Jyväskylän kaupunkiJyväskylä stadCity of Jyväskylä
Clockwise from top-left: Lutakko Square,Äijälänsalmi Strait, apartments in Lutakko, oldpower station ofVaajakoski, the Jyväskylä City Church, and a courtyard in downtown Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä is the largest city in the Central Finland and Finnish Lakeland region. Jyväskylä was one of the fastest growing cities in Finland during the 20th century;[10][11][12] in 1940, there were only 8,000 inhabitants in Jyväskylä.
The second part of the city's name,kylä, means village. The first part of the city's name,jyväs-, looks like the stem of an adjective*jyvänen, derived fromjyvä, "grain" (compareWiktionary). Alternatively, it has been associated withTaxus, a genus ofyews, and theOld Prussian wordjuwis. It has also been speculated that the wordjyväs refers to the sun's reflection of the surface of the water.[15]
Erkki Fredrikson, the curator of theMuseum of Central Finland, put forward a theory related to the name, that the origin word for the city's name wassyväs and notjyväs, and that the name was once derived fromJyväsjoki (literally the "grain river"), which, according to Fredrikson's assumption, was actually calledSyväsjoki (literally the "deep river"). However, the name Jyväsjoki was registered in 1506 for the region's first known resident, Heikki Ihanninpoika Jyväsjoki. His house was located at the mouth of the Äijälänjoki River, which in Fredrikson's opinion also supports the Syväsjoki theory. The village, known at the beginning as Jyväsjoki village, gradually transformed into Jyväskylä.[16]
Jyväskylä town square in the early 20th centuryKirkkopuisto Park in the early 20th centuryKirkkopuisto Park in 2022
In the Jyväskylä region, there are archeological findings from theStone Age. According to the oldest available taxation documents (maakirja), there were seven estates on the Jyväskylä region in 1539. One of them, the estate of Mattila, alone possessed the areas stretching from the village ofKeljo to the villages ofVesanka andPalokka. The oldest estate in Jyväskylä continuously held by the same family is the estate of Lahti, which emerged when the estate of Mattila was split between two brothers in 1600.[17] The history of the Lahti family and estate have had a significant impact on the development of Jyväskylä region. Lahdenrinne, in the south-west corner of Jyväsjärvi lake, belongs to the old heartland of the estate of Lahti.[18]
The name Jyväskylä was mentioned in 1575 asJyueskylä. Its name is derived from the lakeJyväsjärvi. A shorter form of the name,Jyväs (writtenJyuexe) was mentioned slightly earlier in 1565 and again (this time writtenJyues) in 1570.[19]
The City of Jyväskylä was founded on 22 March 1837, when Emperor of Russia andGrand Duke of Finland,Nicholas I of Russia, signed the charter of the city and the infrastructure was essentially built from scratch;[20] before that, Jyväskylä was a village belonging to the largerrural municipality ofLaukaa, being the largest village of the whole parish.[21] At the times Finnish military battalionSuomen kaarti participated under his rule in military operations against the PolishNovember Uprising and later in Hungary, Turkey and Bessarabia (today Moldova). WhileNicholas I of Russia abolished many autonomous areas, it has been argued, that the loyalty of Finnish military influenced his approach towards Finnish autonomy.[22] The original town was built betweenLake Jyväsjärvi (which is connected to Lake Päijänne) and the Jyväskylä ridge (Harju), and consisted of most of the current grid-style city centre.
The establishment of schools in the 1850s and '60s proved to be the most significant step in regards to the later development of Jyväskylä. The first threeFinnish-speaking schools in the world were founded in Jyväskylä, the lycée in 1858, the teachers’ college in 1863, and the girls’ school in 1864. Well-trained teaching staff and pupils from different parts of the country changed the atmosphere of Jyväskylä irrevocably.[23]
In the early 20th century, the town expanded several times. Most of today's Jyväskylä was built after theContinuation War, when evacuees fromceded territories were settled in the city, and housing was badly needed. During the 21st century Jyväskylä has grown fast – by over 1,000 inhabitants every year.[24]
Jyväskylä is located on the northern coast of LakePäijänne, 147 kilometres (91 mi) north-east ofTampere, 148 kilometres (92 mi) south-west ofKuopio and 270 kilometres (170 mi) north ofHelsinki. The hilly and forested terrain in Jyväskylä is surrounded by hundreds of lakes. To reach Jyväskylä from the east, one needs to go through or pass the hillKanavuori, which used to host a military depot full of ammunition and armaments.
