Riihimäki (literally "Drying barn hill") is a town and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality ...

in the south of Finland, about north of

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

and southeast of

Tampere Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclo ...

. An important railway junction is located in Riihimäki, since railway tracks from Riihimäki lead to Helsinki, Tampere and

Lahti Lahti (; sv, Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the region of Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme) and its growing region is one of the main economic hubs of Finland. Lahti is situated on a bay at the southern ...

. Several businesses also operate in Riihimäki. Notably, Würth Oy has its Finnish headquarters and logistics center in Riihimäki. Valio has a major dairy in the Herajoki part of Riihimäki. The famous Sako rifles are also produced in Riihimäki. Riihimäki also has the second-highest flagpole in Finland. Riihimäen matkakeskus

The town is located in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

Southern Finland Southern Finland ( fi, Etelä-Suomen lääni, sv, Södra Finlands län) was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2009. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia. History O ...

and is part of the Tavastia Proper

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

is . The municipality is unilingually Finnish. Riihimäki is home to the Riihimäki Prison, which is, alongside Turku Prison, one of the prisons in the country with the highest security rating (A+), and is home to the country's most dangerous prisoners.IL: Tältä näyttää Suomen korkeimman turvaluokituksen vankila - elinkautisvanki: ”Kai sitä ihminen tottuu joka paikkaan”
(in Finnish)

History

Riihimäki was established around the Riihimäki railway station by the Helsinki–Riihimäki railway, and is one of the original stations on Finland's first railway between

and

Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna (; sv, Tavastehus; krl, Hämienlinna; la, Tavastum or ''Croneburgum'') is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Tavastia and the modern province of Kanta-Häme in the south of ...

, which opened in 1862. It became the first railway junction in Finland when the Riihimäki – Saint Petersburg track's first section from Riihimäki to

was opened in 1869. In 1907-1952 a narrow-gauge railway also operated between Riihimäki and Loppi. Today, the quickest way to travel between Riihimäki and Loppi is by car along the national road 54, which runs between Tammela and

Hollola Hollola () is a municipality of Finland, located in the western part of the Päijänne Tavastia region. The municipality is unilingually Finnish and has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . ...

. In 1910, a cavalry regiment was also established in the city. In 1922, Riihimäki separated from

Hausjärvi Hausjärvi is a municipality of Finland. Its seat is in Oitti. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The po ...

and became an independent

market-town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

. Riihimäki got its city rights in 1960. It was home to the reputed

Riihimäki Glass Riihimäki glass ( fi, Riihimäen lasi) was a reputed glass company in Riihimäki, Finland, in operation from 1910, when it was founded by Mikko Adolf Kolehmainen, to 1990. Their production ranged from basic to high quality glass ornaments, wh ...

company that remained in business from 1910 through 1990. The Finnish Glass Museum with its permanent display created by famous designer Tapio Wirkkala was opened in 1981. Höyryveturi Hv-1 nro 554 IM6229 C

Sports

* Peltosaaren Nikkarit & Kiekko-Nikkarit (

Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...

) * Riihimäen Taitoluistelijat (

Figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympics, 1908 Olympics ...

) * Riihimäen Jäätaiturit (

Synchronized skating Synchronized skating is an ice skating sport where between 8 to 16 skaters perform together as a team. They move as a flowing unit at high speed over the ice, while performing elements and footwork. This complex sport originated in 1956 and was ...

) * Kolmoskori (

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

) * Riihimäen Ilves, formerly

RIPS Rips may refer to: Places * Rips, Sarandë, location in Albania on the border with Greece * De Rips, a village in the Netherlands People * Eliyahu Rips (born 1948), Israeli mathematician * Lance Rips (born 1948), American psychologist * Nicolaia ...

( Soccer) * SC Top (

Floorball Floorball is a type of floor hockey with five players and a goalkeeper in each team. Men and women play indoors with sticks and a plastic ball with holes. Matches are played in three twenty-minute periods. The sport of bandy also played a role ...

