Kangasala is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
which is situated about 16 kilometres East of
Tampere
Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...
. The city was founded in 1865 and had a population of people as of
. Kangasala covers an area of of which is
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
.
The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
is .
Finnish author
Zacharias Topelius
Zachris Topelius (, ; 14 January 181812 March 1898) was a Finnish author, poet, journalist, historian, and rector of the University of Helsinki who wrote novels related to Finnish history.
Given name
Zacharias is his baptismal name, and this ...
describes the city's natural environment in his poem "A Summer's Day in Kangasala" (which was later set to music by Gabriel Linsén). It is also known for its mansions, such as Liuksiala, where the Swedish queen
Karin Månsdotter
Karin Månsdotter (in English Catherine; 6 November 1550 – 13 September 1612) was first a mistress of King Eric XIV of Sweden and then briefly queen as his wife.
Early life
Karin was born in Stockholm to a soldier and later prison guard na ...
lived as a widow, and Wääksy. Kangasala has a long history of tourism due to its cultural aspect, notably its museums, and its landscape, which contains ridges and lakes. For instance, the lakes
Roine,
Längelmävesi
Längelmävesi () is a lake in southwestern Finland. The lake is located mostly in the Pirkanmaa region at an elevation of . Längelmävesi is within the municipalities of Jämsä (formerly Längelmäki), Kangasala (formerly Sahalahti), Kuhmalah ...
, and
Vesijärvi
Vesijärvi is a lake of near Lahti in southern Finland. It suffered severe effects of eutrophication in the 1960s and a restoration programme began in the 1970s. The Enonselkä Basin is a part of Vesijärvi.
The name of the lake means ''Th ...
are located in Kangasala. These lakes are also mentioned in the poem by Topelius, and Vesijärvi is known to be the lake where the scenic view described in the lyrics is situated.
The municipality of
Sahalahti was consolidated into Kangasala on 1 January 2005, and the municipality of
Kuhmalahti
Kuhmalahti ( sv, Kuhmalahti, also ) is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with the municipality of Kangasala on January 1, 2011.
It was located in the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality had a population of 1,047 (31 October 201 ...
on 1 January 2011.
Tourism
Springs
Kangasala was known to be a popular destination in the 18th century. At that time, the waters of Kuohu Spring (Kuohunlähde) were believed to have healing powers on those who ventured into it and Kangasala became known among tourists as a place to rest. Therefore, refreshing in a
health spa
A health club (also known as a fitness club, fitness center, health spa, and commonly referred to as a gym) is a place that houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.
In recent years, the number of fitness and health ser ...
, bathing, taking outdoor
exercise
Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.
It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...
and "taking the waters" were popular amongst the
aristocracy
Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'.
At t ...
. It was also the reason why the first tourists came to Kangasala to spend their holidays there.
A water well building was built by the Kuohu Spring, which was later followed by a separate restaurant and hotel. Spa tourism if often considered to be a predecessor of modern holiday making. However, at the time, it was primarily a pastime of the
nobles
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...
and the prosperous
bourgeoisie
The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...
only.
Ridges
The golden age of spa tourism lasted about a hundred years, as interest in health springs began to decline in the 1840s. However, a new ideology had arrived from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, known as
Romanticism
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
. The artists of the Romantic period admired nature and frequently praised its beauty. Artists were drawn to Kangasala to view the landscapes. Amongst university students, wandering their homeland's natural environment became a way of showing patriotic love.
In 1775, the king of Sweden,
Gustav III
Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia.
Gustav was a vocal opponent of what ...
, was so taken by the scenery of the Syrjänkorkee ridge that he believed it to have been the very place where
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
tempted
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
and promised him all the wonders of the world. Syrjänkorkee also made an impression on the Russian tsar and Grand Duke of Finland,
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
, in 1819. Thus, it was later renamed Keisarinharju, which can be translated as ‘Emperor's Ridge’.
In addition to Keisarinharju, there are three other ridges that are popular panoramic sightseeing locations. The largest and highest of these is Kirkkoharju, also called Helaamäki, stretching from Vatiala to the church of Kangasala. Also, Kuohunharju (Kuohu Ridge) and Vehoniemenharju (Vehoniemi Ridge) are well known for their views. Haralanvuori, or Haralanharju, located in Suinula, northern Kangasala, is a rocky hill, despite its second name.
A Summer's Day in Kangasala
In the summer of 1853,
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
suffered from a
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic.
Zacharias Topelius
Zachris Topelius (, ; 14 January 181812 March 1898) was a Finnish author, poet, journalist, historian, and rector of the University of Helsinki who wrote novels related to Finnish history.
