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Founded: 1771-1902Category: Industrial sites in Finland
Historical period: The Age of Enlightenment (Finland)
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The history of Leineperi (Fredriksfors in Swedish) village dates back to the 1630s. The ironworks was founded in 1771 by Berndt Johan Hastfehr. Until the end of 19th century ironworks manufactured all kinds of iron tools like nails, bolts and spades. The ironworks expanded little by little and in the the 19th century Leineperi was one of the largest iron manufacturers in Finland. The ironworks area consisted several manufacturing plants and residences of workers.
The ironworks business ended in 1902 and the site was moved as farm. Today Leineperi Ironworks presents a living example of the first stages of the industrialisation in Finland. A blast furnace and a bar-iron forge are some of the attractions at the site. The smiths' old cottages serve as workshops of the craftspeople and artists. The ironworks village offers also various events in historic industrial mileu, such as Spring, Autumn and Christmas Markets, Antique Fairs, Metal Art Weeks, summer theatre, wedding banquets, meetings etc.
Reference: Official website
Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.