Turku Corps

From Sawiki

When the work of Salvation Army Turku II Corps was started the 9th of October 1895 it happened again under good again under bad circumstances. Good was that the corps could start in it´s own dwelling in Vähä-Hämeenkatu 10 which had been obtained for Turku I Corps. The lanquage circumstances in Turku were different from today. The corps had been bilingual, but now the Finnish speaking soldiers wanted a Finnish corps, and since there where more of them, the apartment was given to their usage. There were enough troubles because the officials and partly the church also objected to Salvation Army´s work.

Many officers were imprisoned during the starting years and the Salvationists and often many other people were escourting them to the prison gates and again meeting them when they were released. All of this called forth in those circumstances great attention and during the beginning years the meetings drew many thousands of people monthly and the work of the corps got a good start. After a couple years there was a picture in the Sotahuuto (Warcry) magazine where there were more than a hundred unoform suited Salvationists with their bands and flags. In this corps they started also immidiatly the youth work which must have been one reason to the activity of the work. It may be mentioned that in the same year there was published the first childrens songbook and other instructions for the youth work.

The brass band, the big guitar choir, many stringed instrument bands among others the balalaika orchestra, the instruments of which are now in the army museum in Helsinki, the home and brother alliances, girl and boy scouts and more. In this time the scout band had a concert tour in Norway. Already before the corps was strongly on view in the cityscape. During summers the outdoors occasions in Kupittaa park cathered plenty of audience during next decades. Boat trips were arranged to the beautiful Turku archipelago. There was even a ship voyage of 200 people to Stockholm in the times when traveling was not as common as in our times. In these decades five Salvation Army Generals visited Turku during which calls creat meetings were arranged in the city banqueting halls. On the same place as this apartment there has been monastery in the early middle ages, so the christian traditions on this cite are dignified and binding.

The II Corps has all the time worked in the same area near the cathedral. The next apartment was located in Hämeenkatu in the covered market, then in an old mill and later in a nearby house where Åbo Akademi now operates. In 1925 the II Corps moved to these grounds, in the wood building of which there was lots of activity during many decades. The first officers of the Corps were Captain Naema Tengström and Liutenant Matilda Lahtinen. In the 60´s we moved to this modern apartment.

There are still people alive, who remember during the civil war times the redguards members visiting the meetings and leaving their rifles in the entrance for the time of the meetings. A few decades ago there were along many people, who had been along starting the work of the Corps and who liked to memorize the great enthusiasm of the beginning. During 103 years there have been many kinds of times although this corps may have been one of the most active corps in the whole country. Most of Salvation Army´s competent officers have served here and in the soldiers there have been many colourful and strong characters as Karlsson´s mama - Andersson´s papa - Koskinen´s Antti - Aaltonen´s Jusu - Kivivuori´s Frans - Linnaluoto´s Mandi - Turtiainen´s aunt and Liner´s Bertta. They have been and are remembered with blessing thoughts.

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