History records the first known inhabitant of the region. He was Heikki Ihanninpoika Jyväsjoki, who is mentioned in documents from 1506, and his house was located at the Äijälänjoki.
In 1539, there were seven houses in the Jyväskylä area: Kekkola, Kuokkala, Äijälä, Mattila, and Tourula, as well as Mankola and Rutala in Palokka. The number of houses increased steadily, so that by the time the city was founded, the village of Jyväskylä was the largest village in the parish of Laukaa. At that time, there were already 40 farms.
The project to found the city began in earnest in 1821. After many stages and land expropriation disputes, the city of Jyväskylä was finally founded in March 1837. Jyväskylä had already been mentioned in various contexts as a suitable location for an inland city.
Illustration: Ina Majaniemi
"The town had been founded, but it lacked inhabitants, just like ancient Rome."
This statement by the historian was very accurate, as there were only a couple of houses, a few cottages, and a market square in the town area, and even those were included in the new grid plan.
The selection of residents was the responsibility of the municipal council. At its first meeting in December 1837, it granted burgher rights to nine people. The following year, 22 burghers and a few laborers were granted the same rights. At the end of 1838, Jyväskylä had a population of 189.
Construction of the city began as soon as the streets and blocks of the town plan had been measured out on the ground. The plots were sold at auction. The most expensive plots were located along Kauppakatu, which served as a thoroughfare, and were naturally purchased by merchants. Smaller plots were reserved for the less affluent population on the edges of the town plan area. All 143 plots had been sold by 1863.
The first decades of the young city were spent not only in lively construction but also in organizing its own administration. The goal was to become an independent and fully sovereign city, the center of Central Finland.
Photo: Museum of Central Finland, Raisa Nerg.
By the 1880s, Jyväskylä had already fulfilled all the characteristics of a city. Several public buildings were constructed as symbols of the "independent" city. The city church was a sign of parish independence, and the red-brick seminary building complex signaled that school life had established itself in the city.
Jyväskylä was not considered a particularly industrial city, even though the late 19th century was a time of industrial breakthrough in Finland.
The education of the people in Finnish, Alvar Aalto, and Finnish baseball
The most important steps for Jyväskylä were the establishment of schools in the 1850s and 1860s, when Finland's first Finnish-language educational institutions were founded in Jyväskylä: a lyceum, a seminary, and a girls' school.
From the outset, the development of schooling in Jyväskylä had a feature that other cities lacked: the Finnish language. This was thanks to the persistent efforts of district physician Wolmar Styrbjörn Schildt.
Jyväskylä's reputation as a Finnish-speaking school town gradually became established and was known throughout Finland.
Jyväskylä brought two concepts to the field of sports and culture: Alvar Aalto and Finnish baseball. Alvar Aalto, a student at the Lyceum, established his first office as a newly qualified architect in his hometown in the fall of 1923. There are a total of 29 buildings designed by Aalto in the city and its surrounding areas. Jyväskylä is also known as the city of Alvar Aalto.
Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala, a pioneer of Finnish sports and physical education, developed Finnish baseball "pesäpallo", Finland's national game, in the early 1920s. Pihkala began the experiments that led to the creation of pesäpallo in September 1920 at the Jyväskylä Lyceum.
Jyväskylä's reputation as a sports city has been enhanced by the country's only faculty of sports science and its associated research institutes.
Jyväskylä, Finland's seventh largest city
Jyväskylä, the rural municipality of Jyväskylä, and Korpilahti were merged into the city of Jyväskylä at the beginning of 2009. This more than doubled the city's area to 1,466 km2 and increased its population to 130,000. Jyväskylä became Finland's seventh largest city.
The new urban areas were Vaajakoski, with its strong industrial history, Tikkakoski, known for its airport, Air Force Headquarters and garrison, and Palokka, the former main urban area of Jyväskylä Rural Municipality.
In addition to the church village of Korpilahti, a few smaller urban areas, such as Kuohu, Vesanka, and Tikkala, brought the rural village landscape into the city. After the merger, almost half of Lake Päijänne, Finland's second largest lake, is within the city limits of Jyväskylä.
The Athens of Finland and many other descriptions
Jyväskylä, known as the Athens of Finland, has been described in many ways over the years. It had already become an industrial city before the wars. Jyväskylä began to gain credibility as a cultural city after the first cultural days, called Jyväskylä Summer, were held in 1955.
Modern architecture became a new international trump card for Jyväskylä when architect Alvar Aalto's university buildings, including the main building, training school, library, and swimming hall, as well as the Säynätsalo municipal hall, were completed in the 1950s.
The population grew, and the title of service and commercial city was not far off. With the increase in events, Jyväskylä also became a significant tourist destination. In addition to its good location, Jyväskylä's popularity is based on the diversity of its museums, theaters, orchestras, choirs, and events.
In the 21st century, Jyväskylä has also gained visibility as the City of Light. The City of Light development project has made Jyväskylä Finland's leading city in the development of urban lighting. In 2012, there are over 70 lighting sites in Jyväskylä creating a pleasant and safe living environment – by 2025, there will be over 100.
Jyväskylä is also known as a sports capital, a student city, and a city of culture.
Lähteet ja suorat lainaukset
Jussi Jäppinen – Heli-Maija Voutilainen, Central Finland Museum
Markkinapaikasta mainio kaupunki - Lyhyt johdatus Jyväskylän historiaan
From market town to great city – A brief introduction to the history of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä 175 vuotta -video: From market town in 1837 to great city
Jyväskylän kaupungin historia 1965-2008 - Marja Kokko
History of the City of Jyväskylä 1965–2008
Alussa oli Tahko - ja Henki
In the beginning there was Tahko – and Spirit
Jyväskylä – from village to city, a comic strip about the founding of the city of Jyväskylä
