The Varsinais-Suomi Region immigrant letters consist thousands of letters written by Finnish emigrants from Varsinais-Suomi (Southwest Finland) region to their families and friends in Finland between 1880 and 1964. There are also post cards, diaries and passports in the collection. Many letters originate from the United States and Canada, but there are also others from South America, Australia, New Zealand and the Soviet Union. The Institute of General History collected the letters between February 1 and October 31, 1966. The collected letters were organized and microfilmed in the fall of 1966.
The collection was arranged by town (also known as parishes or municipalities). Within each town the letters of each recipient were kept together. The owners of the letters are in chronological order according to the emigrating year of their correspondents.
Every subseries of letters includes a questionnaire that was completed by the letter recipient. In the upper right corner of the questionnaire there is a code that includes the abbreviation of the town and the location of the sender.
The questionnaire for collecting these America letters contained the following questions:
- The owner of the letters (name and address)
- The writer of the letters (name and last address)
- The relationship between the owner and the writer
- When left for America
- Who were they visiting in America
- Why left
- Home town in Finland
- The occupation of the parents
- How large was the family of the parents of the emigrant
- Was the emigrant married when he left Finland
- Did the wife and children emigrate, too
- Did the emigrant get married in America
- What year
- The nationality of the spouse
- The occupation of the emigrant when emigrated
- Had the emigrant ever been working outside the home town before emigrating
- How did the emigrant go to America (route and vehicle)
- The first workplace in America
- What kind of work
- Where did the emigrant live the longest time in America
- What kind of work
- Other members of the group who emigrated at the same time: name, hometown, return to Finland
- The later life of the emigrant: did/did not return to Finland
- If applicable, why did the emigrant return
- Return route and vehicle
- Occupation after return
- The number of the letters (photos, diaries etc.) in the enclosed questionnaire envelope
- The owner donates the letters/loans them only for microfilming
- The collector of the letters (name and address)
- To be filled by the Institute of General History
Documents in this collection are identified with the following abbreviations indicating the name of the town or parish from which the immigrant came.
- ALAS = Alastaro
- AURA = Aura
- B-DÖ = Brändö Al.
- D-FJÄRD = Dragsfjärd
- HAL = Halikko
- HIIT = Hiittinen
- HOUTS = Houtskari
- JOK = Jokioinen
- K-KERTA = Kakskerta
- K-TI = Kalanti
- K-LA = Karjala Tl.
- K-NA = Karuna
- KEM = Kemiö
- K-KO = Kisko
- K-JOKI = Kodisjoki
- KORP = Korpoo
- K-KI = Koski-Tl.
- K-VI = Kustavi
- K-TO = Kuuisto
- KUUS = Kuusjoki
- L-LA = Laitila
- LEMU = Lemu
- L-TO = Lieto
- LOIM = Loimaa
- L-TI = Lokalahti
- MAAR = Maaria
- M-LA = Marttila
- M-KU = Masku
- MERI = Merimasku
- MIET = Mietoinen
- MUUR = Muurla
- M-KI = Mynämäki
- NAAN = Naantali
- ORIP = Oripää
- PAAT = Paattinen
- PAIM = Paimio
- PAR = Parkano
- PER = Perniö
- P-LI = Pertteli
- PYHÄ = Phyämää
- RÖY = Pöytyä
- RYM = Rymättylä
- S-VO = Sauvo
- S-RO = Somero
- SUOM = Suomasjärvi
- T-LO = Taivassalo
- T-JOKI = Tarvasjoki
- T-KU = Turku
- USK = Uskela
- VEH = Vehmaa
- VEL = Belkua
- VÄST = Västanfjärd
- Y-NE = Yläne
The Institute of General History at the University of Turku began working on this collection of letters from Varsinais-Suomi (Southwest Finland) region in the fall of 1965. In October and November an agreement to collect letters was made with the Youth Society of Varsinais-Suomi Province and the high schools of the area. The instructions were printed in both Finnish and Swedish (Southwest Finland has a high concentration of Swede-Finns).
The Institute of General History collected the letters between February 1 and October 31, 1966. To begin this undertaking, the Radio of Finland aired several programs that made this project known. There were also several articles in Varsinais-Suomi newspapers. The letters were mainly collected by the local youth societies as well as private persons and other groups. Some individuals and groups received prizes for collecting the most letters. About 5,500 letters were collected, arranged, and microfilmed.
