Vanhakaupunki

Subdivisions of Helsinki
subdivision_name = Vanhakaupunki
subdivision_name_swe = Gammelstaden

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subdivision_number = 27
district = Central
area = 0.32
population = 225(1/1/04)
density = 703
postcode = 00560
neighbours = Toukola, Kumpula, Käpylä, Koskela, Oulunkylä, Viikki

Vanhakaupunki ( _sv. Gammelstaden) is a neighbourhood of the city of Helsinki, Finland, to the north of Toukola. The district's name (meaning "old town") is because Helsinki was originally founded at the Vanhakaupunki area. Vanhakaupunki even appears in the new Helsinki foundation document from 1639, and the forms "Gamla staden" or "Gammelstaden" went into common use later. In contrast, the Finnish translation of the name only started appearing in the late 19th century. The current names were established as official in 1909. The district was named Vanhakaupunki in 1959.

History

The Swedish king Gustav Vasa founded Helsinki on June 12, 1550 on the mouth of the Vantaa River on the site of the medieval village of Forsby (Finnish: Koskela). The city was to compete with Tallinn for the commerce in the Bay of Finland and to reduce the illegal trading done by peasants. The inhabitants from the city were drawn from the cities of Rauma, Ekenäs, Ulvila, and Porvoo, which were discontinued.

In 1570, a fire broke out in Helsinki in the winter, and in summer, the black plague spread into the city. The city has about 500 inhabitants at that point.

In the 1640s, Helsinki was moved to its current location on the Vironniemi peninsula because of better harbour conditions, to boost the city commerce. Vanhakaupunki was slowly deserted.

Only one map, a small-scale map drawn by Hans Hansson in 1645, remains of the first Helsinki. It depicts the city's location and the layout plan for the latest years. The city's blocks appear in the map, but the lots aren't marked. The only building drawn on the map is the church, which was located west of the north end of the current Vanhankaupungintie road.

Currently

Currently Vanhakaupunki appears in the subdivision of Helsinki as an area of 0.32 km² west of the Vanhankaupunginlahti bay. The area has about 230 inhabitants and 850 jobs.

The "Vanhankaupungin peruspiiri" circle is a larger area, also including the districts of Toukola, Kumpula, Käpylä, and Koskela. Toukola also contains the new residential area of Arabianranta on the coast of the Vanhankaupunginlahti bay. The circle has an area of 5.38 km² and about 17400 inhabitants in total.

External links

* [http://www.hel2.fi/tietokeskus/helsinki%5Falueittain%5F2004/305Vanhakaupunki.pdf Vanhankaupungin peruspiiri]
* [http://www.nba.fi/helsinginarkeologiaa/vanhakaupunki.htm Archeological research in Vanhakaupunki]