Short history of Seili: From leprosy hospital to Research station
Early settlement and agriculture (16th century)
Seili Island has a long and varied history. Agriculture has been practised on the island since the 16th century, and archaeological evidence suggests that people also visited the area in medieval times.
The Leper Colony Era (1619-1785)
The island’s unique journey as a hospital island commenced in 1619, when King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden issued an order to establish a leper colony. Leprosy had made its way to Finland during the Middle Ages, necessitating the creation of a new colony. Seili was selected due to its strategic location along the Turku-Stockholm shipping lane, sheltered anchorage, and a sandy ridge perfect for a cemetery. Construction commenced the following year, and a small village emerged on the peninsula that now houses the church. This village boasted its own sauna, bakery, and eventually, a church.
Initially, patients arrived from St. George’s Hospital in Turku, with others joining from the “House of The Holy Spirit,” catering to individuals who couldn’t care for themselves, including the mentally ill, elderly, blind, and physically challenged. Once they set foot on Seili, it was for life, complete with lifelong care and alledgedly also a prearranged coffin. In the 17th century, patient mortality reached 20-30% annually. Medical visits were infrequent, leaving patients largely to fend for themselves.
Transformation into a mental hospital (1785–1962)
In the mid-18th century, Seili stopped admitting leprosy patients but continued as a mental hospital. The last person with leprosy died on the island in 1785. As leprosy declined in Finland, several leper hospitals were closed.
The mental hospital expanded and at its largest was the biggest institution of its kind in Finland. Of the 18th-century buildings, only the church and the pastor’s house remain.
In 1809, during the Finnish War between Sweden and Russia, an inspection reported very poor living conditions. Patients lacked proper clothing and bedding and lived in unhygienic rooms. Although food was adequate, funds intended for patient care had been misused. Reforms were ordered, and the parish of Nauvo was given supervisory responsibility.
Plans were later made for a new hospital building. Architect Per Johan Gylich designed the main building, and construction began in 1851. The central neo-classical section dates from the 1850s, with east and west wings added later. Large communal rooms were built in the 1890s. The building housed 67 patients, who could be isolated in small rooms if they were violent or restless.
The hospital did not initially have a resident physician; a doctor from Rymättylä visited periodically. The resident pastor position was later discontinued, and the Nauvo parish assumed responsibility for the church.
Except for conflicts in the early 18th century, Seili was largely spared the effects of Finland’s later wars and periods of scarcity. In the late 19th century, Dr Arthur Dahl became the hospital’s first resident physician and improved diagnostic practices. In 1889, male patients were transferred to the Käkisalmi hospital in eastern Finland, and Seili became an institution for female patients with criminal convictions who were considered incurable.
From hospital to research station (1964–present)
The Archipelago Research Institute was established on Seili in 1964, two years after the hospital closed. The Finnish state transferred the buildings and approximately 17 hectares of land to the University of Turku for teaching and research. Since the late 1960s, the Institute has supported marine research and teaching and has maintained long-term environmental and marine monitoring in the Archipelago Sea. Today, it forms part of the Department of Biodiversity Sciences at the University of Turku. In addition to research infrastructure, the Institute contributes to research, education and public outreach on the Baltic Sea and the Archipelago Sea. Seili’s history reflects a long transition from a place of isolation and institutional care to a centre for research and learning.
