Wednesday 27 June 2012

Trivia: The History Of Kemi

Did you know that...



-       Kemi was founded in 1869 by by royal decree, because of its proximity to a deep water harbour.

-       During the  Lapland war in 1944 the German troops tried to explode the Cityhall of Kemi but failed. They managed to explode three stories from the building but it never fell because of sturdy structure. The building was later reconstructed and it still stands as a landmark in the heart of Kemi.

-       1944 132 Civilians were taken as hostage during the War of Lapland. The hostages were taken by the German troops but were later released unharmed. 

-       9.18.1949 local industrial workers were protesting against major lay offs in the city center. In the end two people were killed in the encounter with the police. This was later known as the Bloody Thursday. This event still remains one of the most violent episodes in our history.

-       After it’s foundation Kemi grew to be one of the largest cities in Northern Finland. After 1960’s the industrial facilities started to use automated machines. This made a huge gap to industrial employment. In addition many parts of Nothern Finlands bureu department moved to Rovaniemi. After this many people were forced to look jobs elsewhere and Kemi’s population growth waned.

-       This day Kemi has a population of 22,386 (2012).

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