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Forssa

Forssa is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located almost in the centre of a triangle defined by the three largest major cities in Finland (Helsinki, Turku and Tampere), in the Tavastia Proper region, and which is crossed by Highway 2 between Pori and Helsinki and Highway 10 between Turku and Hämeenlinna. The town has a population of 0 and covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water. The population density is undefined PD/km2. Only a little part of the surface area of Forssa is water, but the river Loimijoki forms an important element in the cityscape, with the city being located at its starting point. Other notable water areas in Forssa include the lake Kaukjärvi and the lake Koijärvi, known as the birthplace of the Green League.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish. However, the name Forssa comes from the Swedish word "fors", meaning rapids.

Forssa is the central locality of the Forssa sub-region. The city is bordered with Jokioinen to the west, Tammela to the east and south and Humppila and Urjala to the north. As well as Forssa, the Forssa sub-region includes Jokioinen, Tammela, Humppila and Ypäjä. Forssa is the smallest of the three cities in Tavastia Proper, with a population of about 16,500, and in terms of population Forssa is the 67th largest municipality in Finland. The population in Forssa has concentrated on the Forssa central conurbation in the southern part of the municipality, which also spreads over to the municipalities of Jokioinen and Tammela. The area of the former municipality of Koijärvi in the northern part of the city is a sparsely populated rural area.

Forssa grew and developed in the 19th century when the textile industry grew. In the 20th century the city barely grew at all between the two World wars. A new growth phase began in the 1960s, sped by construction industry. The population of Forssa was as its highest in the middle 1980s when the city had a bit over 20 thousand inhabitants for two years. The growth of the city since stopped as the industry started diminishing. By 1994 the population had decreased by a few hundred people, but after that the decrease in population grew. By late 2005 Forssa had lost over two thousand people compared to its highest point. In 2008 the population of Forssa increased for the first time since 1993. After 2010 population has again decreased, with the population in 2016 being about 17,300. Today the food industry is a notable employer.

The location of Forssa, in the middle of the triangle formed by the cities of Helsinki, Turku and Tampere, is sometimes seen as ideal, as commute trips to the largest cities in the country are fast. The distance to Helsinki is 110 kilometres, the distance to Tampere is 87 kilometres and the distance to Turku is 88 kilometres.

History
The development of Forssa into an industrial conurbation started when industrialist Axel Wilhelm Wahren founded a spinning mill on the shore of the river Loimijoki in 1847. Today the Forssa industrial community has been classified as a notable constructed cultural environment in Finland.

In 1903 a party meeting of the Finnish Workers' Party, known as the Forssa meeting, was held in Forssa, where the party was renamed as the Social Democratic Party of Finland and a new party program was accepted into use.

Forssa only became an independent municipality in 1923 when it was separated from the municipality of Tammela into its own market town. Forssa received city privileges in 1964. The depression in the early 1990s had a large impact on Forssa, resulting in economic problems and an unemployment rate that still remains high today.

Coat of arms
The current coat of arms of Forssa was designed by Olof Eriksson in 1962. Its heraldic description reads: A silver waterwheel on a blue shield. The coat of arms depicts water power and the river Loimijoki running through the city. The coat of arms was taken into use on 29 August 1962.

The former coat of arms of Forssa was designed by Arne Wilhelm Rancken in 1947. The coat of arms had a wavy division with a silver waterwheel on a blue background at the bottom part, and three blue wavy lines and a red letter F on a silver background at the top part. This coat of arms was later discontinued as unheraldic.

Population
The population development in Forssa from 1847 to 1990 has been researched in the 1995 annual of the Homestead and museum association of Southwestern Tavastia and in the book Forssan historia by Risto O. Peltovuori, published in 1993. After Forssa became an independent municipality in 1923, its population in 1925 was 7,681. The development of population was modest until 1945; at that time the population was 8,045. After this, the increase in population sped up: Forssa reached 9,000 inhabitants in 1952, 10,000 inhabitants in 1957, 11,000 inhabitants in 1962, 12,000 inhabitants in 1966 and 13,000 inhabitants in 1968 with a population of 13,157. The annexation of Koijärvi to Forssa in 1969 raised the population to over 15,000. In 1971 the Lempää area of about 9 square kilometres was annexed to Forssa from Tammela, raising the population by about a hundred.

Forssa grew rapidly in the 1970s, but in the middle 1980s this growth stopped. The city population was at its highest at 20,074 in late 1985. After the middle 1990s the population of the city and of the entire region started to decrease rapidly. From 2005 to 2010 the population settled at about 17,900 people, but after that it started to decrease again with the population at late 2016 being about 17,300.

90 percent of the population of Forssa live in the urban central conurbation of Forssa, where population is dense. In the rural areas in central and northern Forssa both the population and the population density are low. The Forssa central conurbation also reaches over to Jokioinen and Tammela. Of the entire population of the Forssa region, the population of Forssa proper is about one half.

Population concentration spots of the Forssa industrial community are the Kalliomäki wooden house area to the north of the river Loimijoki and the wooden house areas of Vanha Kuhala, Uusikylä and Yliskylä to the south of the river. Throughout the decades, new city districts have been built around this historical centre. The Viksberg apartment building suburb was mostly built in the 1970s and the suburb of Tölö in the 1970s and 1980s, but their population has been decreasing. Recently the population has increased in the city outskirts through construction of detached houses and also in the city centre through construction of apartment buildings.

In late 2011, about 13.5 percent of the population of Forssa belonged to the age bracket of 0 to 14 years, 63.2 percent to the bracket of 15 to 64 years and 23.3 percent to the bracket of over 64 years. In the long run, both the absolute number and the proportion of children have significantly decreased. The elderly are the only age group to increase in either absolute number or proportion. In 1997 the number of children fell below the number of the elderly.

The most of the children live in new small house areas on the edge of the central conurbation. The most of the elderly live in Korkeavaha and the city centre, where the proportion of people of 64 years or older is 40 percent.

From 1980 to 2010 the language distribution in Forssa has remained fairly stable. The absolute number of Finnish language speakers has decreased by about 1,900 people, but the proportion has only decreased by a little from 99.6 percent to 97.1 percent. The number of Swedish language speakers has decreased by about a third. The most significant increase has been in the group of people speaking other languages than Finnish or Swedish, which has increased manifold.

Congregations
In 2023, the Evangelical Lutheran Church was the largest religious group with 70.9% of the population of Forssa. Other religious groups accounted for 2.3% of the population. 26.8% of the population had no religious affiliation.

According to the 2018 division Forssa includes its own congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The former congregation of Koijärvi was annexed to the congregation of Forssa in 2007. The city has an activity centre of the Hämeenlinna Orthodox congregation, a Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall, a Pentecostal Salem church and activity of the Evangelical Free Church of Finland. The Evangelical Free Church has its premises in the Kerhola building commissioned by the Forssa company. Forssa also has a cemetery of the Union of Freethinkers of Finland.

The Pentecostal Church of Finland has its own congregation in Forssa and the Evangelical Free Church of Finland also has its own free congregation in Forssa.

From 1847 to 1946
The first planned constructed areas in Forssa were Wahreninkatu and the buildings at Viksberg. Kalliomäki with its lines was born starting from the 1870s after Wahren had ordered a zoning plan in the area. In addition to Kalliomäki, the oldest inhabited areas in Forssa include Vanha Kuhala to the south of the river Loimijoki, Uusikylä between Rautatienkatu and Räynynoja and Yliskylä, also known as Ameriikka, slightly to the west of Uusikylä.

According to Helga Keränen's 1930 research, the market town of Forssa was divided into ten physiognomical areas, including the Kalliomäki area, the greater population area of Hämeentie, the Puisto area, the Forssa industrial area, the Viksberg industrial area, the Forssa business centre, the smaller population area of Keski-Forssa, "Amerikka" and the new population area of Yliskylä. This division only concerned the tightly built areas in Forssa, not the rural areas around them.

Until 1946, the area of tightly-built wooden houses was fairly small compared to the conurbated area of today. A large part of the currently populated areas were still fields. As well as the aforementioned areas, there was inhabitation in Kekkala, a little in Pispanmäki and some buildings on the lands of the Viksberg manor. The construction of Rantalanmäki had already started at this point.

From the 1950s to the 1980s
New apartment buildings were built at the Kartanonkatu and Forssa market square area, as well as Viksberg, in the 1960s. Many old wooden buildings were dismantled to make way for new construction. Afterwards, the dismantling of many old buildings has been met with criticism. Perhaps the most famous dismantled building was the "Gingerbread House" located at the intersection between Säästöpankinkatu and Hämeentie. Construction of new apartment buildings continued in the 1970s, when construction of Tölö started, new red brick apartment buildings were built along Pekolanraitti and construction of Viksberg continued.

The expanding industry in the city spread to the lands of the old Viksberg manor. Parma constructed its element factory and Ahlström built its steel wool factory at Pispanmäki to the west of National Road 2.