The landscape in Jyväskylä is hilly, forested and full of waters. The architectAlvar Aalto compared the hilly landscape of Jyväskylä toToscana inItaly:"The slope of Jyväskylä ridge is almost like the mountain vineyards ofFiesole".[26]
The defined climate issubarctic continental (Köppen:Dfc).[27] Because of its northern location, winters are long, snowy, cold, and dark. During midwinter, the city receives daylight for only around five hours. Summers are mild, with the average daily maximum temperature being 22 °C (72 °F) in July. During the summer, Jyväskylä experiences long daylight and white nights i.e. midnighttwilight.[28]
Climate data for Jyväskylä Airport (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1959-present)
The city of Jyväskylä has 148,744 inhabitants, making it the 7th most populous municipality in Finland. TheJyväskylä region has a population of 192,283, making it the sixth largest region in Finland afterHelsinki,Tampere,Turku,Oulu andLahti. Jyväskylä is home to 3% of Finland's population. 8% of the population has a foreign background, which is lower than in the major Finnish cities ofHelsinki,Espoo,Tampere,Vantaa orTurku.[35]
Jyväskylä was the fastest growing Finnish city in the 20th century. The population has continued to grow rapidly in the 21st century.[10][11]
Population size of Jyväskylä (and merged municipalities) 1980–2020[34]
Jyväskylä is the third largest monolingualFinnish-speaking municipality in Finland after Tampere and Oulu. As of 2024[update], the majority of the population, 137,585 persons (92.2%), spoke Finnish as their first language. In addition, the number ofSwedish speakers was 290 persons (0.2%) of the population. Foreign languages were spoken by7.6% of the population.[35] AsEnglish andSwedish are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.
At least 100 different languages are spoken in Jyväskylä. The most widely spoken foreign languages areRussian (1.3%),Ukrainian (0.7%),English (0.5%),Farsi (0.5%),Arabic (0.4%),Chinese (0.3%) andKurdish (0.3%).[35]
As of 2024[update], 11,469 people with a foreign background lived in Jyväskylä, representing 8% of the population.[note 1] There are 11,572 residents who were born abroad, which makes up 8% of the population. The number of foreign citizens in Jyväskylä is 7,836.[35]
The relative share of immigrants in Jyväskylä's population is below the national average. Nevertheless, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase the proportion of foreign residents in the coming years.
In 2023, theEvangelical Lutheran Church was the largest religious group with 62.1% of the population of Jyväskylä. Other religious groups accounted for 3.1% of the population. 34.8% of the population had no religious affiliation.[37]
Jyväskylä hosts the headquarters of theFinnish Air Force, inTikkakoski. As a central location, it has traditionally been important base for military operations. Jyväskylä became known as major firearms manufacturer (Tikkakoski) during the world wars, producing machine guns and ammunition.
According to reporting inHelsingin Sanomat, since the 1990s Jyväskylä has served as asignals intelligence collection site, primarily targeting military maneuvers around St. Petersburg.[38]
Jyväskylä is a hub ofIT. Innova Tower hosts multiple tech companies.
Because of excellent connections, Jyväskylä was a busy marketplace even before the first permanent settlements were founded in the current city centre.[39] The establishment of Finland's first three Finnish-speaking schools: the lycée in 1858, the teachers’ college in 1863, and the girls’ school in 1864 proved to be the most significant steps in regards to later development of Jyväskylä. Educational services became the heart of the economic growth of the city. In 1912Wilhelm Schauman founded aplywood mill on the shores of Jyväsjärvi. Schaumans plywood factory soon became the country's largest producer of plywood. Soon other kinds of forest based businesses opened factories and premises in the city. Thus,lumber,pulp, andpaper became the second stronghold of the economy in Jyväskylä. Later, the high quality education and paper machinery industry tempted information technology businesses to settle in the city.[23]
Nowadays, the main sources of subsistence in Jyväskylä are educational and health care services,paper machinery production, information technology, andrenewable energy. The most important private employers are paper machinery producerMetso ltd., retail trade companyKeskimaa Cooperative Society, real estate service companyISS, and wind turbine gear manufacturerMoventas.[40] The biggest public employers are the City of Jyväskylä, the Central Finland Health Care District, theUniversity of Jyväskylä, and theAir Force Academy.
