Author: Carita Wilenius-Rantala

Photo by: Volker von Bonin, Helsinki City Museum

The Degree Programme in History at the University of Helsinki and the Ehrensvärd Society have jointly published an online exhibition about the 20th century at Suomenlinna titled Sveaborgs 1900-tal – vägen till världsarv (“Sveaborg in the 20th Century – The Road to World Heritage”).

The exhibition, produced by students, presents the fortress from multiple perspectives, highlighting wartime experiences, the everyday life of the island’s residents, and the development of tourism. It also depicts Suomenlinna’s journey toward becoming a World Heritage Site. The exhibition was first published in Swedish and will be released in Finnish in the autumn.

The online exhibition was produced as part of the course “Arbeta med världsarv i Norden” (“Working with World Heritage in the Nordic Countries”), held during the autumn semester of 2025. The course focused on the care, management, and communication of World Heritage sites, particularly in the Nordic region. During the course, experts from several Nordic World Heritage sites—including Naval Port of Karlskrona, Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, Kvarken Archipelago, and Greenland—spoke about their work and the key considerations involved in managing World Heritage sites.

During the course, students learned, among other things, what World Heritage means, how it can be interpreted, and how it can be communicated in a clear and engaging way to a broad audience. The course also examined site management, marketing, and public engagement. In addition, it included a visit to Suomenlinna, which received World Heritage status in 1991.

The digital production of the online exhibition was carried out by Barabra. Kulturfonden för Sverige och Finland supported the travel of the Nordic lecturers to Finland.

Webpage: https://exhibitions.suomenlinnatours.com/sveaborgs-1900-tal-vagen-till-varldsarv/