) * Cocks ( Handball) * Riihi-Pesis, formerly RPL (

Finnish baseball Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

) * Riihimäen Kisko ( Athletics) * Riihimäen Uimaseura (

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

)

Notable individuals

Athletes

Aki Seitsonen Aki Seitsonen (born February 5, 1986) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He was selected by the Calgary Flames in the 4th round (108th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Seitsonen played in the SM-liiga with both HPK and Lukk ...

, ice hockey player *

Arri Munnukka The Arri Group () is a German manufacturer of motion picture film equipment. Based in Munich, the company was founded in 1917. It produces professional motion picture cameras, lenses, lighting and post-production equipment. Hermann Simon ment ...

, football player * Daniel O'Shaughnessy, football player *

Janne Lahti Janne Lahti (born 20 July 1982) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward. He most recently played with HPK of the Finnish Liiga during the 2018–19 season. On 1 June 2007, Lahti signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens ...

SM-Liiga The SM-liiga (marketed as just Liiga from 2013 on), (Finnish for ''League'') colloquially called the Finnish Elite League in English or FM-ligan in Swedish, is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. It is one of the six founding leagu ...

ice hockey player * Jukka Jalonen, national ice hockey coach and ice hockey player * Jukka Vanninen, football player * Jussi Veikkanen, professional road racing cyclist * Kari Tiainen, motorcycle enduro world champion * Kasper Kenig, ice hockey player *

Lauri Toivonen Lauri may refer to: * Lauri (given name), including a list of people with the name * Lauri (surname), including a list of people with the name * Lauri, Põlva County, a village in Estonia * Lauri, Rapla County, a village in Estonia * Lauri, V� ...

, basketball player * Max Kenig, ice hockey player * Olli Korkeavuori, ice hockey player * Patrick O'Shaughnessy, football player * Pekka Vasala, middle and long-distance runner; Olympic champion (1972) in the 1,500 metres *

Sami Lähteenmäki Sami Lähteenmäki (born 19 September 1989) is a Finnish ice hockey player currently playing for Lukko of the Finnish Liiga. Lähteenmäki made his SM-liiga debut playing with HPK during the 2007–08 SM-liiga season The 2007–08 SM-liiga seaso ...

ice hockey player * Tero Arkiomaa, ice hockey player * Tuomas Viertola, basketball player

Politicians

Aino-Kaisa Pekonen Aino-Kaisa Ilona Pekonen (born 24 January 1979 in Riihimäki) is a Finnish politician of the Left Alliance. Pekonen is Finland's incumbent Minister of Social Affairs and Health. She has been a member of the Parliament of Finland since the 2011 ...

, Member of Parliament *

Arto Lapiolahti Arto may refer to: People In the arts * Arto Halonen (born 1964), Finnish documentary filmmaker * Arto Järvelä (born 1964), Finnish fiddler and composer * Arto Lindsay (born 1953), American musician Arthur Lindsay * Arto Noras (born 1942), Fin ...

, Member of Parliament * Efraim Kronqvist, politician and Riihimäki Red Guard leader in 1918 *

Helge Sirén Helge or Helgi is a Scandinavian, German, and Dutch mostly male name. The name is derived from Proto-Norse ''Hailaga'' with its original meaning being ''dedicated to the gods''. For its Slavic version, see Oleg. Its feminine equivalent is Olg ...

, Member of Parliament * Iiro Viinanen, politician * Päivi Räsänen, politician

The arts

* Liisa Akimof, musician *

Pekka Autiovuori Pekka is a Finnish male given name. It was most popular around the middle of the 20th century. As of 2013 there were more than 100,000 people registered with this name in Finland. The nameday is the 29th of June in the Finnish tradition and the 25th ...

, actor * Torsten Brander, music contributor * Tommi Hakala, singer *

Renny Harlin Renny Harlin (born 15 March 1959) is a Finnish film director, producer, and screenwriter who has made his career in Hollywood and China. His best-known films include '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master'', '' The Adventures of Ford ...

