The theme of thecoat of arms of Mariehamn refers to the city's main livelihood,maritime transport, and the city's parks, which are typically lined withlinden trees.[10][11][12][13] The coat of arms was designed by Nils Byman and confirmed in 1951.[14]
Due to its central location in theBaltic Sea, Mariehamn has become a major summerresort town for globaltourism; as many as 1.5 million tourists visit annually.[15][16][17]
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Map of Mariehamn with the pre-1961 territory of the town marked with hatched outline
The town was named after the Russian empressMaria Alexandrovna (1824–1880), literally meaning "Marie's Port". Mariehamn was founded on 21 February 1861 around the village ofÖvernäs,[2][18] in what was at the time part of the municipality ofJomala. The city has since expanded and incorporated more of Jomala territory. Mariehamn was built according to a very regular scheme which is well-preserved. One of the oldest streets isSödragatan where many wooden houses dating from the 19th century can be seen.
In the mid 1800s, the business of cargo shipping started to catch on, and many important shipowners and shipyards took their residence in the developing city.[19]
Following theFirst World War, Mariehamn was home to the Mariehamn Grain Fleet.[20]
On 8 November 1963 adevastating plane crash occurred in Mariehamn, in which 22 out of 25 people lost their lives, which made it the second-deadliest aviation accident in the history of Finland.[21]
The city is located on apeninsula. It has two important harbours, one located on the western shore and one on the eastern shore, which are ice-free for nearly the whole year, and have no tides.[22] TheWestern Harbour is an important international harbour with daily traffic toSweden,Estonia and mainlandFinland. A powerful incentive for Baltic ferries to stop at Mariehamn is that, with respect to indirect taxation, Åland is not part of theEU customs zone and so duty-free goods can be sold aboard. Åland and Mariehamn have a reputable heritage in shipping. TheFlying P-LinerPommernmuseum ship (part of theÅland Maritime Museum) is anchored in the Western Harbour. The Eastern Harbour features one of the largest marinas inScandinavia. The famous Dutch steamerJan Nieveen (now calledF.P. von Knorring, after Åland teacher and vicarFrans Peter von Knorring) can also be found here.
The city is an important centre for Åland media; both of the local newspapers (Ålandstidningen andNya Åland), several radio stations and the local TV channels (TV Åland andÅland24) operate out of the city. The islanders are traditionally fond of reading, and had public libraries before 1920. A printing works was established in the town in 1891.[22] The municipal library, which was built in 1989, is one of the most interesting modern buildings.
Mariehamn features several buildings drawn by Finnish architectLars Sonck, who moved to Åland as a child. Buildings drawn by him include the church of Mariehamn (1927), the main building of theÅland Maritime College (1927) and the town hall (1939).Hilda Hongell also designed several buildings, although only a few are still standing.
The main parish church of Mariehamn was opened in 1927 and has been expanded in 1959 and renovated in 1972. when the pews were painted blue. The visible decorations include painted wooden ceiling panels, one for each of the followers of Christ. The unnamed panel is that representing Judas Iscariot. The church paintings and decorations are the work of Finnish artist Bruno Tuukkanen. These include the golden mosaics behind the altar which show the life of Christ. Gifts to the church include the font and the ship that hangs from the ceiling. This is theTjerimaj. The church houses a 37 stop organ built in stages (1969, 1982).[23]
Mariehamn has a transitional climate between ahumid continental climate (Dfb) and anoceanic climate (Cfb) as a result of the strong maritime moderation from being an island in the Baltic Sea. This causes summers to be cooler than both the Swedish and Finnish mainlands, with winters being similar in cold to the adjacent coastal part of Sweden but milder than Finland's mainland. The lowest temperature at Mariehamn airport was −32.9 °C (−27.2 °F) in February 1979, and the highest temperature on record was 31.3 °C (88.3 °F) in July 2022 and July 1941.[27]
Climate data for Mariehamn Airport normals 1991-2020, extremes 1914 – present
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