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Founded: 1649-1900Category: Industrial sites in Finland
Historical period: Swedish Empire (Finland)
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Fiskars is the best known of a number of ironworks villages that were established in the early 17th century to the Pohja area. A crushing mill was established by the lower rapids in 1649, with a blastfurnace on the opposite bank. The founder of Fiskars ironworks was the Dutch businessman Peter Thorwöste, who was allowed by Queen Christina of Sweden to manufacture cast iron and forged products, with the exception of cannons.
The Russian occupation of Finland (the Great Wrath) affected also Fiskars. Nearby was a center of Russian civilian and military administration, and in 1713 the ironworks at Fiskars and Antskog were plundered and wrecked by the Russians.
The heyday in the history of Fiskars began in 1822 when it was bought by Johan Julin (1787-1853). Under Julin, work at the ironworks focused on refining iron. The ironworks and the village of Fiskars started to grow quickly. In 1850 there were about 500-600 employees and the total number of inhabitants was approximately 1400. Throughout the period from into the 1960s, Fiskars purchased several works and companies in the steel business. In the 20th century the industrial operations required more up-to-date facilities, production was moved to Billnäs.
Today there are many workshops and boutiques providing Finnish handicrafts, arts and design thoughout the Fiskars village and visitors can spend time just wandering around in the beautiful ironworks area.
House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.