, film director and film producer * Aku Hirviniemi, actor *

Anita Hirvonen Anita or ANITA may refer to: Arts * ''Anita'' (1967 film), an Indian film * ''Anita'' (2009 film), an Argentine film * ''Anita'' (2021 film), a Hong Kong film *'' Anita: Swedish Nymphet'', a 1973 erotic film People * Anita (given name), people ...

, pop singer * Maija Isola, designer *

Erkki Junkkarinen Erkki Aukusti Junkkarinen (22 April 1929 in Suonenjoki – 9 April 2008 in Hämeenlinna) was a Finnish singer. Junkkarinen established his musical career in 1950 with his successful single ''Yksinäinen harmonikka'', though in the following y ...

, singer *

Janne Kataja Janne Kataja (born 5 April 1980) is a Finnish entertainer. As well as working as a magician, he also works as a stand up comedian, an actor and a host.Saastamoinen, Salli: ''Pingviinitanssi muutti elämän''. ''Pirkanmaan Sanomat'' 29 November 20 ...

, actor *

Jukka Koskinen Jukka Koskinen is a Finnish musician, who is the bassist for the Finnish band Wintersun. He was also the bassist for Norther from 2000 until their disbandment in 2012, for Amberian Dawn from 2010 until 2013, for Cain's Offering from 2009 until ...

, musician *

Niina Lahtinen Niina is a Finnish feminine given name, the Finnish version of Nina; it is also used in Japanese to transliterate the name Nina. Niina may refer to the following notable people: * Niina Kelo (born 1980), Finnish pentathlete *Niina Koskela Niin ...

, actor *

Sinikka Laine Sinikka Laine-Törmänen (born 17 October 1945) is a Finnish author primarily of young adult fiction. Her first novel ''Ohari'' was published in 1982. Laine has won many literary awards and her novel ''Tyttö tuulesta, poika pimeästä'' (1986) ...

, writer * Emilia Linnavuori, visual artist *

Nest A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic materi ...

, music group *

Lauren Okadigbo Lauren may be a given name or surname.The name's meaning may be "laurel tree", "sweet of honor", or "wisdom". It is derived from the French name Laurence, a feminine version of Laurent, which is in turn derived from the Roman surname Laurentius. ...

, actress * Samuli Paronen, writer * Veikko Sinisalo, actor *

Skepticism Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the p ...

, music group * Seppo Tamminen, artist * Jann Wilde, musician and songwriter

Other

* Arvi Paloheimo, industrialist * Olli Paloheimo, forester, minister and Jäger * Ragnar Granit, physician who won the 1967

Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine ( sv, Nobelpriset i fysiologi eller medicin) is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single ...

Veikko Löyttyniemi Veikko is a male Finnish given name. Notable people with the name include: * Veikko Aaltonen (born 1955), Finnish director, editor, sound editor, and production manager * Veikko Asikainen (1918–2002), Finnish footballer * Veikko Ennala (1922-199 ...

, journalist

Twin towns – sister cities

Riihimäki is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Szolnok Szolnok (; also known by other alternative names) is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. A city with county rights, it is located on the banks of the Tisza river, in the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, wh ...

, Hungary *

Skedsmo Skedsmo was a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality was the town of Lillestrøm. About one third of the municipal population lived in Lillestrøm. ...

, Norway * Húsavík, Iceland * Gus-Khrustalny, Russia *

Karlskoga Karlskoga () is a locality and the seat of Karlskoga Municipality, Sweden. Located within Örebro County, 45 km (28 mi) west of Örebro, and 10 km (6 mi) north of Degerfors. With a 2020 population of 27,386 distributed over 10.55 square miles ...

, Sweden *

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of ...

, Denmark *

Bad Segeberg Bad Segeberg (; Low German: Sebarg) is a German town of 16,000 inhabitants, located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, capital of the district (Kreis) Segeberg. It is situated approximately northeast of Hamburg, and west of Lübeck. It is famo ...

, Germany

References

;Notes

External links

Town of Riihimäki
– Official website
Hyrinet – Hyvinkää–Riihimäki area portal

Finnish Glass Museum - Riihimäki
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riihimaki Cities and towns in Finland Municipalities of Kanta-Häme Populated places established in 1922 1922 establishments in Finland