Bergö

Bergö's name was originally Vargö [{{translation|'wolf', 'thief'|i=yes}}], but the name of the island and village was changed to Bergö in 1830, probably because the original name was considered demeaning. The name of the island was documented as Wargö (1546) and as Vargöö (1552), among others.{{cite magazine

|last= Huldén

|first= Lars

|title= Finlandssvenska bebyggelsenamn

|language= sv

|trans-title= Finnish-Swedish settlement names

|date= 2001

|magazine= Skrifter utgivna av Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland

|trans-work= Writings published by the Swedish Literature Society in Finland

|issue= 645

}} The form Susiluoto ('Wolf Island') has also been used in Finnish.{{cite book

|editor-last= Bonsdorff

|editor-first= Wäinö

|title= Tietosanakirja

|language= fi

|trans-title= Encyclopedia

|date= 1919

|volume= 9

|page= 650

|location= Helsinki

|publisher= Tietosanakirja-Osakeyhtiö [Encyclopedia Ltd Company]

|url= https://archive.org/details/tietosanakirja09bons/page/n351/mode/2up

|via= archive.org

|quote= Susiluoto, ruots Vargö, Bergön pitäjän (Silloisen kappelin) vanha, v:teen 1830 virallisestikin kaytetty nimitys.

|trans-quote= {{translation|i=yes}}: "Wolf Island, Swedish Vargö, the old name of the parish of Bergö (the then chapel), officially used until 1830."

}}

Originally, Bergö was four separate islands: Granön, Långön, Norrön and Holmen, which later merged due to post-glacial rebound.{{Cite web

|last= Söderholm

|first= Evert

|title= Bergö, kvarkens pärla! - Bergös Historia

|at= [Follow: Om Bergö - Bergös Historia]

|trans-title= Bergö, the gem of the Kvarken! Bergö's History

|url= https://www.xn--berg-8qa.fi/om-bergo/historia/

|website=bergo.fi

|language=sv

|access-date= 5 January 2023

}} The history of Bergö Island goes all the way back to the late 1400s, when the first farmer was mentioned in 1495. In the 1500s, the island had nine houses, and about 40 inhabitants. Bergö, which was originally part of the parish of Korsholm, shared a prayer house with Malax in 1652 and a chapel parish in 1848. Bergö parish became independent in 1908 and received its own vicar for the first time in 1911.{{cite book

|last= Huovinen

|first= Pentti

|editor-last= Nurminen

|editor-first= Matti

|title= Otavan Suuri Ensyklopedia

|language=fi

|trans-title= The Great Otava Encyclopedia

|date= 1977

|volume= 1

|edition=

|location= Helsinki

|publisher= Otava

|ol= 4049785M

|lccn= 79397336

|isbn= 978-9-5110-2232-9

}}{{Cite web

|title= Bergö

|publisher= Suomen Sukututkimusseura [Finnish Genealogical Society]

|url= https://hiski.genealogia.fi/seurakunnat/srk?CMD=SRK&ID=20&TYPE=HTML&LANG=FI

|website= hiski.genealogia.fi

|language=fi

|access-date= 5 January 2023}} The parish is now part of the Malax parish union, and of the Porvoo Communion. Bergö island was granted a ferry connection in 1962, when the ferry sailed from Vaasa only during the daytime. In 1979, this was replaced by a cable ferry, which runs from 5:30am to 00:10am every day; outside these times, the ferry can be called with buttons on the beaches.{{Cite web

|last= Söderholm

|first= Evert

|title= Bergö, kvarkens pärla! - Bergö färjan

|at= [Follow: Om Bergö - Bergö färjan]

|trans-title= Bergö, the gem of the Kvarken! - Bergö ferry

|url= https://www.xn--berg-8qa.fi/om-bergo/farjans-tidtabell/

|website=bergo.fi

|language=sv

|access-date= 19 January 2023

}}

The municipality of Bergö was merged with Malax in 1973.{{rp|page=350}}

Bergö's attractions include its wooden church, which was built in 1800-1802 and extended to its current appearance in 1852–1853.

