Between April 25-27.2025 our multidisciplinary research team focused on surveyng protected cultural heritage sites related to the Finnish Civil War in Espoo. The surveys were made possible with funding from Svenska Kulturfonden and Esbo Arbetarinstitut and made in close co-operation with Espoo City Museum and with permission from the landowners.
The multidisciplinary conflict and battlefield archaeology fieldwork centered on the battlefield sites in Alberga (Gransbacken and Knapperstensberget) were some 2 000 German soldiers from the Ostsee Division clashed with troops from the Finnish (communist) Red Guard on April 11th 1918.
German troops photographed in Alberga after the battle. Photos Espoo City Museum.
The fortifications over which the battle was fought were still very much visible although littered with more recent trash. Despite this they provide a very dramatic background to the surface finds dating to the battle that could still after over 100 years be recovered from the area.
Fortfications on Gransbacken (left) and Knaperstensberget (right). Photos Jan Fast and Tuija Wetterstrand.
The finds from the surveys of the area included several items that could be associated with the battle. These included a German Catholic Crucifix found on Knaperstensberget witch was possibly lost by a German soldier during the heat of the battle and several rifle cartridge casings in the area of Gransbacken. A short distance away in Stensby and Söderskog the find sites of a German medallion commermorating the German campaign in China in 1901 and a group of rifle cartridge casing and many other 1918 related items were was also mapped. These areas could indicate resting places for German troops.
A German catholic crucifix found on Knaperstensberget and commemorative medallion and fired rifle cartridges from Smedsby, Photos Maarit Murtosalo and Jan Fast.
We will continue our research in Espoo in October 2025 and May 2026
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