Small house areas slowly spread to the edges of the city. After Talsoila, new detached houses were built in the north at Lamminranta, Ojalanmäki, Kaikula and Vieremä. Construction of Paavola started in the 1980s and today the area is almost completely built up. Paavola hosted the Asuntomessut apartment fair in 1982.

From the 1990s to today
Expansion of Forssa has been fairly slow, as the decrease of population has also led to a decrease in demand for new apartments. However, some new detached houses have been constructed. The most of the new houses are located in Kuusto in the eastern part of the city, and some are located in Pikkumuolaa, Paavola and the northwestern part of Vieremä. During the last couple of years, some new apartment buildings have been built in Makasiiniranta.

Bodies of water
Of the total surface area of Forssa only 4.61 square kilometres are bodies of water, which is 1.8 percent of the total surface area. In the central conurbation area, the only bodies of water are part of lake Kaukjärvi in the east, the river Loimijoki flowing through the city, the nearly filled-up lake Loimalammi flowing to the river, lake Linikkalanlammi in Linikkala and lake Mäkilammi in Vieremä. The largest lake in the region is lake Pyhäjärvi in neighbouring Tammela.

The river Jänhijoki, a side river of Loimijoki, flows through the central parts of the area of dispersed settlement in Forssa. Bodies of water at the river's starting point include the lakes Kiimalammi and Luomalammi, located in the north near the border of Tammela, belonging to the chain of small forest lakes in Mustiala in Tammela.

The bird lake of Koijärvi is located in the northern part of the area of dispersed settlement. The river Koijoki (also known as Kojonjoki or Koenjoki), the largest side river of Loimijoki, starts at the lake, flowing past Matku to the west along the border to Jokioinen and Humppila. Another starting lake of this river is Valijärvi near the border to Tammela. Bodies of water near Pyhäjärvi in Tammela include lake Lunkinjärvi near the border to Tammela. Near the border to Urjala, bodies of water partly located in Forssa at the starting point of the river Tarpianjoki flowing through Urjala included the lakes of Kokonjärvi, Särkijärvi and Matkunjärvi.

Parks
There are 110 parks in Forssa, with a combined area of 303 hectares. Some of the most notable parks include: Many of the parks are natural greenspaces and not actively tended "parade parks".
 * Ankkalammi park: Located to the south of the market square. The park was renewed during the renovation of the market square.
 * Yhtiönpuisto park: A park located near the old spinning mill, sometimes also referred to as the Wahren park.
 * Central park: The next natural park along the river Loimijoki after the Yhtiönpuisto park, also has a football field.
 * Talsoila park: A partly built, partly natural park in Talsoila, made as a public park open to everyone in contrast to the previously closed Yhtiönpuisto park.
 * Rantapuisto park: A park located opposite the Central park on the river shore in Rantalanmäki.
 * Harjupuisto park: A forest park with pine trees, on the border between Kaikula and Vieremä.
 * Mäkilammi park: A forest park with pine trees, bordering Mäkilammi in Vieremä.
 * Lamminranta park: A park around Lamminranta.
 * Paavola park: A partly built, partly forest park in the district of Paavola.
 * Siurila park: A park in the centre of the Viksberg residential area, with two ponds, an artificial brook and a fountain.
 * Salmistonmäki and Loimalammi: A natural area located at the eastern park of Haudankorva right next to the border to Tammela.

National urban park
The city of Forssa has been built on area alternating between forest and field landscapes. Three areas in the city have received the position of a national urban park.
 * The Haudankorva and Kuusto field areas as agrarian landscape areas
 * The old industrial buildings and some old districts (such as Kalliomäki, Kuhala and Rantalanmäki) as industrial heritage areas
 * Hunnari in Vieremä, the area next to the cemetery in Kaikula and the area around the pond in Lamminranta as esker areas.

Transport connections
Roads passing through the centre of Forssa include:
 * Finnish national road 2 from Helsinki via Forssa to Pori
 * Finnish national road 10 from Turku via Forssa to Hämeenlinna
 * Finnish regional road 282 from Somero to Forssa
 * Finnish regional road 284 from Urjala via the Koijärvi church to Forssa
 * Finnish connecting road 2804 from the centre of Jokioinen to Forssa (named Jokioistentie in Forssa)
 * Finnish connecting road 2821 from the centre of Tammela to Forssa (named Tammelantie in Forssa, also known as Tammelansuora)

The poor condition of national road 2 has been seen as a factor slowing down the development of Forssa. The highways starting from Helsinki have been changed to controlled-access highways, but the national road 2, with a smaller amount of traffic, is still a conventional two-laned highway. The national road 2 was improved in the vicinity of Forssa from 2006 to 2009 by building the new Paavola bridge and a bypass lane in Jokioinen, which also serves as a reserve landing strip for the Finnish Air Force.

The Turku–Toijala railway passes through Matku, but the trains no longer stop there, and the old station building in Matku has been dismantled. The railway structures in the centre of Forssa were dismantled in the 1970s and the city thus no longer has railway connections of its own. The nearest passenger traffic station is in Humppila. There have been suggestions for building a railway to the city. These suggestions have included a railway from Helsinki via Forssa and Humppila to Pori. This project could be started in the middle 2020s at the earliest. Another suggestion is the construction of a railway from Riihimäki via Forssa to Loimaa.

The Forssa Airfield is located in the district of Haudankorva and is used for hobby aviation. The nearest airports for commercial passenger aviation are located in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.

Internal transport
The transport in the centre of Forssa has been seen as problematic. For example the Kauppakatu street was forbidden for heavy-duty car transport in early 2008. There have also been long-time plans for a so-called "Eastern beltway", which would allow traffic to bypass the city centre of Forssa from national road 2 to national road 10 and possibly onwards to Tampereentie. As a part of this plan, the street Loimalammintie was built as new southern entryway to the city and the connection from Helsingintie, the previous entryway, to national road 2 was removed.

There have been plans for an extension of the Yhtiönkatu street from the current end of Yhtiönkatu to the start of Tampereentie, along line I past the church, for decades. The planned street was marked into the zoning plan in 1969, and there is a new street connection between Yhtiönkatu and Tampereentie in the new regional plan. The zoning plan is seen as outdated, and there have been frequent discussions about renewing it. There has been support both for various solutions about constructing a road connection and for leaving the street unbuilt. The project has been very controversial, and sometimes there has been much discussion about it in the readers' column in the Forssan Lehti newspaper. The administrative law court of Hämeenlinna rejected the plan for the area including the street and Forssa complained about this decision, but the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland rejected this complaint.

There have also been plans for a renovation of the Kartanonkatu street for a long time. Renovation of the street started in July 2012 and was completed in late 2012. Failures in speed bump construction had to be repaired for several times.

Districts
In statistics related to basic statistical units, the city of Forssa is divided into three major districts, twenty statistical districts and thirty minor districts. The three major districts are Keskustaajama (the part of the central conurbation going over the municipal boundaries and its surrounding countryside), Parkkiaro (a rural area in the middle of Forssa) and Entinen Koijärvi (the core areas of the former municipality of Koijärvi). The villages of Kokko and Matku, partly annexed to Urjala, are not part of the Entinen Koijärvi major district. On the other hand, the southern part of the statistical district of Kojo, part of the major district, was not part of the municipality of Koijärvi but instead the market town of Forssa. The statistical district of Kojo also includes the Lempää area, formerly part of the municipality of Tammela.

The districts according to the basic statistical units are not necessarily exactly the same as the districts according to the National Land Survey of Finland, because the statistical units can include for example areas classified in the country register. In articles about districts they have been identified with the correspondingly named statistical units. The name of the statistical unit differs from the name of the district in two cases, where the name given by the National Land Survey is used: Also the name of Pikku-Muolaa is often spelled Pikkumuolaa.
 * The Kuhala district is the Tölö statistical unit
 * The Linikkala district is the Kalliomäki statistical unit

The Keskustaajama major district
The 16 districts in the Keskustaajama major district are listed alphabetically here. The numbers in parentheses are the official order numbers of the National Land Survey.
 * Haudankorva (6.)
 * Järvenpää (11.)
 * Kaikula (9.)
 * Keskusta (1.)
 * Kivimäki (10.)
 * Korkeavaha (4.)
 * Kuhala (7.)
 * Kuusto (12.)
 * Lamminranta (3.)
 * Linikkala (5.)
 * Ojalanmäki (2.)
 * Paavola (15.)
 * Pikku-Muolaa (13.)
 * Pispanmäki (14.)
 * Talsoila (8.)
 * Vieremä (16.)

The Parkkiaro major district
The district of Parkkiaro forms a major district by itself, and is one of the districts (statistical units) of Forssa. The number in parentheses is an official number of the National Land Survey.
 * Parkkiaro (17.)

