Tampere, Finland is about two hours inland from Turku. It’s the largest city in the Nordic region of Europe not along a coast. In the 1820’s, the arrival of the textile industry ushered in the Industrial Revolution for Finland. This has left its mark as the city exudes an industrial look; there are no castles or large plazas. It is missing the small narrow streets, twisting alleys with ornamental buildings that characterize older, more politically significant cities.
The textile business was developed by a Scottish businessman and backed by Czar Alexander I. Today, that production has largely moved out of Finland; however, the original factory still remains and serves as a museum today. Its centerpiece is the largest steam engine ever used in Finland. It was quite a feat to get power to the machinery used to manufacture textiles. First, a track was constructed into the forest. Trees were cut down for firewood and loaded onto horse pulled wagons. These wagons would then be brought back to the factory. Here, near the steam engine, was a dedicated steam power plant, where the firewood was burned to boil water. This resulted in pressurized steam that is pumped into the steam engine, which is used to generate rotary movement that powers a flywheel. Finally, the flywheel is attached to ropes that are used to operate the textile equipment. The exhibition also plays audio in the background to create the feel of how it would have sounded when in operation.
Beyond the textile industry and steam engines, the museum also discusses labor. It spoke to how some countries actually get sent more money from its own citizens working abroad than international aid. This statistic caught me off guard. I have always been fortunate enough to work for my own gain. I had an understanding that this dynamic of supporting families from abroad existed, but it never occurred to me that this amounted to be the most significant source of revenue for some countries. This made me thankful for the circumstances life has brought me and has changed my perspective on those who support their families from abroad.
On Thursday I depart for Helsinki by bus.
// Oliver – Day 52 – Finland