In April 2012, the unemployment rate in Jyväskylä was 12.2%, which was higher than average in Finland (9.8% in 1/2012).[42] As of July 2012, there are about 61,000 jobs in Jyväskylä. The average income per income earner was €24,380 in 2010.[43]
In 2011, Jyväskylä topped in an image evaluation study among businesses. The city reached the highest score of large Finnish cities in the study, succeeding especially in the availability of skilled work force, on commercial services, on transport connections, and on geographical location.[44]
TheGross domestic product per capita in the city of Jyväskylä was €33,688 in 2005. The self-sufficiency in workplaces exceeded 100% in the city, raising the GDP per capita higher than the national average. The GDP per capita of the whole Jyväskylä region was €28,718 in 2007. The regional GDP per capita is lower than the Finnish national average, mainly due to high number of students and a relatively high unemployment rate.[45]
TheAlvar Aalto Museum and theMuseum of Central Finland form a center of culture in the immediate vicinity of the historical campus of theUniversity of Jyväskylä. Both museums are designed by functionalistAlvar Aalto. The Alvar Aalto Museum displays the artist's most important work and design.[46] The Museum of Central Finland specializes in cultural history. It serves both as the town museum of Jyväskylä and the provincial museum of Central Finland.[47] In summer 2015 Alvar Aalto Foundation and the city of Jyväskylä launched an architect competition to connect the two museums.[48]
One of architect Aalto's most significant works, Säynätsalo Town Hall, is located in Säynätsalo island.[49]
The city hosts theCraft Museum of Finland, which presents a range of different handicraft techniques from across the country, as well as a centre dedicated to the conservation of textiles that serves private customers, museums and organisations. The National Costume Center of Finland forms a part of the museum.[50]
TheUniversity of Jyväskylä Museum is specialized in the history of the university and diversity of nature in Central Finland.[52]
Jyväskylä Art Museum, located the city centre is the regional art museum of Central Finland. In collaboration with the Centre for Creative Photography, the Jyväskylä Art Museum maintains The Ratamo Printmaking and Photography Centre. This centre consists of the Galleria Ratamo along with a printmaking workshop, photography studio and artist workspaces all situated in Jyväskylä's former roundhouse.[53]
In addition, historical churches in the city are open for public, most notables of them being theTaulumäki Church and the Jyväskylä City Church.
In the 2010s, Jyväskylä earned a reputation as one of the most productive and high-qualityrap music centers, and Jyväskylä has been titled in the media as the "capital ofFinnish rap".[56][1]Gettomasa, among others, are rap artists from Jyväskylä who deserved their encouragement.[57][2]
Arctic and Fabulous Film Festival offers different forms and genres of Nordic film in the middle of most freezing winter season in February.[58]
Jyväskylä City's Birthday Week (last week of March) offers a number of concerts, theatre, exhibitions and debates around the city.[59]
Jyrock in April is an indie and alternative rock and pop festival.[60]
Lutakko liekeissä in August is a rock festival held in rock club Tanssisali Lutakko.[61]
Yläkaupungin Yö in May is one of the biggest annual street festivals of the city.[62]
Sataman Yö is an annual pop music festival organised one week before the midsummer in the harbour of Jyväskylä.[63]
Jyväskylä Arts Festival in the middle of July accommodates musicians, bands, contemporary circus, comedians, mimes, physical theatre, storytellers and film makers. It is one of the most well known festivals in Finland.[64]
Neste Oil Rally Finland in the end of July is the biggest annually organised event in Nordic countries and a part of the WRC World Rally Championships.[65]
Athenis Finlandiae organised in August is a cultural festival combining elements from ancient history, arts and science.[66]
Finlandia Marathon in the beginning of September is a marathon festival designed for everybody from a top athlete to an amateur jogger. Time of Dance – the largest annual festival of Finnish contemporary dance is taking place in the end of September.[67]
The International Print Triennial Graphica Creativa is organised every three years since 1975. It was the very first international graphic art exhibition in Finland. The latest triennial was organised in 2012.[68]
TheUniversity of Jyväskylä is the only university in Northern Europe with a faculty of sports. The faculty has been a key player to develop a strong sports culture in the city, which is why Jyväskylä is also dubbed the "capital ofFinnish sport".[3][69]
The city hosts theSecto Rally Finland (formerly known as the 1000 Lakes Rally).[70] It is the biggest annually organised public event in theNordic countries, gathering over 500,000 spectators every year. The rally has been held since 1951, first as a national competition, then from 1959 on as aEuropean Rally Championship event and since the introduction of theWorld Rally Championship in1973, as Finland's WRC event.