The Entinen Koijärvi major district
The major district of Entinen Koijärvi consists of three statistical units, which are not considered as districts.
 * Kojo (477 inhabitants) consists of the central area of the former municipality of Koijärvi. Kojo includes the former church area of Koijärvi, which does not constitute a conurbation. The Koijärvi church and the Kojo school are located in Kojo.
 * Matku (523 inhabitants) is located in the western part of the former municipality of Koijärvi. The railway between Turku and Toijala goes through Forssa at the district of Matku, which was formerly its own conurbation. Matku is no longer considered a conurbation after its population fell below 200. The Matku railway station has been dismantled and there has not been station traffic in the area for a long time.
 * Suonpää (217 inhabitants) consists of the northern areas of the former municipality of Koijärvi.

Villages
The land register villages listed here do not have borders conforming to the borders of the districts or statistical units listed above. The villages are divided based on whether they were part of the Forssa market town or the municipality of Koijärvi before the 1969 annexation. The numbers in parentheses after the names are index numbers announced by the National Land Survey.

Forssa market town area
Villages located in the Forssa market town area were:
 * Haudankorva (401)
 * Järvenpää (402)
 * Kuhala (405)
 * Kuusto (406)
 * Linikkala (408)
 * Lunttila (409)
 * Talsoila (413)
 * Vieremä (414)

Koijärvi area
Villages located in the municipality of Koijärvi, annexed to Forssa, were:
 * Kojo (403)
 * Kokko (404)
 * Kölli (407)
 * Matku (410)
 * Menonen (411)
 * Raitoo (412)

Inconsistencies with the municipal division
The area of the former market town of Forssa also contains parts of the villages of Jokioinen (415) and Kaukjärvi (416), but these villages are mainly located in the neighbouring municipalities of Jokioinen and Tammela. However, Tammela also contains parts of the villages of Haudankorva, Linikkala and Lunttila, but these villages are mainly located in Forssa.

Likewise, of the villages located in the former municipality of Koijärvi, Kojo is partly located in Tammela and Matku is partly located in Urjala. In the annexation, the village of Kojo was mainly annexed to Urjala and the village of Menonen is also partly located in Urjala.

Urban areas
In late 2017 Forssa had a population of 17,185, of which 15,518 lived in urban areas, 1,511 in sparsely populated areas and 156 at unknown locations. The proportion of urban areas in Forssa is 91.1%. The municipality has only one urban area, the Forssa central urban area. In addition to Forssa, the central urban area spreads over to the municipalities of Jokioinen and Tammela. The Forssa central urban area has a total population of 21,236 and a surface area of 37,14 square kilometres.

Politics
Up to the 1992 election, Forssa has had a characteristic left-wing majority in its city council. In parliamentary elections, Forssa has been historically a left-wing majority municipality, and in elections from 1983 to 2011 SDP has been the largest party up to 2007, when it fell to second place. Also in presidential elections the SDP candidate has received the most votes.

Today the Parliament of Finland has one member from Forssa:
 * Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (National Coalition Party), member of parliament since 2011, minister of the environment from 2014 to 2015, minister of education and culture from 2015 to 2017, minister of education from 2017 to 2019.

Previously there have been more members of parliament from Forssa.

The city council of Forssa has 43 seats. In the season from 2021 to 2025 the largest party is SDP, holding 13 seats.

Employment structure
In 2009 Forssa had 8,724 jobs, which were divided among the business sectors as follows:
 * agriculture and forestry: 184 (2.1%)
 * secondary sector: 2,953 (33.8%)
 * services: 5,530 (63.4%)
 * unknown: 57 (0.7%)

The secondary sector of the economy is still a significant business, but its proportion of the jobs has decreased noticeably. The proportion of the secondary sector was at its highest at 55.7% in 1975. The total number of jobs in Forssa had also decreased, the number of jobs was at its highest at 11,000 in 1990. During the early 1990s depression in Finland, the city lost about 2,000 jobs by 1995. Agriculture is practised in Forssa mainly in the area of the former municipality of Koijärvi.

The textile industry started by Wahren in the 19th century was the largest employer in the city up to the 1970s. After this, the construction industry rose to the largest industry thanks to the increase of activity of the company Rakennusvalmiste Oy founded by Armas Puolimatka. The third mineral wool factory of A. Ahlström (now known as Saint-Gobain Isover) was officially inaugurated at Pilvenmäki on 13 Octobner 1971. The factory had been undergoing test runs for a month before this.

Today the food industry is the largest industry in Forssa. HK Ruokatalo Oy has concentrated a large part of its activity in Forssa. The company Atria also has activities in the city after it bought the local company Liha ja Säilyke. The product label Forssan still remains on the market. The meat refinery company Hakala Oy represents the local food industry.

Largest companies
Notable employers in Forssa include:
 * the city of Forssa
 * HKScan
 * Atria
 * Punamusta
 * Parma
 * Parmarine
 * Saint-Gobain Isover
 * Vansco Electronics
 * Tambest Glass Solutions
 * DA-Group
 * Aste Finland
 * the wellbeing consortium of the Forssa region (FSHKY)

Employment situation
Forssa has traditionally been self-sufficient in employment. According to a 2009 statistic, the self-sufficiency rate was 125.5%. There are 3,444 outside people employed in Forssa, of which 2,299 are from the Forssa region and 1,145 from elsewhere. 39.5% of the jobs employ people living outside Forssa. According to a 2009 statistics 6,950 people from Forssa were employed. The most of them were employed in Forssa and 1,670 were employed elsewhere. Of the people employed outside Forssa, 737 people were employed in the Forssa region and 933 elsewhere in Finland. Thus 24.0% of the employed people in Forssa were employed outside their home city.

In 1990 the unemployment rate in Forssa was only 5.2%. During the following years, employment increased rapidly, coming to its highest in 1993. At the time a quarter of the people were unemployed. After this employment started to decrease, but increased again in 2008. Even at its lowest, the employment rate in Forssa was about twice as high as before the early 1990s depression. In 2018 the unemployment rate in Forssa was 12.8%, the highest in Tavastia Proper. The unemployment rate has been decreasing since 2016. The unemployment situation in Forssa is more serious than in Tavastia Proper or the Hämeenlinna and Riihimäki regions.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment named Forssa as an area of sudden structure change from 2008 to 2009 because of layoffs concerning over 500 employees. This was because of layoffs in the following companies:
 * Finlayson-Forssa announced layoffs and closed its unprofitable plastic factory in 2007. In 2008 the company went bankrupt.
 * Helkama Forste closed its factory in Forssa in 2008, moving production to Hungary and Russia.
 * In October 2008 Novart closed its kitchen utensil factory in Forssa, concentrating production in Nastola.

Other layoffs in the past years have included:
 * The Vapo Timber sawmill in Forssa closed in 2006.
 * The food industry companies HK Ruokatalo and Atria have laid some of their workers off.
 * Finlayson closed its Forssa factory in March 2009.
 * In August 2012 Fenestra closed its window factory in Forssa.

Education
There are currently eight primary schools in Forssa. The Haudankorpi lower stage primary school was discontinued in spring 1998. The Keskuskoulu and Kuhala school were formed into comprehensive primary schools containing all grades when the pupils from the Haudankorpi lower stage school were moved to Kuhala and the Linikkala upper stage primary school was merged into the Keskuskoulu school. At the same time, the Kuhala gymnasium was discontinued and gymnasium education was concentrated on the Linikkala gymnasium, which was renamed the Forssa Common Lyceum.

Lower stage schools (grades 1 to 6)
There are four lower stage primary schools in Forssa. Children from the northern part of the central urban area study at the Koijärvi school.
 * Heikka school
 * Koijärvi school
 * Talsoila school
 * Vieremä school

Comprehensive schools (grades 1 to 9)
There are two comprehensive schools in Forssa. Here the term comprehensive school refers to a school with all primary school grades 1 to 9.
 * Keskuskoulu school
 * Akvarelli all-activity house (primary school grades and early education)

Higher education
The Forssa Common Lyceum provides secondary education in Forssa, continuing the traditions of the oldest countryside secondary school in Finland.

Vocational education is provided by the education council of southwestern Tavastia. The council has combined the Forssa vocational institute (FAI) with the Faktia institute providing adult vocational education. Both youth and adult vocational education are located in the same premises except for the crane training in Faktia. Faktia is the only institute in Finland to provide tower and mobile crane training.

Higher vocational education is provided by the Forssa branch of the HAMK Häme University of Applied Sciences.

Other services
Forssa belongs to the service area of the Rescue Department of Tavastia Proper and has a fire station staffed by a permanent fire brigade. The same fire station also hosts the Forssa semi-permanent fire brigade. There are three voluntary fire brigades in Forssa: Forssan VPK, Matkun VPK and Suonpään VPK.

Culture and events
The Forssa cultural centre is located in a historical spinning mill area. The city hosts several museums and a theatre.

