The History of Emigration from Finland

Season 2, Episode 17 Tella tells about Finland’s historical emigration, where people came from, where they eventually settled and some that made their fortune and came back again.    Guest: Tella Lahti, Executive Director, Finnish Emigrant Museum Listen to the show  on your preferred podcast player  – iTunes or Stitcher radio or Feedburner Download an MP3 file of this episode Show Notes In this episode … Continue reading The History of Emigration from Finland

Season 2, Episode 17

Tella tells about Finland’s historical emigration, where people came from, where they eventually settled and some that made their fortune and came back again. 
https://explorefinlandpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/emigrant-museum.mp3

Guest: Tella Lahti, Executive Director, Finnish Emigrant Museum

Listen to the show  on your preferred podcast player  – iTunes or Stitcher radio or Feedburner

Download an MP3 file of this episode

In this episode we walk around the Finnish Emigrant Museum and discuss the cause of the exodus of Finns in the late-1800’s and well into the 1900’s. Tella takes me around the museum, explaining the effect of the new railway in allowing Finns easier access to the new Steam Ships that were leaving the port of Hanko for the New World.

If you are an American-Finn, Canadian-Finn or an Australian-Finn, it’s just possible that we’re talking about your ancestors. You’ll hear Tella talking about some specific American-Finns and families whose property has been donated to the museum? You’ll also hear Tella explain about the display of photographs of American barns, which also have Finnish heritage!

We walk through the exhibits and I learn about Sointula – a Utopian Finnish settlement in Canada. We also discuss the type of work that was undertaken on sugar plantations in Australia (which leads nicely to an outdoor tour of some buildings that have been moved and reassembled in Peräseinäjoki (but more of that in a future episode.)

You might also be interested in this interactive Migration Map from the International Organisation for Migration.

Pohjanmaa – Ostrobothnia
Keski-Pohjanmaa – Central Ostrobothnia
Etelä- Pohjanmaa – South Ostrobothnia
Suomen Höyrylaiva osakeyhtiö – Finnish Steam Ferry Company
Puukko – Traditional Finnish knife
Taskumatti – Lit. ‘Pocket Matti’, a Hip Flask
Pori – a town in the South West of Finland
Palmu Klubi (Palumuutaja Klub) – Returned movers Club
Sointula – Utopian Finnish settlement in Canada
Johan Jonatan ‘Jussi’ Björling – Finnish-Swedish singer
John Morten – Descendant of Finnish emigrants, signed the Declaration of Independence

Links

www.emigrantmuseum.fi
www.siirtolaismuseo.fi
New Finland, Canada – Wikipedia
Sointula, Canada – Wikipedia

Next episode – Finnish Music Traditions: From Folk to Rap! Link