The Gustavian VaasaErkki Salminen
The 18th century, the age of Enlightenment, was a period of favourable development in the Swedish kingdom. General parceling out of land made farming more efficient and craftsmanship developed. Particularly, tar-burning brought wealth to the Ostrobothnian country side and coastal towns.
The accession to the throne by Gustavus III brought along some changes in the government of Finland; he ordered the founding of a Court of Appeal in Vaasa to rule over northern Finland. New roads and post routes improved communication with the rest of Finland, although good connections to Stockholm by sea were even more important to Vaasa.
ln the last decades of the 18th century, due to the new Court of Appeal and the obtaining of stable rights, Vaasa grew and received a new, educated upper class, which introduced sophisticated customs and cultural activities. At the end of the century Vaasa was the second largest town in Ostrobothnia, after Oulu, with more than 2000 inhabitants.
The founding of the Court of Appeal also meant building houses for its officials. In a new town plan, a whole area was reserved for these buildings. The Court House, designed by Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz in French classicistic style, was completed in 1787. It remains one of the most significant Gustavian buildings in Finland.
Only the more prosperous bourgeoisie and the aristocracy were able to enjoy the spacious rooms and the furniture of the Gustavian houses, which formed excellent settings for all kinds af social gatherings. At the table were used Swedish Marieberg or Rörstrand dishes or genuine Chinese porcelain introduced by the East India Company. Also Meissen porcelain and other Middle European items found their way to Vaasa.
There were plenty of parties and other social occasions. All kinds of games were popular, as well as tea and coffee drinking. Spare time was also spent reading; for example, the higher officials of the Court gathered regularly to read and discuss books. Private libraries were small, since books were expensive commodity. This is the reason why these officials had an idea of starting a lending library.
Translated by Emma Kareno