Forssa is known for its annual big events like in the first weekend of August held Holjat Festival as well as car enthusiasts get together in Pick-Nick, the biggest event in Northern Europe. A tradition is also annual Suvi-ilta Maraton - the second biggest marathon event in Finland. Suvi-ilta Maraton takes place a weekend before Midsummer. There is also a fairly popular harness racing track in Forssa. During the late summer and early autumn, the annual silent film festivals are held in Forssa.

Sports
The town was co-host of the 1982 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship for Women.

Notable people

 * Aarne Ervi (1910–1977)
 * Pentti Niinivuori (1931–1988)
 * Asko Parpola (born 1941)
 * Kalevi Aho (born 1949)
 * Juha Jyrkkiö (born 1959)
 * Mika Helkearo (born 1960)
 * Juuso Nevalainen (born 1997)
 * Miia Nuutila (born 1972)
 * Jonna Tervomaa (born 1973)
 * Johanna Paasikangas-Tella (born 1974)
 * Tuukka Kotti (born 1981)
 * Kirsi Perälä (born 1982)
 * Jussi Heikkilä (born 1983)
 * Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (born 1983)
 * Juuse Saros (born 1995)

Twin towns — Sister cities
Forssa is twinned with:
 * 🇸🇪 Södertälje, Sweden
 * 🇳🇴 Sarpsborg, Norway
 * Struer, Denmark
 * 🇷🇺 Serpukhov, Russia
 * 🇭🇺 Gödöllő, Hungary
 * 🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie, Canada

title: Forssa


text:
Ii, Finland

Ii (Ijo) is a municipality of Finland. It is situated by the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of river Iijoki, and it is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of 0 and covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water. The population density is undefined PD/km2.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish.

Ii merged with Kuivaniemi on 1 January 2007. The new municipality retained the name Ii, but adopted the coat of arms of Kuivaniemi. Ii is notable for having the shortest place name in Finland, and also one of the shortest ones in the world. The etymology is not definitively established; options are either Germanic origin or Sami origin. In the latter, it would mean "a place to stay overnight in"; cf. Northern Sami idja "night".

Beginning in 2008, Ii is home to the ART Ii Biennale of Northern Environmental and Sculpture Art, an international art fair.

The city has ambition to become the first zero waste town in the world, and its municipal manager claims that it does not use fossil fuels for energy.

History
Ii is named after the river Iijoki. The original name of the settlement was Iijoen kylä, first mentioned in 1374 as Yioki when it was a chapel community within the Pedersöre parish. The marketplace Iin Hamina has existed since the 14th century. Ii became a separate parish sometime before 1445.

The parish of Ii was originally larger than the modern municipality: it included Pudasjärvi and Taivalkoski until 1639, Kiiminki, Ylikiiminki and Haukipudas until 1858. The municipality of Kuivaniemi was split off in 1919 and Yli-Ii was split off in 1924.

Kuivaniemi became a part of Ii again in 2007. When Yli-Ii was merged into Oulu, a part of it was given to Ii as an exclave. This exclave contains the Pahkakoski hydroelectric power plant. The village of Jakkukylä and its surroundings, originally part of Yli-Ii and a part of Oulu from 2013, decided to join Ii in 2018.

Notable people

 * Juhamatti Aaltonen, ice hockey player
 * Pekka Ahmavaara, politician and father of Arvi Ahmavaara, another politician
 * Liisa Hyssälä, politician
 * Hannu Järvenpää, ice hockey player and coach
 * Tanja Kari, Paralympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing
 * Sanna Koivisto, sculptor

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Ii, Finland


text:
Greater Poland uprising (1918–1919)

The Greater Poland uprising of 1918–1919, or Wielkopolska uprising of 1918–1919 (powstanie wielkopolskie 1918–1919 roku; Großpolnischer Aufstand) or Posnanian War was a military insurrection of Poles in the Greater Poland region (German: Grand Duchy of Posen or Provinz Posen) against German rule. The uprising had a significant effect on the Treaty of Versailles, which granted a reconstituted Second Polish Republic the area won by the Polish insurrectionists. The region had been part of the Kingdom of Poland and then Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth before the 1793 Second Partition of Poland when it was annexed by the German Kingdom of Prussia. It had also, following the 1806 Greater Poland uprising, been part of the Duchy of Warsaw (1807–1815), a French puppet state during the Napoleonic Wars.

Background

After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, Poland had ceased to exist as an independent state. From 1795 through the beginning of World War I, several unsuccessful uprisings to regain independence took place. The Great Poland Uprising of 1806 was followed by the creation of the Duchy of Warsaw, which lasted for eight years before it was partitioned again between Prussia and Russia. Under German rule, Poles faced systematic discrimination and oppression. The Poles living in the region of Greater Poland were subjected to Germanisation and land confiscations to make way for German colonization.

At the end of World War I, US President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and the idea of national self-determination were met with opposition from European powers standing to lose influence or territory, such as Germany, which dominated Greater Poland. German politicians had signed an armistice leading to a ceasefire on 11 November 1918. Also, Germany had signed the with Bolshevik Russia to settle the territorial boundaries of the eastern frontiers. That treaty took into consideration of a future Polish state and so from then until the Treaty of Versailles was fully ratified in January 1920 many territorial and sovereignty issues remained unresolved.

Wilson's proposal for an independent Poland initially did not set borders that could be universally accepted. Most of Poland that was partitioned and annexed to Prussia in the late 18th-century was still part of Greater Germany at the close of World War I, the rest of the Kingdom of Poland being in Austria-Hungary. The portion in Germany included the region of Greater Poland, of which Poznań (Posen) was a major industrial city and its capital. The majority of the population was Polish (more than 60%) and hoped to be within the borders of the new Polish state.

Uprising

In late 1918, Poles hoping for a sovereign Poland started serious preparations for an uprising after abdication on 9 November 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire. The monarchy was replaced by the Weimar Republic.

The uprising broke out on 27 December 1918 in Poznań, after a patriotic speech by Ignacy Paderewski, the famous pianist, who would become the Polish prime minister in 1919.

The insurrectionist forces consisted of members of the Polish Military Organization, who formed the Straż Obywatelska (Citizen's Guard), later renamed as Straż Ludowa (People's Guard), which included many volunteers, who were mainly veterans of World War I. The first contingent to reach the Bazar Hotel, from where the uprising was initiated, was a 100-strong force from wildecka kompania Straży Ludowej (Wilda's People's Guard) led by Antoni Wysocki. The ruling body was the Naczelna Rada Ludowa (Supreme People's Council). Initially, the members of the council, including Captain Stanisław Taczak and General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki were against the uprising, but they changed their minds in support of the insurrection on 9 January 1919.

The timing was advantageous for the insurrectionists since between late 1918 and early 1919, internal conflict had weakened Germany, and many of its soldiers and sailors engaged in mutinous actions against the state. Demoralized by the signing of the armistice on 11 November 1918, the new German government was further embroiled in subduing the German Revolution.

By 15 January 1919, Poles had taken control of most of the province, and they engaged in heavy fighting with the regular German army and irregular units such as the Grenzschutz. Fighting continued until the renewal of the truce between the Entente and Germany on 16 February. The truce also affected the front line in Greater Poland, but despite the ceasefire, skirmishes continued until the final signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.

The uprising is one of the two most successful Polish uprisings, the other being the Great Poland uprising of 1806, which ended with the entry of Napoleon's army on the side of the Poles fighting against Prussia.

Many of the Greater Poland insurrectionists later took part in the Silesian Uprisings against German rule, which started in late 1919 and ended in 1921.

Appraisal
The uprising had a significant effect on the decisions in Versailles that granted Poland not only the area won by the insurrectionists but also major cities with a significant German population like Bydgoszcz (Bromberg), Leszno (Lissa) and Rawicz (Rawitsch), as well as the lands of the Polish Corridor, which were also part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth before the First Partition of Poland in 1772 and connected Poland to the Baltic Sea.

Germany's territorial losses following the Treaty of Versailles incited German revanchism, and created unresolved problems such as the status of the independent Free City of Danzig and of the Polish Corridor between East Prussia and the rest of Germany. This revanchism was not a popular political idea in the Weimar Republic. Attending to these issues was part of Adolf Hitler's political platform, but failed to gain any traction in the 1920s. The idea was relegated to the political margins, until the Nazis seized power.

Nevertheless, Nazi Germany effectively recognised Poland's new borders in the German–Polish declaration of non-aggression of 1934, which normalised relations between the two countries. However, after the death of Polish leader Józef Piłsudski (who was admired by Hitler), the German Anschluss with Austria and the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, Hitler unilaterally withdrew from the German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact and invaded Poland in 1939, which led to the outbreak of World War II.

