Helsinki's House of Nobility opens to public
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While all Helsinki citizens are familiar with the magnificent brick building and park of the House of the Nobility on Aleksanterinkatu, few have actully been inside.
According to Johan Grotenfelt of the House of the Nobility, the decision to open the house to groups on guided tours was made as Finns have become increasingly interested in their country's history and in genealogical research. Currently, there are about 6,000 aristocrats in Finland, and at least 100,000 people have some noble roots, he estimated.
The Grand Duchy of Finland received its own House of Nobility in 1818, after Sweden had lost Finland to Russia in the war of 1809. The Swedish noble families who had chosen to remain in Finland were registered, and the Czar-Grand Duke continued to raise deserving Finnish citizens to the nobility. A total of 357 coats of arms of noble families can be found on the walls of the great hall.
Originally, there was only one family of princes in Finland, Menschikoff, and even that has died out. On the other hand, there were 11 families of counts, and some members of five of them still exist. The original number of families of barons was 63. The remaining families were ordinary noblemen.
The number of the noble families currently resident in Finland is about 180. All the other families have either died out or they have no male heir left.
The House of the Nobility was designed by Architect Georg Theodor Chiewitz in neo-Gothic style and completed in 1862.
On the landing of the main stairway there is a statue of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden, because he passed the first "Upper House Law" in 1626.
The stairway leads to a large committee room that houses a huge painting by Robert Wilhelm Ekman. It depicts the opening of the Diet of Finland by Czar Alexander II in person in Borgå (Porvoo) in 1863.
Genealogist of the House of the Nobility Wilhelm Brummer noted that while the painting presents 300 photo-accurate images of historical characters, everything is not authentic in the work, for artist Ekman had been allowed to add into the picture even the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland, conveniently hidden behind a chandelier, as well as blue and white colours around the coat of arms.
Even the pictures of two of Finland's Regents - later Presidents of the Republic - can be found on the walls of the committee room. They are Finnish aristocrat Per Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad and Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim - also known by their nicknames Ukko-Pekka and Marski.
Further information about tours to the House of the Nobility can be found on the website of the Helsinki Expert Team below.
According to Johan Grotenfelt of the House of the Nobility, the decision to open the house to groups on guided tours was made as Finns have become increasingly interested in their country's history and in genealogical research. Currently, there are about 6,000 aristocrats in Finland, and at least 100,000 people have some noble roots, he estimated.
The Grand Duchy of Finland received its own House of Nobility in 1818, after Sweden had lost Finland to Russia in the war of 1809. The Swedish noble families who had chosen to remain in Finland were registered, and the Czar-Grand Duke continued to raise deserving Finnish citizens to the nobility. A total of 357 coats of arms of noble families can be found on the walls of the great hall.
Originally, there was only one family of princes in Finland, Menschikoff, and even that has died out. On the other hand, there were 11 families of counts, and some members of five of them still exist. The original number of families of barons was 63. The remaining families were ordinary noblemen.
The number of the noble families currently resident in Finland is about 180. All the other families have either died out or they have no male heir left.
The House of the Nobility was designed by Architect Georg Theodor Chiewitz in neo-Gothic style and completed in 1862.
On the landing of the main stairway there is a statue of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden, because he passed the first "Upper House Law" in 1626.
The stairway leads to a large committee room that houses a huge painting by Robert Wilhelm Ekman. It depicts the opening of the Diet of Finland by Czar Alexander II in person in Borgå (Porvoo) in 1863.
Genealogist of the House of the Nobility Wilhelm Brummer noted that while the painting presents 300 photo-accurate images of historical characters, everything is not authentic in the work, for artist Ekman had been allowed to add into the picture even the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland, conveniently hidden behind a chandelier, as well as blue and white colours around the coat of arms.
Even the pictures of two of Finland's Regents - later Presidents of the Republic - can be found on the walls of the committee room. They are Finnish aristocrat Per Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad and Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim - also known by their nicknames Ukko-Pekka and Marski.
Further information about tours to the House of the Nobility can be found on the website of the Helsinki Expert Team below.
Helsingin Sanomat