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Founded: 1848-1850Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Finland
Historical period: Russian Grand Duchy (Finland)
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The history of Haminalahti dates back to the Iron Age. In 1874 several bronze jewels were found from the burial made in the 11th century. It was the most significant archaelogical discovery in the North Savonia area.
Haminalahti village and manor are marked as the national built heritage by National Board of Antiques. Between 1759 and 1910 the manor was owned by von Wright noble family. Magnus, Wilhem and Ferdinand von Wright were significant Finnish artists during the national awakening in the 19th century. Ferdinand’s Taistelevat metsot (“Fighting Capercaillies”) is one of the most well-known Finnish paintings. The nature of Haminalahti inspired brothers and can be seen in their works.
The empire-style manor house was built in 1848-1850 according the design of C. L. Engel. Today it’s owned by the Falkenberg family and is in the private use. In 2006 a culture trail was opened in Haminalahti to exhibit the landscapes and the art of von Wrights.
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress was built as the backbone of the regional fortification system, Festung Koblenz, by Prussia between 1817 and 1832 and guarded the middle Rhine region, an area that had been invaded by French troops repeatedly before. The fortress was never attacked.
Early fortifications at the site can be dated back to about 1000 BC. At about AD 1000 Ehrenbert erected a castle. The Archbishops of Trier expanded it with a supporting castle Burg Helferstein and guarded the Holy Tunic in it from 1657 to 1794. Successive Archbishops used the castle's strategic importance to barter between contending powers; thus in 1672 at the outset of war between France and Germany the Archbishop refused requests both from the envoys of Louis XIV and from Brandenburg's Ambassador, Christoph Caspar von Blumenthal, to permit the passage of troops across the Rhine.