Earlier events

 * January 1916: creation of Secret Inter-Party Citizen's Committee (pl. Tajny Międzypartyjny Komitet Obywatelski) formed by members of the German Reichstag of Polish nationality.
 * July 1918: a network of local Citizens' Committees is created on area of Prussian Partition.
 * 11 October 1918: Polish organizations in the German Empire publicise common documents in which they declare the will to create independent Polish state and, in effect, revolution.
 * 9 November 1918: beginning of the German Revolution, which also occurred in Greater Poland. Poles organized secret military structures in the Poznań garrison, Jarocin and Inowrocław.
 * 10 November 1918: events of the so-called Republika Ostrowska.
 * 11 November 1918
 * Armistice signed, ending the hostilities of World War I.
 * The Citizens' Guard (Straż Obywatelska), renamed a few days later to the People's Guard (Straż Ludowa), comes out from the underground. The mayor of Poznań (Posen), Ernst Wilms, is removed from office. German military authorities give permission for functioning of the People's Guard to keep peace in the Province of Posen.
 * 12 November 1918
 * The Central Citizen's Committee, later renamed to the Supreme People's Council (Naczelna Rada Ludowa, NRL), creates temporary "government-in-waiting" Commission (Komisariat): Stanisław Adamski, Wojciech Korfanty, and Adam Poszwiński
 * Jarogniew Drwęski becomes the Mayor of Poznań.
 * 13 November 1918
 * Commission of the High People's Council calls citizens of German portion of Poland to keep calm in spite of the revolution.
 * "Assassination on City Hall": dominated by Germans, the Execution Department of Worker's and Soldier's Council proceeded to Poznań's City Hall, an armed group of Poles forces it to change four of the German delegates with Polish ones: Bohdan Hulewicz, Mieczysław Paluch, Henryk Śniegocki and Zygmunt Wiza. Poles thus gain control over the headquarters of Poznań Garrison and 5th Corps.
 * 17 November 1918: the Commission of the NRL calls for a one-time collection of money called a "national tax".
 * 18 November 1918: elections to Poviat's People's Councils and members of the partition's Sejm (1399 MPs).
 * 20 November 1918: the Polish government in Warsaw publishes przyłączenie Wielkopolski będzie jednym z pierwszych naszych zadań (the joining of Greater Poland will be one of our first tasks).
 * 3 December 1918: The Partition Sejm of Poznań begins its official proceedings in the "Apollo" Cinema. MPs represent all lands of the Prussian Partition and Polish economic emigration, mainly from Westfalen.
 * 5 December 1918: the end of the Partition Sejm, which declared its desire for unification with the other partitions in a renewed Poland, and the NRL officially elected its members.
 * 6 December 1918: the first meeting of the NRL has Bolesław Krysiewicz become the speaker. Election of executive body, Commission of the NRL, formed by representatives of Greater Poland - Stanisław Adamski and Władysław Seyda Upper Silesia: Wojciech Korfanty and Józef Rymer; Eastern Pomerania: Stefan Łaszewski Kuyavia: Adam Poszwiński.
 * 11 December 1918: the Polish language and the teaching of religion in Polish return to schools.
 * 15 December 1918: the Polish government in Warsaw breaks diplomatic relations with Germany.

Uprising

 * 27 December 1918: The uprising starts in the evening with shooting in front of Poznań's police headquarters. Fighting also start in other towns: Szamotuły, Środa Wielkopolska, Pniewy, Opalenica, Buk, Trzemeszno, Września and Gniezno are captured. Poles in Poznań capture the main train station, the main post office and part of city fortifications.
 * 28 December 1918:
 * The Poles in Poznań capture Cytadela (a main stronghold), Fort Grolmann and an armory on ul. Wielkie Garbary
 * The commission of the NRL promotes Captain Stanisław Taczak to temporary commander-in-chief of the uprising (he is also promoted to rank of major).
 * 29 December 1918: The Poles capture Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Kłecko, Kórnik, Wielichowo, Gostyń, Witkowo and other towns.
 * 30 December 1918
 * Failure of peace talks between the insurgents and the German authorities, the latter refusing to take the responsibility for the hostilities of 27 December.
 * In Poznań, the Poles force the German 6th Regiment of Grenadiers from their barracks. After talks, the regiment leaves the city with their weapons.
 * The Poles capture Wronki, Wągrowiec, Gołańcz. Polish soldiers stop a German offensive against Gniezno near Zdziechowa.
 * 31 December 1918
 * The Poles capture Kościan, Oborniki Wielkopolskie, Ostrów Wielkopolski.
 * A unit of Poles under command of Paweł Cyms begins offensive on Cuiavia.
 * 1 January 1919
 * Paderewski leaves Poznań.
 * The capture of Jarocin, Krotoszyn and Mogilno.
 * 3 January 1919: to avoid anarchy in Greater Poland, the Commission of the NRL decides to take over control of the spontaneous uprising but also decides that the decision should be kept secret.
 * 4 January 1919: The Commission of the NRL decrees a new president of the Province of Poznań, Wojciech Trąmpczyński. German authorities call for boycotting him.
 * 5 January 1919: Czarnków, Jutrosin, Kruszwica, Nakło, Nowy Tomyśl, Miejska Górka, Rawicz, Strzelno and Wolsztyn are captured by the Poles.
 * 6 January 1919
 * The Poles capture Ławica Airport, Poznań, with all aircraft undamaged.
 * Fighting near Czersk and Kościerzyna in Pomerania.
 * Inowrocław captured.
 * 7 January 1919
 * The Poles divide captured lands into seven Military Districts (Okręg Wojskowy).
 * The Germans recapture Chodzież and Czarnków.
 * 8 January 1919
 * The Commission of the NRL takes all civil and military authority without declaring territorial range of that power. It also promotes General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki to commander-in-chief of the uprising forces.
 * The Poles recapture Chodzież Battle of Chodzież and Czarnków. They also win the Battle of Ślesin and capture Sieraków.
 * 9 January 1919
 * The NRL officially announces that it takes control over Greater Poland. Beginning of polonisation of administration, most former anti-Polish officials being fired. In powiats, German landrats are subordinated to Polish starostas, which latw take all their power.
 * Poles lose Nakło.
 * Polish airmen bomb military airfield in Frankfurt (Oder)
 * 10 January 1919: fights on southern front near Kąkolewo, Leszno and Rydzyna. Poles capture Sarnowa.
 * 11 January 1919: The Germans recapture Sarnowa and win in Battle of Zbąszyń; Polish victory in Battle of Szubin and capture Łabiszyn, Złotniki and Żnin.
 * 12 January 1919: fighting near Leszno and Lipno.
 * 13 January 1919: The Germans recapture Szamocin.
 * 14 January 1919: The Commission of the NRL appeals to Roman Dmowski for help negotiate a ceasefire.
 * 15 January 1919: failed attempt to recapture Szamocin by Poles.
 * 16 January 1919
 * The first number of Tygodnik Urzędowy Naczelnej Rady Ludowej, with the laws of the NRL, is published.
 * The Polish government of Ignacy Paderewski has two politicians of Greater Poland: Józef Englich, the minister of treasury, and Kazimierz Hącia, the minister of industry and trade.
 * 17 January 1919: Men born in 1897, 1898, and 1899 are called up and drafted into Great Polish Army.
 * 20 January 1919: the transfer of money to banks of Germany on the other side of the front line is forbidden.
 * 21 January 1919
 * NRL creates oath of soldiers of Great Polish Army.
 * 22 January 1919
 * Northern front: Poles are forced to leave Potulice.
 * Southern front: Poles win the Battle of Robaczysko.
 * Joseph Noulens is nominated by Supreme Council of Allied Countries as chief of Allied mission in Poland.
 * 23 January 1919: Poles defend Miejska Górka after heavy fighting.
 * 25 January 1919
 * Poles capture Babimost and Kargowa.
 * All communication between Greater Poland and Germany is broken.
 * Decree cancels Prussian prohibition of Polish language in schools.
 * 26 January 1919: Great Polish Army soldiers, commanded by Dowbór-Muśnicki, give an oath on Wilhelm Platz, renamed on Plac Wolności (Freedom Square), in Poznań.
 * 28 January 1919: German offensive ("Butteroffensive") in area of Bydgoszcz and Nakło. In the Battle of Rynarzewo, the Germans capture Szubin.
 * 29 January 1919: Roman Dmowski gives a speech in front of Supreme Council of Allied Countries in which he asserts Polish rights to the Prussian Partition and accuses the Germans of two-faced policies.
 * 2 February 1919: Polish-German talks start in Berlin.
 * 3 February 1919: The Poles stop a German offensive on the northern front. Their counterattack forces a German withdrawal to northern bank of the Noteć River. The Poles recapture Rynarzewo and win the Battle of Kcynia.
 * 4 February 1919
 * Poles recapture Szubin. Heavy fighting on the southern front near Rawicz.
 * Talks between the Polish government in Warsaw and Commission of the NRL begin on the representation of Greater Poland in the Sejm Ustawodawczy.
 * 5 February 1919: Failure of talks in Berlin, with Germans demanding the demobilisation of the Great Polish Army, Polish recognition of German claims to Greater Poland and the payment by the Poles for all damage made during the uprising. However, the Triple Entente remarks that both sides are ready for peace talks.
 * 6 February 1919: end of talks about representation of the Prussian Partition in Sejm Ustawodawczy. Since Cuiavia, Silesia and Pomerania are still officially part of Germany, to avoid international repercussions, the Polish government and the NRL decide to cancel the planned election of 126 MPs, giving temporary right of representation of the Prussian Partition to 16 MPs of Reichstag.
 * 7 February 1919
 * Heavy fighting in Kolno, which is captured many times by both sides.
 * The Commission of the NRL promotes 122 former NCOs of the German Army to second lieutenant.
 * Józef Piłsudski signs a decree officially allowing 16 MPs from the Prussian Partition to participate in Sejm Ustawodawczy.
 * 9 February 1919: The Poles stop a German offensive near Trzciel.
 * 10 February 1919: The Poles stop a German attack near Rawicz.
 * 11 February 1919: The Commission of the NRL dissolves all town councils, giving 25 March as date of new elections.
 * 12 February 1919: Germans use an armoured train to capture Kargowa and Babimost, but their offensive is stopped near Kopanica.
 * 14 February 1919
 * Talks start on extending the ceasefire that ended World War I. The German delegation is against extending it for Greater Poland, but France forces it through.
 * The German headquarters is moved to Kolberg, as a part of preparations to use all forces against Greater Poland.
 * 16 February 1919: The extension of the Allied-German ceasefire in Trier is signed, which also refers to Greater Poland. The Polish army is referred to as Allied forces. A military demarcation line was established.

