Jakobstad Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Jakobstad

Jakobstad – Pietarsaari

Town

Staden Jakobstad
Pietarsaaren kaupunki

The old Town Hall

Coat of arms

Location of Jakobstad in Finland

Country

Finland

Region

Ostrobothnia

Sub-region

Jakobstad sub-region

Charter

1652

Area

(2009)

• Total

396.3 km² (153.0 sq mi)

• Land

88.33 km² (34.10 sq mi)

• Water

307.97 km² (118.91 sq mi)

Area rank

256th largest in Finland

Population

(2013)

• Total

19,637

• Rank

55th largest in Finland

• Density

222.31/km² (575.8/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+2 (EET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+3 (EEST)

Website

www.jakobstad.fi

Jakobstad is a town and municipality in Ostrobothnia, Finland. The people speak two languages: Finnish and Swedish.

Origin of the names
History
Culture and sights
Images for kids
See also

Origin of the names

The Swedish name literally means Jacob's City or Jacob's Town, in reference to Jacob De la Gardie. The town was founded at the old harbour of the parish Pedersöre and this name lives on in the Finnish name of the municipality, Pietarsaari, literally Peter's Island.

History

The town was founded in 1652 by Ebba Brahe, the widow of the military commander Jacob De la Gardie, and was granted city privileges by Queen Christina of Sweden. The town was founded at the old harbour of the parish Pedersöre. Pedersöre remains an independent municipality neighbouring Jakobstad.

The economic foundation was laid in the mid 18th century, with tar manufacturing and tobacco packaging at its centre. Trade started to develop rapidly in Jakobstad as of 1765, when the cities along the Finnish shore of the Gulf of Bothnia were granted privileges by the Swedish crown to trade directly with foreign countries. This also led to shipbuilding becoming a major activity in Jakobstad. Trade and shipbuilding made Jakobstad a wealthy city.

The "Strengberg" tobacco factory in Jakobstad

The early 19th century was a time of upheaval, which saw the 1808–1809 war between Sweden and Russia, as well as a devastating fire in 1835 that destroyed approximately half of the city. Despite this, the economic progress continued, and a brewery, a matchstick factory and several banks were founded after 1850. In 1859, the merchant and shipowner Peter Malm started a steam powered sawmill, which was only the second such installation in Finland. The Crimean War was a major setback to shipping industry, as the British navy puts up an effective blockade and the shipping fleet in Jakobstad was reduced from 26 ships to 9.

An artillery school was located in Jakobstad during the Finnish civil war. During World War II, the city was bombed once by Soviet bomber planes, causing a few casualties. Up until the 1960s, the town was overwhelmingly Swedish speaking, but as a consequence of industrial expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, the need for additional work force caused a large influx of Finnish speakers.

Culture and sights

Jakobstad City Hall is a historic building in the city which was completed in 1875. The current look of the building dates from 1890
Jakobstad is the home of the galeas Jacobstads Wapen, a full-scale replica built between 1987 and 1992
Jakobstad Museum is the main museum in the city, concentrating on maritime and ship building history
The Arctic museum is located outside Jakobstad
Chicorymuseum is the only chicorymuseum in Finland. In the former chicory factory from the 19th century visitors can familiarize themselves with the production of chicory and also experience authentic old factory conditions
The botanical garden Skolparken (literary "the school park"), with approximately 1,000 plant species, is renowned both as one of the most northerly botanical gardens in the world and for its classical park architecture
Skata is a protected residential area close to the city centre which dates from 1783. Up until the late 19th century, Skata was home primarily to sailors and their families. As of the 1890s, it transformed into a mainly working class area, providing housing to a large part of the work force employed by the Strengberg tobacco factory.