This is the first in the article series Streets and Squares that provide some interesting background information on street signs around the world. It is a fun way to learn about the history and culture of the cities you visit or even live in!
We start out with Helsinki, the capital of Finland that celebrated its 100 years of independence December 2017. The picture here depicts the Senate Square Church behind Market Square with the South Harbor in front where the Silja Line passenger ferries depart to Stockholm, Sweden.
Streets of Helsinki, Finland
Visiting Helsinki, you will see that the street signs usually end in -katu or -tie. The word katu stands for street, tie for road, puisto for park, and silta for bridge. Here follows a list of some people with streets or roads named after them. The addresses are in alphabetical order, and most of these streets are located near or at least not too far from the city center. Clicking at the address will lead you to the location in Google Maps, and clicking at the person’s name will take you to his or her Wikipedia page.
Agricolankatu - Mikael Agricola (1510-1557) Lutheran clergyman, considered to be the founder of literary Finnish. Born in Torsby, Uusimaa, Kalmar Union. - StreetView
Aleksanterinkatu - Alexander II of Russia (1818-1881) Emperor of Russia 1855-1881. There is also a statue of him at the Senate Square situated along Aleksanterinkatu - StreetView
Aleksis Kiven katu (Kallio) Aleksis Kivi (1834-1872) was an author and poet who wrote the first significant novel (Seven Brothers) in the Finnish language. Born in Nurmijärvi, GD of Finland. StreetView
Alvar Aallon katu - Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) architecta and designer who worked extensively both in Finland and abroad. Born in Kuortane, GD of Finland. - StreetView
Armfeltintie - Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt (1757-1814) was a courtier, diplomat and statesman whose advice to Russia’s Tsar Alexander I was of utmost importance for securing the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Born in Tarvasjoki, Sweden-Finland. - StreetView
Castreninkatu - Matthias Castrén (1813-1852) was a Finnish Swedish ethnologist, philologist and pioneer in the study of the Uralic languages. From Tervola, GD of Finland. - StreetView
Crusellin silta - Bernhard_Crusell (1775-1838) was a clarinetist, composer and translator. Born in Uusikaupunki, Sweden-Finland. - StreetView
Ehrenströmintie - Johan Albrecht Ehrenström (1762-1847) politician and the designer of Helsinki city plan where he visioned wide streets placed in a geometric grid in the fashion of the cities in ancient Greece - StreetView
Ehrensvärdintie - Augustin Ehrensvärd (1710-1772) military officer, military architect, creator of the Suomenlinna fortress in Helsinki. Born in Västerås, Sweden. - StreetView
Fleminginkatu (Kallio) named after the Louhisaari branch of the noble Fleming Family whose first certainly known male ancestor came from Denmark to Sweden in the 15th century. - StreetView
Franzeninkatu (Kallio) Frans Michael Franzén (1772-1847) was a child prodigy, poet and clergyman from Oulu, Sweden-Finland. - StreetView
Kaarlenkatu - Charles IX of Sweden (1550-1611) King of Sweden, son of Gustav Vasa. Born in Stockholm Castle, Sweden. - StreetView
Kaisaniemenkatu - Cajsa Wahllund (1771-1843) successful owner of a popular inn, she introduced restaurants to Finland. - StreetView
Kustaankatu - Gustav Vasa (1496-1560) King of Sweden who established Helsinki as a trading town, to compete with the Hanseatic city of Reval (now Tallinn) - StreetView
Liisankatu - Elizabeth Alexeievna (1779-1826) Empress of Russia during her marriage with Emperor Alexander I - StreetView
Läntinen Brahenkatu - named after the Swedish Brahe family. some of whom where active in Finland. - StreetView
Lönnrotinkatu - Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884) was a philologist and a collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is also the creator of the Finnish national epic, Kalevala - StreetView
Mannerheimintie - Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867-1951) military leader, statesman and the 6th president of Finland. Born at Louhisaari Manor, Askainen, GD of Finland - StreetView
Mariankatu - Maria Feodorovna (1759-1828) Empress of Russia during her marriage with Tsar Paul I (see Sofiankatu) - StreetView
Mechelininkatu - Leo Mechelin (1839-1914) professor, senator and liberal reformer who was a leading defender of the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Finland - StreetView
Nordenskiöldinkatu - Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld (1832-1901) geologist, mineralogist and Arctic explorer - StreetView
Porthaninkatu (Kallio) Henrik Gabriel Porthan (1739-1804) was a scholar and historian. Born in Viitasaari, Sweden-Finland. - StreetView
