Tammerkoski
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tammerkoski is a river of rapids in Tampere, Finland. The city of Tampere is located between two lakes; Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. The difference in altitude between these two is 18 metres and the water flows from Näsijärvi to Pyhäjärvi through the Tammerkoski rapids. The banks of Tammerkoski are among the oldest industry milieu in Finland. There was a busy marketplace in the 17th century and Tampere was originally founded on the banks of the rapids, as Tammerkoski provided a great deal of power for industry needs.
There are currently three power stations and dams located on Tammerkoski. The highest in altitude is the dam between Finlayson and Tampella. In the middle, there is the city's power plant and the lowest one in terms of altitude is the dam at the Tako paperboard factory, which belongs to M-real.
[edit] History
Tammerkoski has been mentioned in official documents since 1405.[1] In the 15th century, the first dams were built on the river. The first argument over milling plant rights happened in 1466, when Takahuhti, Messukylä and Tammerkoski argued over their shares. About a hundred years later the government noticed the possibilities in the area and tried to replace the peasant-controlled dams with their own ones. The attempt was unsuccessful due to opposition from the inhabitants.
In the 17th century, a popular and well-known marketplace was born in the Tammerkoski area. The permanent marketplace remained near the Tammerkosken kartano (Tammerkoski manor), west from the bridge above the river. At the beginning of the 18th century, the main marketplace was moved to Harju.
In 1775, King Gustav III of Sweden travelled to Finland and signed the charter of foundation for Kauppala, a city later renamed to Tampere. A wooden bridge over the river was constructed in 1807. This was later replaced by an iron bridge in 1884 and an iron-concrete bridge named Hämeensilta in 1929. For motor vehicle use, many other bridges have since been built. These include Ratinan silta, Satakunnansilta and Paasikivensilta. For light traffic use, there are Ratinan suvannon silta and Patosilta. There is also a two-track railroad bridge.
By the beginning of the 1990s, the industry had almost completely moved out from the banks of Tammerkoski. The Tako paperboard mill is the only major industrial installation still operational in the area, producing mainly high-quality packaging products for luxury items such as French perfume. The buildings of the old factories have been turned into restaurants and museums among other uses. The waters of Tammerkoski are unpolluted and the river is popular among fishermen.[2]
