Bergö

Bergö
Former municipality
Bergö kommun Bergön kunta
Parish map of Bergö in Finland
Coat of arms
Location of Bergö in Finland
Coordinates: 62°58′30″N 021°10′21″E
Country	Finland
Region	Ostrobothnia
Merged into Malax	1973
Seat	Vaasa sub-region
Area [1]
• Land	33.8 km^2 (13.1 sq mi)
Population  (31 December 1972)
• Total	640
• Density	19.1/km^2 (49/sq mi)
	[2]
Administrative center	Bergö

Bergö is an island and former municipality of Finland in the Coastal Ostrobothnia region. The municipality of Bergö was incorporated with Malax in 1973. The island's only connection to the mainland is currently the year-round ferry.

In December 1970, Bergö had a total population of 647 people, and 98% of the inhabitants were Swedish-speaking. At its highest population level in 1938, 948 people lived in the municipality. Before it was abolished, Bergö's land area was 33.8 km² and its neighbouring municipalities were Korsnäs, Malax and Petalax.^[3]

Name

Bergö's name was originally Vargö [transl. 'wolf', 'thief'], but the name of the island and village was changed to Bergö in 1830, probably because the original name was considered demeaning. The name of the island was documented as Wargö (1546) and as Vargöö (1552), among others.^[4] The form Susiluoto ('Wolf Island') has also been used in Finnish.^[5]

History

Originally, Bergö was four separate islands: Granön, Långön, Norrön and Holmen, which later merged due to post-glacial rebound.^[6] The history of Bergö Island goes all the way back to the late 1400s, when the first farmer was mentioned in 1495. In the 1500s, the island had nine houses, and about 40 inhabitants. Bergö, which was originally part of the parish of Korsholm, shared a prayer house with Malax in 1652 and a chapel parish in 1848. Bergö parish became independent in 1908 and received its own vicar for the first time in 1911.^[7][8] The parish is now part of the Malax parish union, and of the Porvoo Communion.^[6] Bergö island was granted a ferry connection in 1962, when the ferry sailed from Vaasa only during the daytime. In 1979, this was replaced by a cable ferry, which runs from 5:30am to 00:10am every day; outside these times, the ferry can be called with buttons on the beaches.^[9]

The municipality of Bergö was merged with Malax in 1973.^{[6][8][10]: 350}

Bergö's attractions include its wooden church, which was built in 1800-1802 and extended to its current appearance in 1852–1853.^[6]

Bergö village

Bergö's only village is also called Bergö,^[11] and is approximately 3.15 km2 in size, with roughly 480 inhabitants. Its neighbourhoods include Bredhällan, Holme, Granön, Långön, Perisgrund and Södersund.^[12]

The population has remained relatively stable over the past ten years. There are about 60 jobs in the village and the proportion of those working elsewhere is about 50 percent. Most jobs are found in the service sector and the proportion of primary production has clearly decreased. In 2003, there were about 40 full-time fishermen in the village. The jobs provided by the Coast Guard and pilotage have largely disappeared, but the Bergö ferry connection still employs six people.^[13]

Infrastructure and services

There is a fishing port on Ytterbådan, as well as marinas at Bredhällan, Perisgrund and at Norrsundet. A guest jetty and service house are located near the ferry berth. Bergö Båtklubb rf takes care of the small boat fairways in the Bergö archipelago.^[12]

Bergö has a ferry connection that operates according to a timetable.^[9] The bus connection from Bergö to Vaasa currently runs only once a day on weekdays. Two-thirds of households have access to the municipal water supply and sewerage system. The cable TV network is extended to the majority of households and the option of fast fibre connectivity is also available. The Petalax-Bergö local television channel broadcasts two days a week.^[12]

Other services at Bergö include: a school for grades 1–6, day care, two grocery stores, bank, library, hairdressers, flower and gift stalls, café, medicine cabinet, post office, swimming beach, mini golf course, sauna, riding school. Bergö residents are very active in associations.^[12]

Population

The following graph shows the population development of Bergö every ten years between 1880 and 1970.

Population development of Bergö 1880–1970^[10]

Year	Population
1880	637
1890	765
1900	765
1910	628
1920	664
1930	808
1940	824
1950	743
1960	686
1970	642

According to the urban boundaries of 1960 and 1970, there were no agglomerations in Bergö.^[14] Today, however, the village of Bergö is defined as an urban settlement.

