The Sea and the Cities

The project studies in each city:
* the long-term development of water and wastewater technology
* the reconstruction of pollution and eutrophication histories
* successes and failures of municipal environmental politics
 More about the project

The Baltic Sea

Our common sea is a young, shallow and semi-closed brackish water basin. It is said that the Baltic Sea is the most polluted sea area in the world. Research cooperation has a long history in the Baltic Sea: the first international efforts date back to the 19th century.Nevertheless, the long history of research and environmental sciences in this region remains substantially unstudied.
About the Baltic Sea

The Cities

The city pages are divided into three main topics:
* Environment describes the study area and research history,
* Technology gives an overview on the development of water and wastewater system,
* Society presents pollution debates, environmental activism, and different solutions to wastewater problems.

For further information see Contacts and Links to local researches and organisations. Helsinki, Vaasa,  St Petersburg,  Tallinn,  Riga,  Vilnius,  Gdansk,  Kiel,  Lübeck,  Copenhagen,  Oslo,  Malmö  Stockholm

What happens when a pre-industrial town is transformed into a post-industrial city? Helsinki serves as a good example of such a vast change. Cross sections of urban history present glimpses of past and present ways of life, work and leisure in 1850, 1900 and 1950.

Articles

The results of the project will be published in form of articles (pdf or html). The articles on the history of technological development were published in European Water Management, and with the permission of the journal they have been published here in pdf files. Other articles will be published during 2000 and 2001.
Articles

Education

Water has had an important role in urban history. Water courses has served for water supply, transportation, waste disposal and recreation.
Education pages will provide basic information on water issues, impacts of wastewater, water supply and sewerage systems,and on social aspects of water problems. Systems in use today.

Contact us

The Sea and the Cities project is coordinated by Simo Laakkonen.
Address: Department of Economic and Social History
POB 54
00014 University of Helsinki
Finland
E-mail: simo.laakkonen@helsinki.fi

Web team

Sari Laurila (texts, graphics, html), Kimmo Soramäki (html), Nestor Silva and Matti Joukola(maps), Terttu Terho (graphics) and Henry Fullenwider (English revision).

Photographs

Helsinki: Helsinki City Museum, photo archives

Vaasa: City of Vaasa photo collection

St. Petersburg: at the opening page a photo from R. A. Nezhkhovsky's book: Neva River anr and Neva Bay, 1981. Technology pages: Central waste water treatment plant photos by Sari Laurila.

Tallinn: City harbour by Sari Laurila; Stone well and the first collector tunnel from Ilmar Sinirand's book: Tallinna veevarustus ja kanalisatsiooni läbi sjandite läbi, 1987. Water pipe and sewer networks bu Tallinn Water. Tallinn's municipal wwtp, YIT company 1998.

Riga: all phots and drawings, archives of Riga Water.

Vilnius: opening page and technology pages, Vilnia River and sewerage constrauction photos from LVGA. Society pages: Neris River, National Museum of Lithuania. New phots of wwtp by Ausra Jakstaite.

Kiel: City archives of Kiel

Lübeck: Archiev der Hansestadt Lübeck

Copenhagen: The archieves of Copenhagen Sewerage Department and Copenhagen Water

Oslo: opening page: Kjell Baalsrud; Environment page: Angling at the city centre, The City Museum of Oslo; Technology pages: Rowing competition, The City Museum of Oslo; Society pages: Waste disposal site and swimmin stadium, The City Museum of Oslo.

Malmö: City canal, Malmö Museum.

Stockholm: Environment pages: plankton phot by Lotta Johansson. Technology pages: Archieves of Stockholm's City Museum.