From Heritage Room to Museum
The Laihia War Veterans Association established the Laihia War Veterans
Heritage Room in 2000. The war veterans’ association did not have premises for the heritage room, so the association turned to the Municipality of Laihia.
The municipal executive board responded favorably to the request, and the
veterans’ heritage room was given premises on the ground floor of the former savings bank. The Heritage Room changed its name to the Museum.
The museum had to leave the bank’s premises in 2002–2003 and moved into storage facilities at Laihia’s lower secondary school. The premises were small, which limited the presentation of the museum and its collections. In 2014, the War Veterans’ Association approached the Laihia Reservists’ Association, offering them the war veterans museum so that the preservation of the history of Laihia’s veterans and the passing on of their heritage would continue.
The museum was transferred from the war veterans to Laihia Reservists’
Association by deed of gift on 3 September 2014.
Establishment of the Museum Committee
The development of the museum began immediately, and the reservists’
association established a dedicated museum committee for it. In addition to reservists, representatives from the Municipality of Laihia, the Laihia Parish, the Laihia Entrepreneurs Association, and the Laihia Rotary Club were invited to participate in the committee’s administration and maintenance.
The committee began its work actively. Its primary goal was to secure new,
suitable premises for the museum.
In September 2018, with support from the Municipality of Laihia, the museum received 110 square meters of space in the library building located at Laihiantie 39. In January 2019, the museum committee decided to establish a new association, which was named Laihian sotiemme veteraanit
museoyhdistys ry (Laihia Veterans of Our Wars Museum Association). At this stage, the museum’s collections and movable property were owned by Laihia Reservists’ Association.
Museum opening
The museum’s official opening was held in the new premises on January 26, The event began with a daytime celebration at the Laihia parish hall,
where the keynote speaker was Professor Heikki Ylikangas. After the
celebration, the opening ceremony continued at the museum, where the
opening address was delivered by Brigadier General Antti Lehtisalo from
the Ministry of Defence. Assisting the general in cutting the blue-and-white ribbon were representatives of the veterans of our wars: disabled war
veteran Unto Nyystilä and Lotta Kaija Kangasmaa. Also taking part in the
ribbon-cutting were Professor Heikki Ylikangas, Chair of the Municipal
Council Janne Laine, Chair of the Municipal Executive Board Tapio
Nyysti, and Honorary Chair of the reservists Matti Vettenranta.
The Mannerheim Cross
On July 6, 2019, the Mannerheim Cross No. 20 was returned to Laihia when the family of Mannerheim Cross recipient Eino Mallila wished for the cross to return to its home region. The family requested that our museum become its permanent home, where the cross and its history would be presented to all interested visitors. The Mannerheim Cross was gratefully received at a ceremony held on July 6 and placed on display in our museum in a secure display case specially made for the cross.
Laihia Veterans of Our Wars Museum Association
On 22 August 2019, the Laihia Reservists Association decided to transfer the museum’s collections and movable property, free of charge and with full ownership rights, to the newly established museum association.
The museum’s collections consists of artifacts from the War of Independence (the Finnish Civil War), the Winter War, the Continuation War, and the Lapland War. The events at Hulmi in 1918 are also presented against their historical background. The museum cooperates with the Ostrobothnian Museum, the Seinäjoki Regional Museum, and the Civil Guard and Lotta Svärd Museum. The museum will preserve the veterans’ heritage in Laihia after the veteran generations have passed away.
The museum’s activities have been expanded so that representatives of
various organizations and communities, as well as the municipality’s
administrative departments, have been able to book a museum presentation and the opportunity to hold a meeting in the museum’s facilities after the presentation.