archives

Archives collect and preserve original documents of such organizations as churches or governments. Although the records you need may be in an archive or library in Finland, the Family History Library has copies of many valuable genealogical rccords on microfilm from several Finnish archives and libraries.

Most archives and libraries are free of charge and many are open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm. Most materials are copies or microfilms and getting access to the original material if valuable, you need recommendations and/or a research card.

The Finnish National Archives have documents pertaining to the whole country. Records of the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, and Vantaa are also found in the national archives; however, records from Uusimaa County are in the provincial archives in Hämeenlinna. Records of genealogical value at the national archives include the following: • Church records • Census records •Courtrecords • Emigration records	Proovincial Archives Finland has eight regional archives that house records about their particular area. Most Finnish records of genealogical value are kept at provincial archives, including the following: Turku (sw: Åbo), Hämeenlinna (sw: Tavastehus), Mikkeli (sw:St Mickel), Vaasa (sw:Vasa), Jyväskylä, Joensuu, Oulu (sw:Uleoborg), Ålands landsarkiv
PARISH OFFICES These normally have records after 1900, but access is limited and changes from place to place. If you get a permit, working hours are only 2-3 h per day. Every parish can give you information by mail, but without expected delivery time (normally 3-6 weeks) and payment will be abt 30 USD per working hour, with no hours stated.	MILITARY ARCHIVES BEFORE 1809 Finnish military records that were created before 1810 are preserved at the Military Archives of Sweden. The address for the archives is: Krigsarkivet, S-115 88, Stockholm THE FINNISH MILITARY ARCHIVES have many copies and the rest from 1809 on. Some materials concerning Carelia had to be given to Russia.
UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI the University of Helsinki has the worlds best collection of Russian books and newspapers. Further they have genealogic information for example old maps and old gravures about Finland and its people The university library has on the net 50 newspapers in Finland from 1771-1860. You can search persons and places there.	BRAGES URKLIPPSARKIV This small archive has newspaper clippings of swedis speaking persons. the adress is Brages Urklippsverk, Kaserngatan 28, 00130 Helsingfors, Finland
THE CENSUS BUREAU This bureau has information about living persons and statistical information about names, birth, death etc.	FINNISH MANOR HOUSES Here you can get information on Finnish manor houses (about 300)