Runeberginkatu - Johan Ludvid Runeberg (1804-1877) poet and author who wrote the lyrics to the Finnish National Anthem - StreetView
Sibeliuksenkatu - Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) composer who through his music - especially with Finlandia - is credited with having helped Finland to develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia. - StreetView
Snellmaninkatu - Johan Vilhelm Snellman (1806-1881) a Swedish-born Fennoman philosopher and statesman who managed to tie the new currency, markka, to silver instead of the Russian ruble, and this came to be of the utmost value for Finland. - StreetView
Sofiankatu - Sofie Dorothea Augusta of Württemberg (1759-1828), later Maria Feodorovna, Empress consort Russia as the second wife of Tsar Paul I (see Mariankatu). - StreetView
Sturenkatu - Sten Sture the Elder (1440-1503) Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden. From 1495 to 1497, he successfully repelled a Russian invasion of Finland. Born in Sweden. - StreetView
Suonionkatu - Julius Krohn (1835-1888) with pen name Suonio, was a Baltic German Finnish folk poetry researcher, translator and journalist. Born in Viipuri, GD of Finland. - StreetView
Topeliuksenkatu - Zachris Topelius (1818-1898) Finnish author, poet, journalist and historian who wrote in his mother tongue Swedish. Also Principal of the Helsinki University - StreetView
Tove Janssonin puisto - Tove Jansson (1914-2001) author, the creator of Moomin books. - StreetView
Vaasankatu - Gustav Vasa (1496-1560) King of Sweden who established Helsinki as a trading town, to compete with Reval (now Tallinn) - StreetView
Wallinin katu - Georg August Wallin (1811-1852) a.k.a. Abd al-Wali, was an orientalist and explorer of the Middle East. Born in Sund, Åland, GD of Finland. - StreetView
Yrjö Koskisen katu - Yrjö Sakari Yrjö–Koskinen (1830-1903) (b Georg Forsman) was a senator, historian and Fennoman - Born in Vaasa, GD of Finland.
A to Ö FROM HELSINKI
i.e. a list of people born in Helsinki. Just another fun way to know something more about the city. We pick a couple of people for each alphabet, if possible. The numbers you see at the end of each line indicate the year of birth. This list is updated from time to time. And last but not least: the coat of arms of the city (see above)!
A - Aino Ackté* opera singer (1876) - Aino Aalto* (b Mandelin) architect/designer/wife of Alvar Aalto (1894) - Lars Ahlfors* mathematician /active in the U.S. (1907) - Markku Alén* rally driver (1951)
B - Vissarion Belinsky* Russian literary critic (1811) - Kirill “Kirka” Babitzin* singer (1950)
C
D - Jörn Donner* film director/producer/politician (1933)
E - Johan Albrecht Ehrenström* politician/designer of Helsinki city plan (1762) - Taina Elg* Finnish-American dancer/actress/to U.S. at age 23 (1930)
F - Karl Fazer* businessman/confectioner (1866)
G - George Gaynes* American singer/actor/voice artist (1917)
H - Tarja Halonen* politician/the 11th President of Finland (1943) - Hjallis Harkimo* entrepreneur/ businessman/politician (1953) - Samu Haber* singer/songwriter/ entrepreneur (1976)
I - Hannes Ignatius* army general/advocate for independence (1871)
J - Tove Jansson* writer/creator of Moomin (1914)
K - Robert Kajanus* conductor/ composer/teacher (1856) - Jari Kurri* hockey player/hockey executive (1960) - Tommi Korpela* actor (1968)
L - Vesa-Matti Loiri* actor/singer (1945)
M - Oskar Merikanto* pianist/composer/conductor (1868)
N - Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld***** geologist/mineralogist/Arctic explorer (1832)
O - Matti Oravisto* actor (1921) - Kati Outinen* actress (1961)
P - Matti Pellonpää* actor (1951) - Jasper Pääkkönen* actor (1980) - Joel Pohjanpalo* football player (1994)
Q
R - Einojuhani Rautavaara* composer (1928) - Ristomatti Ratia* businessman/designer (1941) - Emil Ruusuvuori* tennis player (1999)
S - Helene Schjerfbeck* painter (1862) - Mauritz Stiller* (b Moshe Stiller) film director/best known for discovering Greta Garbo (1883) - Esa-Pekka Salonen* conductor/composer (1958) - Mika Salo* racing driver (1966) - Alexander Stubb* politician (1968) - Teemu Selänne* hockey player/OS/SC (1970)
T - Esa Tikkanen* hockey player/OB/SC (1965) - Linus Torvalds* software engineer/creator of Linux (1969)
U - Birgitta Ulfsson* actress (1928)
V - Artturi Ilmari Virtanen* chemist/N (1895) - Georg Henrik von Wright* philosopher/w Scottish ancestry (1916) -Ville Valo* singer/ musician (1976)
W - Edvard Westermarck* philosopher/ sociologist (1862) - Mika Waltari* author (1908) - Kirsti Wallasvaara* actress (1942)
X
Y - Lauri Ylönen* singer-songwriter (Rasmus) (1979)
Z
Å
Ä
Ö
Updated 22.11.2022
Next article in the series “Streets and Squares” will be Streets of New York City (May 2018)
Sources: Wikipedia(fin) - Kallio - Helsingin kadunnimet (pdf) - YLE -