Date for Ear­liest Map of Oulu Pushed Back

The first map of the city of Oulu was made in 1647. Until recently, the oldest map of the city was thought to be a map from 1648.

The 1647 map, actually a draft, was discovered in Stockholm at the National Archives of Sweden when Pentti Koivunen, Emeritus Lecturer of Archeology at the University of Oulu, was examining the oldest known maps of Oulu. Koivunen was searching for information about a particular pond that once existed at the present location of Oulu 10, the city’s public services center. Prior to construction of the building in 2007, archeological excavations discovered that the pond was at once used as a small harbor.

The 1648 map of Oulu and the 1647 draft version were both made by Nicodemus Tessin Sr.

The maps show Oulu as a typical medieval town: the church and market square were at a central location, with a nearby road leading to Oulu Castle. The town’s merchant warehouses were so crucial to the city’s survival that each is drawn separately in the map, while residential buildings are not indicated at all.