Highlights

History

The Rajamäki Yeast Factory area in Nurmijärvi is a nationally significant industrial heritage site where the history of Finnish fermentation, alcohol production, and later biotechnology intertwine. Founded in 1888, the yeast factory laid the foundation for the entire industrial community of Rajamäki and had a decisive impact on the region’s development.

The story begins beside a prehistoric spring in a landscape shaped by forests and water. Chemist Wilhelm Juslin identified a site where exceptionally pure spring water enabled consistent yeast production. Established to solve Finland’s yeast shortage, the factory not only initiated industrial production but also created an entire community with housing, services, and infrastructure. Rajamäki evolved from a rural village into an industrial settlement defined by the rhythm of factory operations.

In the early 20th century, the Finnish state took over the yeast factories, and after the end of Prohibition, operations were transferred to Oy Alkoholiliike Ab. Yeast, alcohol, and vinegar production formed a unified industrial system that became an important part of Finland’s food and beverage industry.

The war years left a dramatic mark on the area. During the Winter War and the Continuation War, Rajamäki became strategically important, and the factory produced up to half a million Molotov cocktails for the Finnish armed forces. Defensive structures, known as the Rajamäki flak towers, were built to protect the industrial area. Although parts of the site were damaged in air raids, the main yeast factory survived intact.

In the 2000s, the area entered a new phase. Industrial production continues at the Anora distillery, where Koskenkorva is still produced. At the same time, the site has evolved into a vibrant cultural and entrepreneurial environment with museums, cafés, bakeries, small businesses, and arts activities. The Factory and Alcohol Museum Rajamäen Ryyppi presents the layered history of the area, while the red-brick industrial architecture continues to tell the story of industry and transformation.

In recent decades, the site has been actively developed as an industrial heritage destination. The Rajamäki gun towers have been restored and integrated into the cultural landscape, now serving as memorials of the war years and as part of visitor routes. Former factory buildings have been gradually restored and repurposed, enabling culture, tourism, and entrepreneurship to coexist within the historic environment.

Today, the Rajamäki Yeast Factory lives on as an industrial heritage and visitor destination where prehistoric spring water, industrial history, wartime layers, and contemporary creative energy form a unified and evolving whole.