Ice hockey venueSynergia-areena, Hippos Finnish baseball stadium, swimming hall AaltoAlvari, and many other primary sport venues of the city are located inHippos, two kilometres (1.2 miles) away from the city centre. The Matti Nykänen ski jumping hill is located next to the Laajavuori ski resort just few kilometres west from the city centre. The main football stadium lies on the slopes of Harju just next to the city centre. The Killeri hippodrome on the western parts of the city serves different horse racing competitions. At winter time, amateur ice skaters can practice their skills in Viitaniemi or on the lake Jyväsjärvi, which has a 3.5 km (2.2 mi) long ice skating track.
The inventor of Finnish national sportpesäpallo,Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala, studied and lived in Jyväskylä. The Upper secondary school of Jyväskylän Lyseo hosted the historic event of first pesäpallo match in world in September 1920.[71][72]
Jyväskylän Sulkapalloseura (JySS) is the main badminton club, hosting the most northern full time coach in Finland. The club has a strong junior training focus, with successful juniors including Aapo Puhakka.
The city council of Jyväskylä is the main decision-making body at the local level. Its 75 members are elected every fourth year in municipal elections. The city council elects the mayor. The current mayor isTimo Koivisto.[4]
The prevalence of the social democratic party can be explained in part by theVaajakoski, a major industrial center historically that is currently part of Jyväskylä, and its heritage of industrial workers voting social democrats.
Jyväskylä was the only place during the 2017 municipal elections where the Green League was the largest party.[76]
The city of Jyväskylä is divided into fourteenwards (suuralueet;storområden), which are further divided into 89districts. The ward division does not always follow district boundaries.
Lutakko is a neighbourhood close to the city centre.
The following is a listing of the 14 wards of Jyväskylä by population, as of November 2010[77]
Summer view from HarjuWinter view from HarjuTheKortepohja residential area, showcasing historic 1960s architecture
Jyväskylä was founded in the northern end of the lakePäijänne at the crossroads of three major waterways.Lakes control the cityscape.[23] The citygrid plan from 1833 by Jacob Leonard Boringh can be well recognised in the city center.[79] Nevertheless, due to very rapid population growth, the cityscape has gone through one of the most massive changes in all of Finland.[80]
Nowadays, Jyväskylä is a city of modern architecture. The city has more buildings designed by one of the best known internationalfunctionalist architectsAlvar Aalto than any other city in the world.[81]
The establishment of schools in the 1850s and 1860s proved to be the most important step from the point of view of the later development of Jyväskylä.[23] The headquarters of theUniversity of Jyväskylä are considered to be Aalto's masterpieces. Later, a modern architectArto Sipinen, a pupil of Aalto, has influenced the cityscape since the 1970s by designing most of the new university buildings in the city.
The outskirts of the city are mainly populated by student apartments and single-family houses. Some of the most important buildings, likeSäynätsalo Town Hall, designed by Aalto are located outside the city centre in Säynätsalo and Muuratsalo.
Consolidated areas Korpilahti, Jyväskylän maalaiskunta, Säynätsalo and also western parts of Jyväskylä are mainly countryside dominated by hilly forests and lakes.
Schauman Mansion, a historic red-brick castle-like building, adds to Jyväskylä’s architectural heritage. Originally built in the early 20th century as the headquarters for theSchauman plywood factory, it now serves as a landmark of the city’s industrial past. Located near Lutakko, the building stands in contrast to Jyväskylä’s modern skyline, reflecting the city’s blend of old and new architecture.
A 360 degree panorama of Jyväskylä taken from the Horisontti building. From left to right: Lutakko with the city centre and Harju in the background, lake Jyväsjärvi, Kuokkala bridge with Kuokkala neighbourhood and Kuokkala water tower in the background, and Ylistönrinne campus.
Jyväskylä Airport is situated inTikkakoski, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Jyväskylä. It has regular direct flights toHelsinki Airport. The airport serves also as a military and charter airport.
The city is on a crossroad of many main roads of Finland.Highway 4 (E75) passes the city from south to north, andHighway 9 (E63) from southeast to northwest.Highway 23 betweenPori andJoensuu also runs through Jyväskylä.
Jyväskylä harbour is home to many passenger ships operating on lake Päijänne. During summer time, there are direct ship connections toLahti,Jämsä,Suolahti,Viitasaari, and some other cities.
The public transportation system of Jyväskylä is managed by the city under theLinkki brand and operated under contract to the city by various operators.[82] It is based on bus lines.
