History of Turku

Turku served as the administrative, academic and religious centre of the eastern part of the Swedish kingdom, known today as Finland.

The city's population has been growing steadily as a result of the baby boom, migration from rural areas and, more recently, immigration.

Human settlement in the Turku region is relatively recent, as the southwestern part of Finland remained submerged below the sea for an extended duration due to the Ice Age.

In the 11th century, the Turku region began developing as a seaport, with Hämeen Härkätie serving as the first ancient road linking to inland areas.

[4] On 23 January 1229, Pope Gregory IX granted permission to move the episcopal seat from Nousiainen to Koroinen, which is presently located near the centre of Turku.

[5] The ecclesiastical centre of the diocese of Finland was situated in Nousiainen until the early 13th century with a degree of historical certainty.

Over time, Catholic Sweden gradually strengthened its position, leading to conflicts with the Orthodox Novgorod Republic.

[11] The 15th century witnessed a period of economic prosperity in Turku as the city engaged in profitable trade with German counterparts, including Danzig.

The archdiocese of Turku had a vast administrative area, stretching east to Lake Ladoga and north to the wilds of Lapland.

Until the mid-16th century, the Turku diocese was the only one in the country and the bishop had complete control over Finland's ecclesiastical administration at that time.

His profession of the Catholic faith was regarded as a threat by the Swedish elite and the Protestant Church, leading to the emergence of Duke Charles as a dissident.

[17] During the 17th century, Sweden emerged as a European Great Power, asserting control over the entire Baltic Sea region.

Concurrently, Turku experienced significant economic growth, attracting merchants from Germany, the Netherlands and Scotland due to the kingdom's allowance of only Protestants to settle.

[25] This period of Russian occupation is referred to as the Great Wrath by the Finns, as it resulted in the deaths of many Finnish civilians.

Despite later attempts by Sweden to regain control of these territories, these efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful, and Finland was once again occupied by Russian forces in the years 1742–1743.

In the following year, the Russian army successfully conquered the eastern regions of Sweden during the Finnish War (1808–1809) without any opposition in Turku.

Cultural life began to contrast differences with Russianness and to emphasise Finland's own history, language and religion.

The city layout was transformed from the intricate medieval buildings to a more organized grid plan by German architect C.L.

[31] At the turn of the 20th century, Turku underwent rapid expansion as people migrated from surrounding rural areas to the city.

The vast majority of those who relocated to Turku were Finnish-speaking, leading to a decrease in the proportion of Swedish-speaking inhabitants to 20%.

Further additions to the area included water and sewage lines, electric lighting, telephones and the introduction of motion pictures.

However, as the conflict prolonged, the city plunged into a deepening and relentless food shortage and eventually encountered a severe famine.

Nonetheless, Turku's industrial sector thrived due to an increased demand for various products in war-ravaged Russia.

Foreign brands were introduced into shops, the number of cars increased rapidly, and the press and advertising thrived.

[33] The 1930s marked a worldwide Great Depression, causing several European nations to fall under extreme right-wing dominance.

[33] During the World War II, Turku was heavily bombed by the Soviet Union due to its sea port.

The opening of Turku Concert Hall in 1952 brought a considerable improvement in the city's music and theatre scene.

The establishment of Turku City Theatre in 1961 and Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art in 1967 were notable additions to the cultural landscape.

In 1970, a rock concert held at the Ruissalo campsite gathered a significant number of attendees, leading to the subsequent annual organization of the Ruisrock festival during the summer.

Concurrently, a sizeable growth in traffic and population resulted in prominent air and water pollution concerns.