| Raseborg Castle | |
|---|---|
 Raseborg Castle today | |
| Location | Raseborg, Finland |
| Coordinates | 59°59′30″N23°39′04″E / 59.99167°N 23.65111°E |
| Built | 1370s |
The Raseborg Castle (Swedish : Raseborgs slott, Finnish : Raaseporin linna), is a medieval castle in Raseborg, Finland. The castle was active from 1370s to 1553. Today the ruins are open to the public in the summer and the castle is host to the yearly Raseborg Summer Theatre.
It has been suggested that the castle was founded by Hermann of Dorpat, the successor of Albert of Riga, and Livonian Brothers of the Sword after Livonian Crusade. They would have named the castle Ratzeburg after Bishopric of Ratzeburg. [1] The castle is also suggested to be founded by Bo Jonsson Grip and it is thought that the castle's first phase was completed sometime between 1373 and 1378.
The first written data about the castle is from 1378. [2] Its main purpose was to protect Sweden's interests in southern Finland against the Hanseatic city of Tallinn. The castle was originally built on a small island in the north end of a sea bay. The historians think that the castle was built in 3 different stages over time from the 14th to the 16th century.
The layout of the castle resembles a capital 'D', with a round, thick-walled donjon on one corner and the straight part of the D forming the keep, and an inner bailey in center. The castle has had outer walls forming two outer baileys. The outer wall has had one square tower and a barbican.
The ruins of the outer wall of the castle do still exist. According to the historians the outer wall was built to protect the foundations of the castle itself. When the use of the artillery became more commonplace, it was vital to protect the basic walls of the castle. There was also one more protection outside the castle. That was a wooden barrier, which surrounded the castle and it prevented any foreign ships to approach the castle harbour. There still exists some small parts of that barrier. The barriers are today on the mainland, but in the 15th century they were located on a peninsula by the sea. The sea level became lower over time due to postglacial rebound, and it became increasingly difficult to approach the castle by boat. This is one of the main reasons why the castle lost its importance.
Battles were fought between Swedish and Danish forces and even pirates over control of the castle in the Middle Ages. The castle was abandoned in 1553, three years after Helsinki was founded in 1550 and Helsinki became strategically more important. [3]
Restoration work began in the 1890s and in these days the castle ruins are open to the public. [4]
Close to the castle ruins is one of the largest open-air theatre stages in Finland, the Raseborg Summer Theatre. The theatre was founded in 1966, and gives numerous performances in Swedish every year in July, often with a connection to the castle history.
Zacharias Topelius was a Finnish author, poet, journalist, historian, and rector of the University of Helsinki who wrote novels related to Finnish history. He wrote his works exclusively in Swedish, although they were translated early on into Finnish.
Porvoo is a city in Finland. It is located on the south coast of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Porvoo lies in the eastern part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Porvoo is approximately 52,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 60,000. It is the 19th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 15th most populous urban area in the country.
Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt was a Finnish-Swedish-Russian count, baron, courtier, general, and diplomat. In Finland, he is considered one of the greatest Finnish statesmen. His advice to Russia's Tsar Alexander I was of utmost importance for securing the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Finland.
Fredrik Pacius was a German-Finnish composer and conductor who lived most of his life in Finland. He has been called the "Father of Finnish music".
The Treaty of Nöteborg, also known as the Treaty of Orehovsk, is a conventional name for the peace treaty signed at Oreshek on 12 August 1323. It was the first agreement between Sweden and the Novgorod Republic regulating their border, mostly in the area which is now known as Finland. Three years later, Novgorod signed the Treaty of Novgorod with the Norwegians.
Uusimaa is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland, Tavastia Proper (Kanta-Häme), Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme), and Kymenlaakso. Finland's capital and largest city, Helsinki, along with the surrounding metropolitan area, are both contained in the region, and Uusimaa is Finland's most populous region. The population of Uusimaa is 1,734,000.
Ostrobothnian Swedish is a variety of Finland-Swedish, spoken in Finland. Outside the autonomous island province of Åland, which is officially monolingually Swedish, Ostrobothnia is the only region of mainland Finland where Swedish-speakers are the majority (51%).
Georg August Wallin was a Finnish orientalist, explorer and professor remembered for his journeys in South-West Asia during the 1840s.
Vyborg Castle is a fortress in Vyborg, Russia. It was built by the Swedes during the Middle Ages around which the town of Vyborg evolved. The castle became the stronghold of the Swedish realm in the Karelian region. Throughout the centuries, it was the first defense of the kingdom against the Russians. Its military and strategic status in the late Middle Ages was second only to the fortified capital Stockholm. Currently it serves as the site of Vyborg Regional Museum.
The Diocese of Ratzeburg is a former diocese of the Catholic Church. It was erected from the Diocese of Oldenburg c. 1050 and was suppressed in 1554. The diocese was originally a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Hamburg; in 1072 it became a suffragan of the merged entity — the "Archdiocese of Hamburg and the Diocese of Bremen". The territory of the diocese was located in what is today the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany. The cathedral church of the diocese — dedicated to Ss. Mary and John — is still extant in the city of Ratzeburg. Following its suppression as part of the Protestant Reformation, the remaining Catholic adherents were only represented by the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Germany. The whole territory of the diocese is today included in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hamburg.
Magnus von Wright was a Swedish-Finnish painter and educator. In addition to bird illustrations, he was also known for his landscapes. He was one of the four sibling von Wright artists.
Raseborg is a town in Finland, located in the southern coast of the country. Raseborg is situated in the western part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Raseborg is approximately 27,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 40,000. It is the 39th most populous municipality in Finland.
Hermann of Dorpat, also known as Hermann I or Hermann von Buxhövden (1163–1248), was the first Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Dorpat (1224–1248) within the Livonian Confederation.
Josef Julius Wecksell was a Finnish poet and playwright.
Raseborg sub-region is a subdivision of Uusimaa and one of the Sub-regions of Finland since 2009.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Helsinki, Finland.
Vivica Aina Fanny Bandler was a Finnish theatre director and agronomist. She bought a theatre in Helsinki in 1955 and is credited for popularizing avant-garde Finnish theatre. She was also theatre director in Oslo (1967-69) and at the Stockholm City Theatre (1969-1979).
In Swedish and Finnish history, Finland under Swedish rule is the historical period when the bulk of the area that later came to constitute Finland was an integral part of Sweden. The starting point of Swedish rule is uncertain and controversial. Historical evidence of the establishment of Swedish rule in Finland exists from the middle of the 13th century onwards.
Wilhelm von Wright was a Swedish-Finnish painter and amateur naturalist.
Suitia Manor is a historical manor house in Siuntio on the southern coast of Finland. The history of the manor dates back to the medieval era. The oldest parts of the current main building are from 1540s although the facade that we see today is from the early 1900s.
Raseborg Cityscape | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sub-divisions and villages |  | |
| Former municipalities | ||
| Archipelago | ||
| Transport | ||
| Buildings | ||
| Places of worship | ||
| Tourist attractions | ||
| Museums | ||
| Organisations | ||
| History | ||