Gallery

Images of Bergö's wooden church

• 
  Path to Bergö wooden church
• 
  Nave and entrance door
• 
  Nave and altar
• 
  Altarpiece
• 
  Top of altarpiece
• 
  Pulpit
• 
  View of Bergö church from cemetery
• 
  Tombs of Heroes in Bergö church cemetery

Notable residents

• Albert Brommels (1891–1962), farmer and Member of Parliament

Bibliography

• Anne Bergman; Katia Båsk; Carola Ekrem (2001), Bo på Bergö : människor och resurser i ett ösamhälle / Anne Bergman, Katia Båsk, Carola Ekrem ... [ja muita]., Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland (in Swedish), Helsinki: Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, ISSN 0039-6842, Wikidata Q113529990

References

1. "Statistical Yearbook of Finland 1972" (PDF) (in Finnish). National Library of Finland's publication archive Doria: Statistics Finland. 1974. p. 32. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
2. "Vital statistics 1972" (PDF) (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. pp. 34–35. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
3. "Bergö: Tietoja & Kuvaus" [Bergö: About & Description]. suomenlista.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 12 March 2023. (...) eli 31. joulukuuta 1970 yhteensä 647 henkeä; suurimmillaan se oli vuonna 1938, jolloin kunnassa asui 948 henkilöä. Kunnan maapinta-ala oli 33,8 km². Asukkaista 98 % oli ruotsinkielisiä vuonna 1970. [(...) on December 31, 1970, a total of 647 people; it was at its highest in 1938, when 948 people lived in the municipality. The land area of the municipality was 33.8 km². 98% of the inhabitants were Swedish-speaking in 1970.]
4. Huldén, Lars (2001). "Finlandssvenska bebyggelsenamn" [Finnish-Swedish settlement names]. Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland [Writings published by the Swedish Literature Society in Finland] (in Swedish). No. 645.
5. Bonsdorff, Wäinö, ed. (1919). Tietosanakirja [Encyclopedia] (in Finnish). Vol. 9. Helsinki: Tietosanakirja-Osakeyhtiö [Encyclopedia Ltd Company]. p. 650 – via archive.org. Susiluoto, ruots Vargö, Bergön pitäjän (Silloisen kappelin) vanha, v:teen 1830 virallisestikin kaytetty nimitys. [transl.: "Wolf Island, Swedish Vargö, the old name of the parish of Bergö (the then chapel), officially used until 1830."]
6. Söderholm, Evert. "Bergö, kvarkens pärla! - Bergös Historia" [Bergö, the gem of the Kvarken! Bergö's History]. bergo.fi (in Swedish). [Follow: Om Bergö - Bergös Historia]. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
7. Huovinen, Pentti (1977). Nurminen, Matti (ed.). Otavan Suuri Ensyklopedia [The Great Otava Encyclopedia] (in Finnish). Vol. 1. Helsinki: Otava. ISBN 978-9-5110-2232-9. LCCN 79397336. OL 4049785M.
8. "Bergö". hiski.genealogia.fi (in Finnish). Suomen Sukututkimusseura [Finnish Genealogical Society]. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
9. Söderholm, Evert. "Bergö, kvarkens pärla! - Bergö färjan" [Bergö, the gem of the Kvarken! - Bergö ferry]. bergo.fi (in Swedish). [Follow: Om Bergö - Bergö färjan]. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
10. "Population industry: Population by industry by municipality in 1880–1975" (PDF) (in Finnish). Statistics Finland. 1979. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
11. Eskola, Aarne (Advisory Board); Tarmio, Jack; Papunen, Pentti Korpela; et al. (1967). Suomenmaa: maantieteellis-yhteiskunnallinen tieto- ja hakuteos [Finland: Geographical-social Information and Reference] (in Finnish). Porvoo: WS. p. 78.
12. "En skärgårdsby i Malax kommun" [An archipelago village in Malax municipality]. bergo.fi (in Swedish). [Follow: Om Bergö - En skärgårdsby i Malax kommun]. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
13. "Bergö today". www.bergo.nuS. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
14. "Official Statistics of Finland VI C:104". Väestölaskenta 1970 Osa IV: Taajamat 1960–1970 [Census 1970 Part IV: Agglomerations 1960–1970] (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Statistics Finland. 1976. Retrieved 10 April 2013. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)