Given name
Zacharias is his baptismal name, and this ...
escaped the disease by retreating to the countryside. He visited lieutenant-colonel Aminoff's farm near Haralanvuori with his female acquaintance, Lotta Lindqvist. Topelius became fond of the views from the "Harjula ridge" and wrote his famous poem "A Summer's Day in Kangasala". Later, Gabriel Linsén composed a melody for the poem. From 1995, the melody has been the provincial hymn of the
Pirkanmaa
Pirkanmaa (; sv, Birkaland; la, Birkaria, link=no), also known as ''Tampere Region'' in government documents, is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Satakunta, South Ostrobothnia, Central Finland, Päijät-Häme, Kanta-Häme and Sou ...
region, and it is one of the most widely known Finnish melodies.
Landscapes
The landscapes of Kangasala made an impression on other Finnish authors as well. Poets like
Frans Mikael Franzén
Frans is an Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish given name, sometimes as a short form of ''François''. One cognate of Frans in English is ''Francis''.
Given name
* Frans van Aarssens (1572–1641), Dutch diploma ...
,
Johan Jakob Nervander,
Emil von Qvanten
Emil von Qvanten (22 August 1827 – 5 December 1903) was a Finnish-Swedish poet, librarian, publisher and politician. He was born in Pori; throughout his life Finland was governed as the Grand Duchy of Finland, part of the Russian Empire.
Qvan ...
and
Johan Ludvig Runeberg
Johan Ludvig Runeberg (; 5 February 1804 – 6 May 1877) was a Finnish priest, lyric and epic poet. He wrote exclusively in Swedish. He is considered a national poet of Finland. He is the author of the lyrics to (''Our Land'', ''Maamme'' in Fin ...
wrote about the environment.
These landscapes were a source for an arising sense of nationality, and arts were a means of concretizing the admiration and pride directed at them. In particular, the early 19th-century art of painting, with its idyllic portraits of country and nature, expresses the intellectual world of Romanticism. In the countryside, fields, forests, hills, ridges, lakes, and rivers have a central role in them.
In the 19th century, Kangasala's landscapes were painted by several famous painters. The earliest portrayers of the local landscape include
Emanuel Thelning, a Swede sent to Kangasala by baron
Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt
Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt (russian: Граф Густав-Маврикий Максимович Армфельт, tr, ; 31 March 1757 – 19 August 1814) was a Finnish-Swedish-Russian courtier and diplomat. In Finland, he is considered one of ...
, after he himself had visited the healing spring of Kuohu in 1811, and the German Carl von Kügelgen, royal painter of Alexander I, who painted at least three paintings representing Kangasala. His workpiece ''Vues pittoresques de la Finlande,'' which includes 15 lithographs, is often considered the start of Finnish landscape painting. The
Hermitage in
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
contains pieces of art by von Kügelgen.
Other artists who painted Kangasala were
Werner Holmberg
Gustaf Werner Holmberg (1 November 1830 – 24 September 1860) was a Finnish landscape painter.
Biography Early life
Holmberg was born in Helsinki. His father was Olof Henrik Holmberg (1799–1863) and mother Josefina Gustava Federley (1806–1840 ...
, Einar Ilmoni,
Eero Järnefelt
Erik "Eero" Nikolai Järnefelt (8 November 1863 – 15 November 1937) was a Finnish painter and art professor. He is best known for his portraits and landscapes of the area around Koli National Park. He was a medal winner at the Paris ''Expositi ...
,
Hjalmar Munsterhjelm
Magnus Hjalmar Munsterhjelm (19 October 1840 – 2 April 1905) was a Finnish landscape painter.
Biography
Munsterhjelm was born at Toivoniemi Manor of Tuulos, Finland. He was the son of Gustaf Riggert Munsterhjelm (1806-1872) and his wife and M ...
,
Sigurd Wettenhovi-Aspa and
Magnus von Wright
Magnus von Wright (13 June 1805 – 5 July 1868) was a Swedish-Finnish painter and educator. In addition to bird illustrations, he was also known for his landscapes.
Biography
Magnus von Wright was born at the village of Haminalahti in Ku ...
, who painted six paintings on Kangasala in the 1860s.
The invention of
dry plate photography
The gelatin silver process is the most commonly used chemical process in black-and-white photography, and is the fundamental chemical process for modern analog color photography. As such, films and printing papers available for analog photography ...
in 1882 made taking photographs easier and cheaper. Furthermore,
landscape photography
Landscape photography shows the spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic. Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on man-made features or disturbances of landscapes ...
has started to gain popularity in the city. As far as is currently known, the first actual landscape photographs in Kangasala were taken by Gustin Lojander in 1893. His series of photographs presented the landscapes and sightseeing of Kangasala.
The increased popularity of landscape photography decreased artists' interest in the province of
Tavastia (Häme). The search for the roots of Finnishness has now turned towards
Karelia
Karelia ( Karelian and fi, Karjala, ; rus, Каре́лия, links=y, r=Karélija, p=kɐˈrʲelʲɪjə, historically ''Korjela''; sv, Karelen), the land of the Karelian people, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for ...