Between ceasefire and reunification
The demarcation line was defined as follows:
 * 18 February 1919: In spite of the ceasefire, there is fighting near Rynarzewo. The Poles capture the armoured train.
 * 9 February 1919: A volunteer company of Great Polish soldiers moves to Lesser Poland to fight against the Ukrainians.
 * 20 March 1919: The Ostmarkenzulage, a special allowance for German officials working in the eastern provinces to stimulate the German colonization of the Prussian Partition, is canceled.
 * 23 March 1919: The Poles win a landslide in elections to the city council of Poznań.
 * 24 March 1919: The Commission of the NRL asks the Polish government in Warsaw to create separate administration of the former Prussian Partition, as it is far more developed than the rest of the country. Ignacy Paderewski forces the government to leave all power in hands of the NRL until the final recognition of Polish-German border, with later autonomy there (only Upper Silesia would obtain it). The NRL mobilises men born in 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894 and 1901.
 * 5 April 1919: The Sejm Ustawodawczy announces byelections in the former Province of Posen for next 42 MPs.
 * 9 April 1919: The Commission of the NRL decrees an eight-hour workday in industry and trade.
 * 10 April 1919: The Commission of the NRL decrees the removal of signs in German language from offices and train stations the changing of all streets names into Polish. The punishment for breaking the law is two years of prison and a fine of Mp. 10,000.
 * 16 April 1919: The NRL decides that 3 May is the national holiday.
 * 7 May 1919: The Wszechnica Piastowska is opened.
 * 15 May 1919: Polish becomes the only official language. German is auxiliary, but a lack of Polish-speaking officials means German is still used in the judiciary until 1920.
 * 25 May 1919: The Army of Great Poland is subjugated to the headquarters of the Polish Army but keeps its separate organisation.
 * 30 May 1919: The People's Guard is transformed to the Home Defence (Obrona Krajowa).
 * 1 June 1919: By-elections of MPs to Sejm Ustawodawczy.
 * 6 June 1919
 * Skirmishes near Bydgoszcz (Bromberg).
 * The rising threat of a German offensive induces the Commission of the NRL to introduce a state of emergency in all lands under its jurisdiction. In a belt of 20 km from the front line, it introduces martial law. A few days later, the NRL announces capital punishment for acting against the Great Polish Army or for the German army.
 * 18 June 1919: Skirmishes near Rynarzewo.
 * 28 June 1919: The Treaty of Versailles gives almost all of Greater Poland to Poland.
 * 1 July 1919
 * The Commission of the NRL removes customs border with ex-Kingdom of Poland.
 * Artillery fire at front.
 * 9 July 1919: Farther than 20 km from the front, end of state of emergency.
 * 10 July 1919: Proceedings of the Polish government with Commission of the NRL on further policy in the former Prussian Partition (Były Zabór Pruski). Creation of the Ministry of the Former Prussian Partition (Ministerstwo Byłej Dzielnicy Pruskiej).
 * 1 August 1919: Sejm Ustawodawczy votes on a resolution on the "Temporary Organisation of Government in the former Prussian Partition" (O tymczasowej organizacji zarządu byłej dzielnicy pruskiej), creating the Ministry of the Former Prussian Partition and a plan of gradual unification of Greater Poland with the rest of the country.
 * 12 August 1919: Władysław Seyda becomes the first minister of the Former Prussian Partition.
 * 19 August 1919: The NRL is dissolved.
 * 28 August 1919: The headquarters of the Polish Army decides that the Greater Polish Army will join the Polish Army and that its headquarters will be transferred to the headquarters of the Seventh Corps.
 * 6 November 1919: The Commission of the NRL is dissolved.
 * 10 January 1920: Ratification of Treaty of Versailles, which has Polish forces in Greater Poland take control over small amounts of Greater Poland's territories given to Poland that are resisting German control and Eastern Pomerania.
 * 13 January 1920: The headquarters of the Greater Poland front orders preparations for implementing the treaty.
 * 17 January 1920: beginning of the occupation of the remaining German-held territories assigned to Poland by the treaty.
 * 8 March 1920: The Greater Poland front is dissolved.

Epilogue

 * 24 March 2005: the last surviving Polish fighter in the uprising, Lieutenant Jan Rzepa, dies at the age of 106.

title: Greater Poland uprising (1918–1919)


text:
Kajaani

Kajaani, historically known as Cajanaburg (Kajana), is a town in Finland and the regional capital of Kainuu. Kajaani is located southeast of Lake Oulu, which drains into the Gulf of Bothnia through the Oulu River. The population of Kajaani is approximately 0, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 0. It is the most populous municipality in Finland.

The town was founded in the 17th century, fueled by the growth of the tar industry, but it was preceded by a long history of settlements. During the Great Northern War it succumbed to Russian forces, who ruined Kajaani Castle in 1716. Today, the local economy is mainly driven by the sawmill, lumber, and paper industries, although UPM Kymmene's paper mill, the main employer from 1907 until 2008, has since closed. Kajaani's church was built in 1896 in the Neo-Gothic style by the architect Jac Ahrenberg to replace an earlier church. Kajaani's town theatre was established in 1969.

Kajaani is home to two football clubs, AC Kajaani and Kajaanin Haka, and the ice hockey team Hokki. The Kajaani University of Applied Sciences was established in 1992. Kajaani is also home to LUMI, the "fastest supercomputer in the EU", which is located on the former paper mill site of UPM.

History
Kajaani was one of the cities founded on 6 March 1651 by the Swedish Governor General of Finland, Per Brahe. At that time, the Kainuu region—as wood country—was an important producer of tar derived from pine, and the tar trade was its major industry. In 1653-4 the district court sessions of Kajaani and Sotkamo were responsible for authorizing a road to be built between Säräisniemi and Raahe, improving communications in the region.

During the Greater Wrath in the 18th century, Kajaani Castle was forced to surrender to Russian forces. The Russians blew the castle up in March 1716, and it has been in ruins ever since. On 17 October 1808, General Johan August Sandels won a key victory to the south of Kajaani near Iisalmi during the Battle of Koljonvirta of the Finnish War, when his army of just 1,800 defeated over 6,000 Russians. There is a monument on the east side of the river marking where the spot where Lieutenant Jakob Henrik Zidén and Major-General Mikhail Petrovich Dolgorukov fell.

In early 1833, medical doctor Elias Lönnrot, best known for compiling the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland, was appointed district physician in Kajaani and was assigned to assist in dealing with the typhoid and cholera epidemic which was raging during the 1830s. The disease was difficult to treat and he soon fell ill himself with typhus at the end of February 1833 but recovered. Kajaani was severely affected by the famine in 1867-1868 which devastated much of Finland, but the town gradually recovered and by the end of the century had grown to more than 1200 inhabitants. Kajaani Town Hall was built in 1831, the former City Library in 1852, Kainuu's first elementary school in 1883, and Kajaani Church in 1896 as it grew into a notable settlement.

The paper industry took off in Kajaani in the early 20th century in particular. Kajaani Paper Mill was built in 1907 and was run by the firm Kajaani Oy, which had a capital of FMK 5,000,000 (£137,615) in 1948. Kajaani Oy was eventually acquired by Valmet in 1983, and the subsidiary Kajaani Electronics was formed. Ämmäkoski power plant was built on the river in 1917 by the Kajaani Lumber Company, and underwent alterations under architect Eino Pitkänen in the 1940s.

