Brahenkatu 13, Hansa Building, window on the Brahenkatu street side
Located on the corner of Pekkatori Square, Kivi-Sovio (Hansa House) was one of the properties owned by the Sovelius family during the heyday of Raahe. The building is now owned by the city of Raahe.
Kivi-Sovio (Hansa House), located on the corner of Pekkatori Square, was one of the properties owned by the Sovelius family during the heyday of Raahe. Catharina's son Johan IV Sovelius (1812–1853) inherited Kivi-Sovio. After Johan's death, his widow Olivia Sovelius lived in the house with her son Matts Johan Ernst.
One of the city's shipowner families was the Sovelius family, who were involved in shipping and trade for many generations. They maintained connections with other coastal cities, such as Pietarsaari.
Young people from Raahe and Pietarsaari also sailed hand in hand to the port of marriage. This was the case, for example, with Johan (Johannes) Sovelius IV (1812–1853) and Olivia Vilhelmina Winsten (1827–1897). Olivia and Johan were married in Pietarsaari on January 1, 1848. Olivia moved to Raahe in 1848.
The cholera summer in Raahe
“For a long time, the summer of 1853 was referred to as the "cholera summer" in Raahe. At that time, Raahe had a busy shipping connection with Lübeck in northern Germany. In fact, there was a regular line. Several sailing ships were assigned to this line. One of these ships on the Lübeck line was the Raahe schooner Wilkas, which was built here in 1843 and had a pulling power of 45 horses.
At that time, ships were not in a hurry in ports. A week passed comfortably in Lübeck, during which time the Wilkas unloaded and loaded its cargo. Potash was taken to Germany. The return cargo consisted of coffee, sugar, syrup, cognac, wines, and even clothing and silk thread.
On the way home, sailor Nyberg was very ill, but when they arrived at the shores of Raahe a week later, his illness had subsided. His fever was gone, and he was no longer vomiting or suffering from severe diarrhea.
The cholera that had come with the ship took hold in Raahe and claimed a total of 20 victims, one of whom was merchant Janne Sovio (Johan Sovelius IV).” (Norio)
Widow Olivia Sovelius
Johan Sovelius IV died of cholera in 1853 at the age of 41. After becoming a widow, Olivia continued her husband's trading business and shipowning with great skill. She was granted merchant rights in 1853.
She owned shares in several of the Sovelius ships, totaling 1/10. She also reserved shares for her underage sons. She was a member of the Trade Association from 1854 until her death. She died on October 5, 1897.
The house changes hands
The next owner of Kivi-Sovio, Court of Appeal Judge John Sahlstöm, purchased the house on November 20, 1925. The house changed hands again on September 5, 1932, when it was purchased by Kansallis-Osake-Pankki. A couple of years later, on May 8, 1934, the house was transferred to Judge Olli Johannes Piikive. The house changed hands several times in the early 20th century.
The people of Raahe know the building as Hansa House. The name comes from the hotel and restaurant that operated in the building for decades. A hotel and restaurant business began in the building during the interim peace (March 13, 1940–June 25, 1941) and continued under various owners until the 1970s.
The city of Raahe acquired Hansa House in the early 1970s, and it is currently undergoing renovation.
Kivi-Sovio: building history report & perspectives on facade renovation
The publication can be viewed at here:
Window decoration by Luovi Vocational College, Telma training group
Further information
Felix Onkka (Onni Norio): Stories from Raahe and the surrounding area. Raahelainen Oy v. 1983
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