Old Church & Plague Park

Vanhakirkko Park, also known as Ruttopuisto Park, is located in the center of Helsinki. The name Ruttopuisto comes from the fact that on the spot there used to be a cemetery where victims of the 1710 plague epidemic were buried. In summer, the park is lush and cozy, now of course bare and wintery. In Vanhakirkko Park people spend time among the tombstones as in any park. With the exception of the soldiers killed in the civil war in Finland and Estonia, no people have been buried in the park since 1829. 48 tombstones from 1790 - 1829 are preserved in the park.

The park is home to Vanhakirkko = Old Church, which was inaugurated in 1826 

and is the second oldest church in Helsinki. The architect was German Carl Ludwig Engel.
Photo below online.

In Vanhakirkko Park there is a mass grave & memorial of German soldiers who fell in Helsinki in April 1918. The monument was designed by sculptor Gunnar Finne and architect Johan S. Sirén and was unveiled in 1920. In front of the black stone pavement is a relief depicting a kneeling young man and German texts. "Den in Kampf um Helsingfors im April 1918 gefallenen Deutschen Helden Errichtete Diesmal die dankbare Stadt”.

The church is beautiful inside and has about 1,200 seats. 

It is a very popular church for baptisms and weddings. Photo online.

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