(Karjala). Still, Kangasala wasn't forgotten by artists. The number of local artists – who often were landscapists of their home district – kept on growing. Photographs helped in making the nation aware of Kangasala's landscapes. At the end of the 19th century, advances in the printing press made it possible to spread pictures throughout the country in the form of affordable picture postcards.
Observation towers
The artists' descriptions of Kangasala lured more and more travelers to the parish. People had to climb high, even up the trees, to be able to see the views. Although the ridgetops were relatively treeless at that time – because of the
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
industry's great demand for wood – the construction of
observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, an ...
s was considered necessary to provide new viewpoints. Many lookout spots (except Kuohunharju) got their own observation towers in the 1880s or 1890s. The first observation tower was built on Keisarinharju in 1881. A panoramic pavilion had been built there at the time of the visit of
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
, but it had already vanished by the 1850s. The towers at Haralanharju and Keisarinharju were destroyed by an arsonist in 2006 and 2007. Now only the towers at Vehoniemenharju and Kirkkoharju remain, but plans were in progress for rebuilding both towers within a year of the first arson.
The ridges of Kangasala and
Tampere
Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...
are part of the same ridge formation. Travelers often used to visit both the ridges of Kangasala and
Pyynikinharju
The Pyynikki Esker (or the Pyynikki Ridge; fi, Pyynikinharju) is the tallest longitudinal esker in the world, located in Pyynikki, Tampere, Finland.[Imatra
Imatra is a town and municipality in southeastern Finland. Imatra is dominated by Lake Saimaa, the Vuoksi River and the border with Russia. On the other side of the border, away from the centre of Imatra, lies the Russian town of Svetogorsk. ...](_blan ...<br></span></div> (Pyynikki Ridge) in Tampere. Together, they were the most popular tourist attractions in Western Finland. In 1890, approximately 800 visitors came to Kangasala, 1,200–1,400 visited Pyynikki, and <div class=)
, the most popular tourist attraction in Finland at the time, was a destination for about 5,000 tourists.
The ideological conceptions created by the artist had a great influence on the Finnish sense of nationality, as had picture postcards and the lake views from the observation towers. When the period of
Russification
Russification (russian: русификация, rusifikatsiya), or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians, whether involuntarily or voluntarily, give up their culture and language in favor of the Russian cultur ...
began at the end of the 19th-century, Finnish nature worked as an upbringing force for national self-esteem and as a unifier of Finnish culture. Kangasala played a role in that development.
Notable residents
*
Karin Hansdotter, mistress of King
John III of Sweden
John III ( sv , Johan III, fi, Juhana III; 20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. He was also, quite autonomous ...
, was given the Wääksy Manor in 1561.
*
Karin Månsdotter
Karin Månsdotter (in English Catherine; 6 November 1550 – 13 September 1612) was first a mistress of King Eric XIV of Sweden and then briefly queen as his wife.
Early life
Karin was born in Stockholm to a soldier and later prison guard na ...
, queen of Sweden, lived in the Liuksiala Manor until her death in 1612
* Finnish politician and journalist
was born and lived in Kangasala, and owned the Liuksiala manor.
* Finnish author Jalmari Finne was born and lived in Kangasala.
* Finnish actor
Markku Peltola
Markku Peltola (12 July 1956 – 31 December 2007) was a Finnish actor and musician. He was born and grew up in Helsinki. He was actively involved in founding and acting with the Telakka Theater in Tampere.
Peltola is best known for starring ...
lived in Kangasala.
* A Finnish Internet hit Marko Vanhanen lives in Kangasala.
* Finnish educator
Sofia Hagman
Sofia Elisabeth Hagman (17 September 1842 – 26 January 1900) was a Finnish educator. She was a pioneer within the development of the Folk high school in Finland.kansallisbiografia Suomen kansallisbiografia (National Biography of Finland)
Hagman ...
, founder and manager of the first Folk high school in Finland.
See also
*
Finnish national road 12
Finnish national road 12 ( fi, Valtatie 12; sv, Riksväg 12) is a highway in Finland between Rauma and Kouvola via Huittinen, Tampere and Lahti. The road is long. It is known as Teiskontie to the east of the Tampere urban area.
Route
The rout ...
*
Finnish national road 58
The Finnish national road 58 ( fi, Kantatie 58; sv, Stamväg 58) is the main road from Kangasala to Kärsämäki via Orivesi, Jämsä, Keuruu, Karstula, Kinnula and Haapajärvi. The road is also called Suomenselkätie and has been marketed as a ...
*
Lake Kaukajärvi
*
Kangasala railway station
*
Sahalahti (village)
*
Culture of Finland
The culture of Finland combines indigenous heritage, as represented for example by the country's national languages Finnish (a Uralic language) and Swedish (a Germanic language), the sauna, with common Nordic and European cultural aspects. Be ...
References
External links
City of Kangasala – Official website
*
{{Authority control
Populated places established in 1865