The city's grew in the 1960s to 14,600 inhabitants. Industrial development in the 1970s, and the merger of the separate rural municipality of Kajaani, Kajaanin maalaiskunta, and the city in 1977 saw the population jump to 34,574 by 1980. Vuolijoki was consolidated with Kajaani at the beginning of 2007.

In 2012, an oil spill occurred in Kajaani. 110,000 liters of oily water leaked into a river that eventually flowed into the Oulujärvi lake.

Geography
Kajaani is situated in the heart of central Finland. By road is it 558 km north-northwest of Helsinki, 170 km north of Kuopio, and 182 km southeast of Oulu. Villages in the vicinity include Jormua, Koutaniemi, Kuluntalahti, Lahnasjärvi, Lehtovaara, Linnantaus, Mainua, Murtomäki and Paltaniemi. Districts of Kajaani include: Heinisuo, Hetteenmäki, Hoikankangas, Huuhkajanvaara, Katiska, Kettu, Komiaho, Kuurna, Kylmä, Kättö, Kätönlahti, Laajankangas, Lehtikangas, Lohtaja, Nakertaja, Onnela, Palokangas, Petäisenniska, Puistola, Purola, Soidinsuo, Suvantola, Teppana, Tihisenniemi, Tikkapuro, Variskangas and Yläkaupunki.

Kajaani lies on the Kajaani River, between the lakes of Oulujärvi, which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulu River, and Nuasjärvi. Between Kajaani and Oulujärvi are the smaller lakes of Sokajärvi and Paltajärvi, which are frozen during winter. Paltajärvi stands between the Kajaani River and Oulujärvi. The Kajaani and Vuolijoki rivers are noted for their fishing. The island of Käkisaari lies on lake Oulujärvi to the northwest of the town and features residential houses and about 150 summer cottages and holiday apartments, and the island of Toukka lies in the eastern part of the lake. Also within the municipality is the 34.7 km2 Laakajärvi, a lake with a maximum depth of 25 m, which is a notable nesting area for Great black-backed gull and ospreys.

The surrounding area is dominated by mainly conifer forest, with broad-leafed birch and alder woods on some of the steeper banks and streams. An early 20th century analysis of vegetation cover in Kajaani county recorded 385 different species of vascular plants. Talaskangas Nature Reserve, with nearly pristine natural forest and about 50 different wildlife species, is in the Vieremä and Sonkajärvi local area. Logging was planned in the 1980s, but environmental activists prevented exploitation through lobbying. The reserve was formally established in 1994.

Climate
Kajaani lies within the subarctic climate zone (Köppen: Dfc), but the proximity of the Baltic Sea and warm airflows from the Atlantic Ocean (as well as warm current) result in a much milder climate than many locations at this latitude. Summers are cool, with the hottest month usually in July, with the average high temperature reaching 20 °C, although during severe heatwaves highs of 31 °C have been reached in July and August and a local record of 34.5 °C (94.1 °F), was registered in July during the heatwave of 2010. The summers also have the most rainfall, reaching a peak in July with 99 mm. Rainfall is fairly constant throughout the year, with no dry season. Winters can be harsh, and temperatures can drop below -30 °C. The peak of the cold season on average lasts from December 11 to March 8, with an average daily high temperature below -3 °C, with the greatest snowfall in January.

Demographics
As of, the municipality has a population of 0 (around 34,000 in the town itself) and covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 is water. The population density is undefined PD/km2.

The municipality is unilingually Finnish (only NaN of people from Kajaani speak Swedish as their first language).

Government
The Kajaani City Council consists of 51 members and following the 2012 municipal election the seats are divided for the Centre Party (13), the Finns Party (9), the National Coalition Party (8), the Left Alliance (8), the Social Democratic Party (7), independent (3), the Green League (2) and the Christian Democrats (1). The chairperson of the City Council is Jaana Sankilampi from the Finns Party. The City Government, which includes all parties with the exception of the Christian Democrats and independents, is headed by Marjatta Immonen. The Mayor, whose duty is that of a civil servant independent of the city council, is Jari Tolonen.

Economy
The budgeted income of Kajaani was FIM 930 million in 1996. In its earlier history, Kajaani was a thriving center of the tar industry. A channel built in 1846 especially for the transportation of tar out of the town still exists today.

Today the local economy is driven by mainly the sawmill, lumber and paper industries. Kajaani paper mill, established in 1907 by Kajaani Oy (ex Kajaanin Puutavara Osakeyhtio), was the largest private employer in Kajaani. The factories are on the river bank, at Tihisenniemi. They built a new paper machine in the town in 1980 which was projected to have an annual output of 170,000 tons. Kajaani Oy was eventually acquired by Valmet in 1983, and the subsidiary Kajaani Electronics was formed. Kajaani Electronics was cited as "one of the leading makers of special sensors and analyzers for the pulp and paper industry" in 1990. When the paper mill was acquired by UPM Kymmene in 1989 it became the third-largest paper company in Finland. It closed in 2008 due to lack of profitability and high energy costs, but has since continued its operations, and was sold to Pölkky Oy in 2012. In the early 1970s an electronics manufacturing plant was built in Kajaani, and the firm Kajaani Automation was established in 1980. As of 1999 the peat industry in Kajaani earned FIM 0.5 million annually. Some 222 hectares is allocated to peat production, with private firm Vapo Oy contracted to exploit it and deliver peat to the power plant.

According to 1999 figures, Kajaani earns FIM 3 million a year by selling forestry products, and also receives a sizable income from tourist-related activities from its forests. Fishing also contributes to the income of people in the town. Kajaani has three main hotels, the 191-room Scandic Kajanus Kajaani, Hotel Kajaani and Original Sokos Hotel Valjus, although the  Karolineburg Manor House now also functions as a hotel with 20 rooms. The Sirius restaurant, cited as the best restaurant in the town, serves Finnish cuisine, and is housed in a former government building which hosted conferences between Leonid Brezhnev and Urho Kekkonen. Also of note is the Chinese restaurant Golden Dragon, the Torero which serves Spanish cuisine, Hospoda Kourna and Pikantti. The Central Hospital of Kainuu, which serves the wider region, is situated in Kajaani. Opened in 1968, it has a number of specialist medical departments andworks in cooperation with the Oulu University Hospital. The town also has an eye clinic.

Kainuu Brigade, a unit of the Finnish Army established in 1966, is the third biggest employer in the city. The brigade trains around 4,000 conscripts each year and employs 500 military personnel and 100 civilians.

Landmarks
Kajaani Castle, located on an island on the Kajaani river in the centre of the city, was originally built in 1604 and was commissioned by Charles IX of Sweden. The castle served as an administrative centre, prison, military base and a refuge for the citizens. The Town Hall of Kajaani, on the main square, Raatihuoneentori, was built to the design of Carl Engel in 1831 with a central rooftop clocktower and turret. It underwent restoration in 1990 when it was painted in a "fetching yellow ochre" color.

Kajaani Church was built in 1896 in the Neo-Gothic style by architect Jac Ahrenberg. It replaced an earlier church on the spot which was originally built in 1656 and destroyed by the Russians in 1716 at the time when Kajaani castle was destroyed. The second church was built 1734-35 which served the parish for 160 years until replaced with Ahrenberg's new church. The church, built from wood, has three naves and features a delicate, slender bell tower. It is decorated with English Gothic style carvings. Kajaani Orthodox Church (Kajaanin ortodoksinen seurakunta), which has a regional membership of about 1880 members is centred at Christ Church of the Transfiguration in Kajaani. The church was completed in 1959 to designs by Ilmari Ahonen. It contains murals painted by Petros Sasaki and Alkiviadis Kepolas. In the suburb of Paltaniemi is a church, originally built in 1599, and considered to be the regional centre for the Lutheran Church.

There is a mosque in the town, which is the center of the regional Kainuu Islamic community, which in 2013 had 174 members. Eino Leno House, containing a cafe, was built in 1978 to commemorate famous poet Eino Leino, a native of the town. Keisarintalli, a wooden stable, was used as a boarding house for Tsar Alexander I of Russia during his tour of Finland in 1819. Also of note is the Urho Kekkonen Memorial, dedicated to the eighth Finnish president, Urho Kekkonen. The 8 m high monument was carved by sculptor Pekka Kauhanen and was unveiled on 3 September 1990, exactly 90 years after Kekkonen's birth.

Culture
The Kajaani Town Theatre, established in 1969, puts on plays and concerts, typically seen by around 200 people. The Art Museum of Kajaani (Kajaanin taidemuseo), located in a building that was a police station, which is connected to Kajaani's former city hall. was founded in 1993 and centers on Finnish modern art. Kainuu Museum (Kainuun Museo) displays information related to the tar industry, the Kalevala (the national epic of Finland) and author Elias Lönnrot and others on the ground floor, and regularly hosts temporary exhibitions upstairs.

