Lauritsala

Place in South Karelia, Finland

Coat of arms

Location of Lauritsala in Finland

Coordinates: 61°04′15″N 028°15′35″E / 61.07083°N 28.25972°E / 61.07083; 28.25972CountryFinlandRegion

South KareliaMunicipalityLappeenrantaEstablished1932Incorporated1967Area

• Total24.7 km² (9.5 sq mi)Population

(31.12.1966)

• Total12,965 • Density494.57/km² (1,280.9/sq mi)Municipality code411ClimateDfcWebsitewww.lauritsala.fi

Lauritsala (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈlɑu̯ritˌsɑlɑ]) is a former Finnish market town in the South Karelia region. It was closed down on 1 January 1967 and was incorporated into Lappeenranta.^[1] The present district of Lauritsala comprises only the center of the former town.^[2]

History

Lauritsala was originally one of the villages of the Lappee parish. It has existed at least since 1558, when it was mentioned as Lawritzala. Its name is derived from the surname Lauritsainen, which in turn is derived from the name of Saint Lawrence. Lauritsala became an independent municipality in 1932.^[3]

The former Lauritsala market area had 12,965 inhabitants in 1966.^[4]^: 26–27 It is home to UPM-Kymmene's Kaukas mills and part of the Saimaa Canal.

The center of Lappeenranta is about four kilometres away. There are old detached houses and blocks of flats in the area, with new settlements. In 1960, Lauritsala's population density included Mustola (341 inhabitants, partly on the Lappee side) and Mälki (322 inhabitants).^[5]^: 48

The Lappeenranta and Lauritsala population centres had grown together and are now called Lappeenranta centre, with 32,174 inhabitants in 1960.^[5]^: 47 In addition, part of the Laihia settlement in Lappee municipality extended to Lauritsala.

Notable people

Seppo Ahokainen, Finnish professional ice hockey player
Teuvo Kohonen, Finnish researcher, best known for the development of self-organizing map
Arvi Lind, Finnish television news presenter
Eino Valle, Finnish long-distance runner

Places and events

Lauritsala Church
Lauritsala's library was described by L. R. McColvin (City Librarian at Westminster, London) as: "the most attractive, most beautiful small library I have ever seen in the world."^[6]^: 11

Gallery

Images of Lauritsala

Saimaa canal in Lauritsala (2012)
Illustration in Finland framstäldt i teckningar edited by Zacharias Topelius and published 1845-1852.

References

^ Eli vain 35 vuotta – näin legendaarinen Lauritsala on muuttunut – Yle (in Finnish)
^ "Lappeenrannan Map Service". Retrieved 2 January 2010.
^ "SuomalainenPaikannimikirja_e-kirja_kuvallinen.pdf" (PDF). kaino.kotus.fi (in Finnish). p. 226. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
^ "Väestönmuutokset 1966" [Demographic changes 1966] (PDF). National Library Publication Archive Doria. sivu 19 (in Finnish, Swedish, and English). Statistical Office. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
^ ^a ^b Yleinen väestölaskenta 1960: Taajamat ja niiden rajat, ym [General Population Census 1960: Urban areas and their boundaries, etc.] (PDF). Suomen virallinen tilasto VI C:103 (in Finnish, Swedish, and English). Helsinki: Statistical Office. 1965. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
^ UNESCO (1959). Bulletin for Libraries (Report). Vol. 13. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. p. 11. Retrieved 17 January 2020.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lauritsala.

Documenta Carelica Portal
Lauritsala township exhibition Museum of South Karelia (in Finnish)
So just 35 years - that's how the legendary Lauritsala has changed Yle News (in Finnish)
Lauritsala library (in Finnish)

Municipalities of South Karelia

Municipalities