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Founded: 1703Category: Industrial sites in Finland
Historical period: Swedish Empire (Finland)
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The ironworks in Kimo was founded by Petter Heijke in 1703. Petter Heijke chose the place because there was an enough deep harbour in Oravainen, waterpower and wood for making charcoal. The ore was brought from Utö in the southern Baltic sea and from Herräng mines in Roslagen. In Kimo it was forged into iron-pigs. The iron-pigs were then tranported further up the river to the forges in Kimo where it was refined into iron-bars.
Kimo was acquired by captain Lars Magnus Björkman in 1818. He renewed ironworks strongly and built for example a lighthouse to the Stubben island. Iron manufacturing ended in 1890s and the factory site started textile business. The heyday of textile manufacturing in Oravainen was in 1920s-1930s.
The original ironworks site and buildings are well-preserved. Today the Kimo Ironworks includes three hammersmith´s workshops: the Lower Mill, the Middle Mill and the Upper Mill. The Lower Mill is the centre of the museum exhibiting the the iron manufacturing. The museum and art gallery are open on order or when there are events arranged on the site. There are also a café and restaurant. Several events are arranged in the ironworks area during the summer season.
Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.