again, which is the reason why Turku doesn’t have a medieval centre anymore.
Turku is not quite a Hanseatic city, but almost. It is one of the major cities in Sweden and its international trade is significant.
1543
1939–1945 Finland is at war with Russia. Turku suffers great damage during the bombings, among other buildings the castle is partly burned.
1956, 1976, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2010. TPS, the biggest ice-hockey club in Turku, wins the Finnish championship.
1812
The first bridge over river Aura is built. It was called The Pennybridge.
1500
1922 The University of Turku is established again, since the original Academy was moved to Helsinki after the great fire in 1827. Åbo Akademi University, the only university in Finland with Swedish as official language, was founded in 1918. (Åbo is the name of Turku in Swedish.)
1960–1980 Turku suffers from the so called “Turku sickness” – meaning that many beautiful old buildings were demolished in order to be replaced with modern blockhouses.
2011 Turku is the European Capital of Culture.
1900
2021
The first Christmas tree illuminated with electric lamps is erected in front of the Cathedral. The tradition became regular in the 1930s.
Turku is the sixth largest city in Finland with 194,000 inhabitants. It also is one of the nicest cities and most popular holiday destinations in Finland, with its historical attractions and magnificent archipelago. s
Mikael Agricola, the father of written Finnish, publishes his first book. It is also a milestone of Protestantism in Finland. 18
