A Finnish gale: A testament to Finnish settlers in Karlstad

A Finnish gale: A testament to Finnish settlers in Karlstad

Unique fountain sculpture by Aimo Tukiainen marks the history of Finnish settlers in Sweden, standing between Wermland Opera and Klarälven in Klara, Karlstad.

Finnish gale (Finnish: Tuulenpesä), created by Finnish artist Aimo Tukiainen, was inaugurated on June 16, 1967 in Karlstad. It lies between Wermland Opera and Klarälven in Klara. The artwork was a gift from Urho Kekkonen to the then Swedish Prime Minister Tage Erlander, commemorating the Finns who moved to Sweden in the 1500s. Many Finns settled in the region due to promises of land and tax exemptions from King Karl IX. The sculpture, which weighs 2 tons and is made of bronze, was dismantled for restoration in Finland in 1999 by Pauli Venäläinen, who had previously assisted Tukiainen. It was reopened on June 6, 2002.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nik Frost

Discuss this with the author and others

No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.