The most notable annual cultural events in Kajaani are Kajaanin Runoviikko (The Kajaani Poetry Week), originally known as Sana ja Sävel, and Kainuun JazzKevät (The Kainuu Jazz Spring). Kajaani Orchestra began in the 1950s, and was expanded when the Kuopio garrison band moved to Kajaani in 1963.

Radio Kajaus, one of Finland's oldest local radios, began operations in Kajaani in 1989, and remains one of the few completely independent radio stations in Finland. Kainuu Radio, which belongs to the Yle, broadcasts Monday to Friday from 6.30 to 17.00.

Education
The town is served by the Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, a small university of applied sciences which was established in 1992. It provides courses in Activity Tourism, Information Systems, Nursing and Healthcare, Mechanical and Mining Engineering and Business and Innovations, and offers 8 Bachelor's degree programmes and 5 Master programmes delivered in Finnish. The Research Center for Developmental Teaching and Learning at Kajaani University Consortium is associated with the University of Oulu. There is also a polytechnical institute in Kajaani, which had an enrollment of 653 students in the mid 1990s. In 2022, the 550 PetaFLOP LUMI (Large Unified Modern Infrastructure) supercomputer began operation at the CSC data center in the town, where it has been confirmed as the fastest supercomputer in Europe and among the top five in the world.

The government-run Kainuu Music Institute was founded in 1957, and is part of the Kaukametsä Congress and Culture Centre. It is one of the largest musical institutes in Finland, with an enrollment of about 900 from the wider Kainuu region. Kainuu Music dance department Ballet Kaukametsä teaches dance to dancers of different ages. The public library of Kajaani is situated on Kauppakatu street and has free Internet access, and there is also a mobile library service. The Kajaani Journal has been publishing since at least 1919.

Sports
Kajaani has two football clubs, AC Kajaani and Kajaanin Haka. AC Kajaani was formed in 2006 after the merger of FC Tarmo and Kajaanin Palloilijat (KaPa), and plays their home games at the Kajaanin Liikuntapuisto. The men's football first team currently plays in the Kakkonen (Division 2). Kajaanin Haka was formed in 1953 and plays at the Kajaanin liikuntapuisto stadium. The men's football first team currently plays in the Kolmonen (Division 3). The local ice hockey team, Hokki, plays in the Mestis league. Kajaani ice rink (Kajaanin jäähalli) was inaugurated in 1989 and accommodates for 2372 spectators, 781 in seating and 1591 in standing. There is a race course (Kajaanin ravirata) about 9 mi to the north of the centre of Kajaani in Kuluntalahden, which hosts competitions only during the summer season. The track was completed in 2008 with a new café-restaurant.

Kajaani has hiking paths, skiing tracks, gyms, and sports grounds within the municipality. Pöllyvaara and the Vimpeli Hills are notable local ski areas, frequented by tourists during the winter months. Fishing is popular along the banks of the river. Kajaani also has a golf course, and there are also several dancing pavilions in the town.

Transport
There are two important highways from the direction of Helsinki to Kajaani: Highway 5 (E63) and Highway 6. In addition, Highway 22 leads to Kajaani from the direction of Oulu. There is a daily bus service operating between Kajaani, Oulu, Kemijärvi and Rukatunturi, and Bus No.4 runs hourly during weekdays from Pohjolankatu in Kajaani to Paltaniemi. During the summer months there is a cruise service operating between Joensuu and Nurmes.

Kajaani railway station opened in 1905 when the railway from Iisalmi to Kajaani was completed as an extension to the Savonia railroad. The station building was designed by Gustaf Nyström. The Kajaani station trackyard underwent significant upgrading and repair work in 2005, when the railway from Iisalmi to Kontiomäki was electrified. Four trains arrive daily from Helsinki via Kouvola and Kuopio, with the journey taking 7–10 hours to Helsinki depending on the train. There are also daily trains from Joensuu, and connecting trains between Nurmes and Kajaani. Kajaani Airport, approximately 7 km northwest of Kajaani in the Paltaniemi area, is the main local airport. It is operated by Finavia, and also serves needs of non-commercial general aviation. Construction of the airport began in 1939 with the runway being completed in the autumn, but due to World War it was not fully opened until 22 June 1956. Aegean Airlines and Flybe Nordic provides flights to Chania and Helsinki. The Finnair connection to Helsinki operates during the summer twice daily and three times a day during the winter schedule period. In 2013 the airport served 74,558 passengers.

Notable people

 * Antti Halonen, ice hockey player
 * Eino Leino, poet and journalist
 * Elias Lönnrot, philologist and poetry collector; compiler of The Kalevala
 * Henrik Flöjt, biathlon athlete
 * Jorma Korhonen, judoka
 * Jouko Karjalainen, skier
 * Marko Kemppainen, skeet shooter
 * Matti Heikkinen, skier
 * Olli Malmivaara, ice hockey player
 * Pekka Suorsa, ski jumper
 * Riku Nieminen, actor and dancer
 * Sakari Kukko, musician
 * Tommi Leinonen, ice hockey player
 * Urho Kekkonen, 8th President of Finland
 * Kasperi Heikkinen, Guitar player

Twin towns — Sister cities
Kajaani is twinned with:

title: Kajaani


text:
Kemi

Kemi ( ; Kiemâ; Ǩeeʹmm) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is 105 km to the south and to Rovaniemi is 117 km to the northeast. It was founded in 1869 by a decree of the Emperor Alexander II of Russia because of its proximity to a deepwater port.

The town has a population of 0 and covers an area of undefined km2 of which undefined km2 are water. The population density is undefined PD/km2.

World War II hostage crisis
During World War II, after Finland signed the Moscow Armistice and found itself involved in the Lapland War against its former German ally, German forces at the beginning of October 1944 captured 132 Finnish civilian hostages in Kemi (as well as 130 in Rovaniemi) and threatened to kill them unless the Finnish army released the German POWs captured in the Battle of Tornio. However, Finland refused to comply and threatened to retaliate by killing the German POWs. The hostages were released unharmed on October 11, 1944, near Rovaniemi.

Geography
Kemi is situated on the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of the river Kemijoki, and it is part of the Lapland region.

Climate
The climate type of Kemi is a typical subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc). It is characterized by long, cold winters and warm, short summers; but because it is on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, the characteristics of its continental climate are not as pronounced as inland areas.

Economy
The main economic activity in Kemi is centered on two large paper and woodpulp mills and on the only chromium mine in Europe (which supplies the Outokumpu ferrochrome plant in Tornio).

The Chinese company Kaidi has announced plans to build the world's first second-generation biomass plant in Kemi, scheduled to begin operations in 2019.

In April 2007, the city of Kemi laid off all of its municipal workers for two weeks due to the failing economy of the city. Spiraling specialist healthcare costs and a fleeing industry tax base are stated as the cause for the firing. These are the most drastic temporary dismissals to take place in Finland since 2000.

Sights
Kemi has a claim to fame as the home of the world's largest snow castle (reconstructed every year to a different design). The SnowCastle of Kemi is usually built in the inner harbor of the city.

A model of The Crown of Finland (the original was never made for the King of Finland) is kept in the town's gemstone gallery. It also houses replicas of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain, the scepter of the Czar of Russia, the Orbs of Denmark, and the diamond necklace of Marie Antoinette, among other items.

Additional attractions include:
 * Kemi church
 * Kemi Gemstone Gallery
 * Icebreaker Sampo
 * The sailship Jähti

Culture
Kemi is the hometown of the power metal band Sonata Arctica.

Politics
Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in Kemi:

 * Left Alliance 26.2%
 * Social Democratic Party 23.6%
 * The Finns Party 19.8%
 * Center Party 13.6%
 * National Coalition Party 7.2%
 * Green League 5.1%
 * Movement Now 1.8%
 * Christian Democrats 0.7%
 * Communist Worker‘s Party - For Peace and Socialism 2,7%

Transportation
Kemi railway station is an intermediate station on the railway between Lapland and Helsinki. It is operated by VR. The junction of the Kolari and Rovaniemi lines lies to the north of Kemi station.

Finnish national road 4 and European routes E8 and E75 run through the town.

Kemi-Tornio Airport is located 4.5 km north of Kemi city center.

The Port of Kemi is a cargo port handling containerised and bulk cargo as well as oil and petrochemical products.

Education
A polytechnic university of applied sciences is situated in Kemi.

Notable residents

 * Juhani Paasivirta (1919–1993), Finnish historian
 * Ensio Seppänen (1924–2008), Finnish sculptor and professor
 * Anna-Liisa Tiekso (1929–2010), Finnish politician

Twin towns – sister cities
Kemi is twinned with:
 * 🇳🇴 Tromsø (Norway), since 1940
 * 🇷🇺 Volgograd (Russia), since 1953
 * 🇸🇰 Liptovský Mikuláš (Slovakia)
 * Newtownards (Northern Ireland)
 * 🇭🇺 Székesfehérvár (Hungary)
 * 🇸🇪 Luleå (Sweden)

title: Kemi