Vaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden. It is named after the Royal House of Vasa.

Town fire

The mainly wooden and densely built town was almost utterly destroyed in 1852. A fire started in an outhouse belonging to district court judge J.F. Aurén on the morning of August 3. At noon the whole town was ablaze and the fire lasted for many hours. In the evening most of the town had burned to the ground. Out of 379 buildings only 24 privately owned buildings had survived, among them the Falander-Wasastjerna patrician house (built in 1780-1781) which now houses the Old Vaasa museum.