Workers’ Housing Museum

The workers’ housing museum, part of the Helsinki City Museum, is situated in one of four wooden apartment houses built in Kirstinkuja in 1909 for some of the city’s own employees. Designed by the architect A Nyberg, these were some of the first houses for working-class people to be constructed by the city authority. They had running water, ventilated pantries and kitchen ranges. Electric lighting was installed in 1918.

The houses were scheduled for demolition in 1966, but one of them was saved. It includes six staircases, on each of which are two single-room apartments. Nine of the apartments have been restored to tell the carefully-researched stories of nine families between 1909 and 1985. The museum is currently closed for renovation but will re-open in 2008.