Jyväskylä is a traditional centre of education. Including school children, and the students in high schools, vocational schools, the university of applied sciences, and the universities, the number of students and pupils in the city reaches 45,000, boosting Jyväskylä's reputation as a "student city". Over 30% of the city population are students.[83] A number of firsts in Finnish education have taken place in Jyväskylä:
Jyväskylä Lyceum (Finnish:Jyväskylän Lyseon lukio) is the world's first junior secondary school with Finnish as the language of instruction.[84] It started its first term on 1 October 1858 and turned 160 years old in 2018. Lyceum still exists and is one of the three upper secondary schools in the city.
The first Finnish-medium teacher training college (1863)
Due to this, among other things, the city has earned the nicknameAthens of Finland. The teacher training college later evolved into the College of Education (1934) and further into the multidisciplinaryUniversity of Jyväskylä (1966).
TheUniversity of Jyväskylä is one of the most popular universities in Finland.[citation needed] Almost 16,000 students are enrolled to study for a bachelor's or master's degree, and the university also offers PhD programs in most of its subjects. Historically, the university has excelled in the study of education, but in the last few decades it has also gained respect in the sciences. It is the only university in Finland offering university-level education in sports, training sports teachers and coaches. Today the university offers also Cyber Security degrees, in close co-operation with theFinnish Defence Forces.[85] According to theMinistry of Employment and the Economy the city has been acknowledged in 2013 as the Cyber Security City, providing a portfolio of Cyber Security related studies and activities.[86]
JAMK University of Applied Sciences has 8.000 students. It has four different units: School of Business and Services Management, School of Health and Social Studies, School of Technology and Teacher Education College.[87]HUMAK University of Applied Sciences educates cultural management in Jyväskylä.
^Berndtson, Nils (1983),Lahden talon ja suvun varhaisista vaiheista, Keski-Suomen museon monistesarja 2/1983, Jyväskylän kaupunki, Finland: Keski-Suomen museo, pp. 1–23,ISSN0357-8186
^abcdJäppinen, Jussi; Voutilainen, Heli-Maija (2003)."Schools for non-Swedish Speakers".From Marketplace to a Wonderful Town - A Brief Introduction to the History of Jyväskylä. City of Jyväskylä.Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved26 February 2012.
^Fitsanakis, Joseph (December 19, 2017)."Journalist destroys computer with hammer during security raid in Finland". intelNews.Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. RetrievedDecember 19, 2017.Based on classified documents dating as far back as 1999, the article claims that the Finnish intelligence services have operated the top-secret program in Jyväskylä for years. It focuses on monitoring the maneuvers of Russian military units stationed around the St. Petersburg area, allegedly by tracking electromagnetic radiation emissions.
^Tommila, Päiviö (1972).Jyväskylän kaupungin historia 1837–1965. I osa [History of Jyväskylä City. Vol I.] (in Finnish). Jyväskylä: City of Jyväskylä. pp. 17–18.ISBN951-95011-2-6.
^"Jyväskylä 2011". City of Jyväskylä. 2 December 2011. Archived fromthe original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved26 February 2012.
^"Business". City of Jyväskylä. 25 June 2012. Archived fromthe original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved9 July 2012.
^Karhunen, Marjo; Kettunen, Marja; Villaume, Marie; Claudel, Stéphanie (28 May 2002)."Sports: Jyväskylä and Epinal".Epinal and Jyväskylä: Town History Project. Jyväskylä Lyceum. Archived fromthe original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved26 February 2012.
^Esa Sironen (2001–2003)."Kun pesäpallosta tuli pesäpalloa".Pitkäpallosta playoffseihin. Suomalaisuuskeskus Finnica.Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved26 February 2012.
^Arja Liinamaa (16 March 2005)."Kaunis kaupunki selkeytyy".Jyväskylä lehti. City of Jyväskylä. Archived fromthe original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved26 February 2012.
^Liisa Harjula (March 2005)."Summary: Have you ever seen a beautiful town?".Väitös: Jyväskylän keskustan kaupunkirakenne hajosi 1950-70-luvuilla (Jäppinen). University of Jyväskylä.Archived from the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved26 February 2012.
^"Siksi Jyväskylän Lyseon lukioon" [Choose Jyväskylän Lyseon lukio because].Gradia (in Finnish).Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved2018-10-06.Lyseo on edelläkävijä: ensimmäinen suomenkielinen lukio. Lyseossa yhdistyvät jo vuodesta 1858 alkavat akateemiset perinteet ja tulevaisuuden taidot. [In English: Lyseo is a pioneer: the first Finnish speaking upper secondary school. In Lyseo academic traditions and the skills of the future have combined since the year 1858]
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