Hämeen linna

English translation (from the Finnish)

The text above is the record as published by the Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto), in Finnish. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto); it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

Hämeen linna is, along with Turun linna, our most important medieval castle. The castle reflects Hämeenlinna's significance as the military, administrative and economic centre of Häme from the Middle Ages onwards. Hämeen linna is also connected with the history of the country's prison administration.

The medieval castle is located on the most important waterway of Häme, in the narrows of Vanajavesi, in the midst of Kanta-Häme, the area most densely and permanently inhabited since the Iron Age.

Hämeen linna comprises the main castle, the curtain wall buildings and the ramparts surrounding them. The oldest part of the main castle is a quadrangular camp castle of grey stone, whose construction began after the mid-13th century. Inside it, the so-called grey-stone castle, with its vaulted rooms arranged around a square courtyard, was completed by the early 14th century. A residential tower of grey stone projecting at the castle gate, the so-called Kukkotorni, dates from the third construction phase, from the mid-14th century. The brick-built palace storey of the castle is from the early 15th century. The passage linking the castle's towers, the defensive corridor, is from the last medieval building phase. The main castle is surrounded by an outer castle. The castle's present appearance is largely from the first half of the 18th century, when the castle was converted into a grain store and depot.

The medieval curtain wall of grey stone and brick at Hämeen linna has a cannon tower dating from the 1560s. The curtain wall buildings to the south, west and north were built during the renovation of the castle. The southern curtain wall building, the Crown bakery, is from the 1740s. The buildings in the outer castle courtyard, such as the main guardhouse and arrest building, date from 1783. The tenaille ramparts outside the curtain wall are from the early Russian period.

Hämeen linna was taken fully into use as a prison in 1836. The 'Hämeen lääninvankila' (Hämeen provincial prison), located to the west of the castle, consists of three buildings: the Kronoborg correctional institution completed in 1844, the cell block of the provincial prison built in 1872, and the prison workshop building. The correctional institution consists of three quadrangular building sections, the middle one of which is two storeys high. The cell block of the provincial prison is a three-storey brick prison building, in which the cells are located on either side of a central section that is open over three storeys in height.

Hämeen linna is part of the nationally valuable landscape area called 'Vanajaveden laakso ja Aulanko'.

History

Hämeen linna was the administrative and economic centre of the province of Häme from the Middle Ages to the 17th century, after which it served, among other things, as a depot and a prison. Hämeen linna is credited to Mauno Ladonlukko, during whose reign, 1275-90, an island in the narrows of Vanajavesi, in an area most densely inhabited in Häme since the Iron Age, was designated as the site of the castle. The castle was preceded by Hakoisten linnavuori, which was fortified to some extent in the 13th century.

From the 1350s the grey-stone castle was raised with brick structures, and the character of the castle changed increasingly from military use to residential and administrative use. At this time, among other things, the Kuninkaansali and Kuningattarenkammio were built. The stylistic influence of the period, Gothic, came from Northern Germany. The present form of the central castle emerged at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, when the corner towers were built. Of the cannon towers planned for the curtain wall, only the eastern cannon tower was completed, in 1559.

Being far from the border between Sweden and Russia, the castle's actual use settled in the 18th century as a depot. The castle was first converted in the 1720s into a Crown grain store, and in the 1730s and 1740s a Crown bakery was attached to the curtain wall. Fortification continued after the wars lost to Sweden in the late 18th century and early 19th century, when bastions and tenailles were completed outside the curtain wall.

The military use of Hämeen linna ended in 1837, when the main castle was converted into a prison to designs by C.L. Engel. Prosecutor K.J. Walleen proposed to the Governor-General the establishment of a work and correctional institution. The institution, intended for the provinces of Uusimaa and Häme, was decided to be located in Hämeenlinna, in connection with the castle. The correctional institution, designed by architect A.F. Granstedt in the Intendant's Office, was built next to the castle in 1841-44.

The correctional institution was abolished in 1869, and its premises were decided to be used for the purposes of a correctional house to be established. The design of the new cellular prison at the correctional house was entrusted to architect L. I. Lindqvist, who had made the first plans already in 1868. The modern cellular prison, the first in our country, was ready in 1872. The castle was converted into a women's prison in 1881.

The use of the castle as a prison ended in 1953, after which the extensive and thorough restoration of the castle began in 1956. The restoration plan for the castle was prepared by Professor N.E. Wickberg. The main castle was opened to the public in 1980.

The prison buildings passed to the administration of Museovirasto in 1993, when the Hämeen lääninvankila received new premises. The provincial prison buildings were opened to the public as a prison museum in 1997.