A Lesson From 1754
Mar 2 2025
In the 18th century, when Finland was still part of the Kingdom of Sweden, a number of coastal fortresses were built along the Finnish and Swedish coast, and one of them was the sea fortress Sveaborg outside Helsinki. It was built on the islands directly south of the city and protected the entrance to the city port.
Russia and its growing power was the obvious reason why these fortresses were built, and Finland was the eastern edge of the Kingdom of Sweden and thus of the Western European cultural and religious sphere. Russia was a Slavic nation and the dominant religion there was Greek Orthodox Christianity, i.e. in one word: foreign.
The sea fortress known then as Sveaborg is now called Suomenlinna, the Finns changed the name when they gained independence in 1917. The original name translates to Castle of Sweden and the new one to Castle of Finland, both equally misleading since there is no castle, it is strictly a military fortress.
The original main entrance is called The King’s Gate, since that is where a Swedish King entered the fortress during the construction phase. The gate was finished in 1754, and on the sides are four decorative stone tables, two on each side.
One of the stone tablets has a message for future generations engraved on it. It is by Field Marshal Augustin Ehrensvärd, the designer of the fortress, and the commander of the Swedish Archipelago Fleet and it reads in 18th century Swedish:
Eftervärd
stå här på egen botn
och lita icke på främmande hielp
For those who do not understand 18th century Swedish this roughly translates to:
Future generations,
stand here on your own two feet
and do not rely on foreign help
This was good advice, more than 250 years ago, for the Eastern edge of the Western world, against emerging Russia. And by the way, years before the US gained independence.
And it is good advice for Europe, in 2025, when the US is turning inward and becoming isolationist, and when Russia is again trying to muscle its way into the heart of Europe.
