Lapua (; ) is a town and municipality in Finland's South Ostrobothnia region.
It is located next to the Lapua River. The town has a population of
()
History
In the early 14th century, permanent settlement began to spread to the Lapuanjoki Valley. Residents came from, among other areas, the settlement center of Suur-Sastamala in Upper Satakunta, which had good land and water connections to the north. The focus of Ostrobothnia's settlement was initially on the lower reaches of the Kyrönjoki River. The proximity to the sea of the Kvarken area, which is rich in natural resources, was especially attractive. Lapua at that time had some Sámi people who considered the region their wilderness area. The name Lapuan was probably given by the coastal Swedes precisely because of the Sámi, then called Lapps, who lived in the area.
The Battle of Lapua was fought between Swedish and forces near the outskirts of the town on 14 July 1808 as part of the Finnish War.
Lapua is the seat of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Lapua. The Lapua Cathedral, designed by Carl Ludvig Engel, was built in 1827.
Lapua Movement
In 1929 the
anti-communism Lapua Movement was founded and named after the town. The Lapua Movement was a powerful force in Lapua. They organized large rallies and marches in the town center, drawing huge crowds of supporters. Some of the movement's leaders, like
Vihtori Kosola and
Vilho Annala, were based in Lapua. On 30 October 1930, the Lapua March was hosted, where thousands of their paramilitary members marched through Lapua to protest against leftist threats and government policies they opposed. The Lapua movement was criminalized in 1932, and would be succeeded by the Patriotic People's Movement.
Lapua State Cartridge Factory
Lapua is also home to a large
ammunition factory, which commenced operations in 1927 as the
State Cartridge Factory. This factory was the primary supplier of
ammunition to the
Finnish Army during the
Winter War and
Continuation War. An explosion occurred in a warehouse of this factory on 13 April 1976, resulting in the deaths of 40 employees. After the explosion, the factory was relocated away from the town centre and continues production today as
Nammo Lapua, part of the Nordic Ammunition Group (
Nammo). The original site of the factory and the surviving buildings are now an arts centre, a library and a theater.
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Lapua is twinned with:
Notable people
See also
-
Lapua Movement
-
.338 Lapua Magnum
-
Finnish national road 19
-
Blue Highway, an international tourist route
External links