Bergö's only village is also called Bergö,{{Cite book

|last1= Eskola

|first1= Aarne (Advisory Board)

|last2= Tarmio

|first2= Jack

|last3= Papunen

|first3= Pentti Korpela

|display-authors= etal

|title= Suomenmaa: maantieteellis-yhteiskunnallinen tieto- ja hakuteos

|trans-title= Finland: Geographical-social Information and Reference

|date= 1967

|page= 78

|location= Porvoo

|publisher= WS

|language= fi

}} and is approximately 3.15 km2 in size, with roughly 480 inhabitants. Its neighbourhoods include Bredhällan, Holme, Granön, Långön, Perisgrund and Södersund.{{Cite web

|title= En skärgårdsby i Malax kommun

|at= [Follow: Om Bergö - En skärgårdsby i Malax kommun]

|trans-title= An archipelago village in Malax municipality

|url= https://www.xn--berg-8qa.fi/om-bergo/

|website= bergo.fi

|language= sv

|access-date= 12 March 2023

}}

The population has remained relatively stable over the past ten years. There are about 60 jobs in the village and the proportion of those working elsewhere is about 50 percent. Most jobs are found in the service sector and the proportion of primary production has clearly decreased. In 2003, there were about 40 full-time fishermen in the village. The jobs provided by the Coast Guard and pilotage have largely disappeared, but the Bergö ferry connection still employs six people.{{Cite web

|title= Bergö today

|url= http://www.bergo.nu/english/index.htm

|website= www.bergo.nuS

|access-date= 19 January 2023

}}

There is a fishing port on Ytterbådan, as well as marinas at Bredhällan, Perisgrund and at Norrsundet. A guest jetty and service house are located near the ferry berth. Bergö Båtklubb rf takes care of the small boat fairways in the Bergö archipelago.

Bergö has a ferry connection that operates according to a timetable. The bus connection from Bergö to Vaasa currently runs only once a day on weekdays. Two-thirds of households have access to the municipal water supply and sewerage system. The cable TV network is extended to the majority of households and the option of fast fibre connectivity is also available. The Petalax-Bergö local television channel broadcasts two days a week.

Other services at Bergö include: a school for grades 1–6, day care, two grocery stores, bank, library, hairdressers, flower and gift stalls, café, medicine cabinet, post office, swimming beach, mini golf course, sauna, riding school. Bergö residents are very active in associations.

The following graph shows the population development of Bergö every ten years between 1880 and 1970.

{{Bar chart

| title = Population development of Bergö 1880–1970{{cite web

|url= http://www.doria.fi/handle/10024/91484

|title= Population industry: Population by industry by municipality in 1880–1975

|format= PDF

|date= 1979

|publisher= Statistics Finland

|access-date= 7 June 2014

|language=fi

}}

| label_type = Year

| data_type = Population

| bar_width = 30

| width_units = em

| data_max = 900

| label1 = 1880

| data1 = 637

| label2 = 1890

| data2 = 765

| label3 = 1900

| data3 = 765

| label4 = 1910

| data4 = 628

| label5 = 1920

| data5 = 664

| label6 = 1930

| data6 = 808

| label7 = 1940

| data7 = 824

| label8 = 1950

| data8 = 743

| label9 = 1960

| data9 = 686

| label10 = 1970

| data10 = 642

}}

According to the urban boundaries of 1960 and 1970, there were no agglomerations in Bergö.{{Cite book

|title= Väestölaskenta 1970 Osa IV: Taajamat 1960–1970

|trans-title= Census 1970 Part IV: Agglomerations 1960–1970

|date= 1976

|chapter= Official Statistics of Finland VI C:104

|location= Helsinki

|publisher= Statistics Finland

|url= http://www.doria.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/96453/xvael_c_197000_1976_dig_4.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

|type= Web version

|access-date= 10 April 2013

|language= fi

}} Today, however, the village of Bergö is defined as an urban settlement.

{{Gallery

|title=Images of Bergö's wooden church

|width=160 | height=170

|align=center

|footer=

|File:Bergö kyrka 02.jpg

|{{center|Path to Bergö wooden church}}

|alt1=

|File:Bergö kyrka 08.jpg

|{{center|Nave and entrance door}}

|alt2=

|File:Bergö kyrka 04.jpg

|{{center|Nave and altar}}

|alt3=

|File:Bergö kyrka 05.jpg

|{{center|Altarpiece}}

|alt4=

|File:Bergö kyrka 06.jpg

|{{center|Top of altarpiece}}

|alt5=

|File:Bergö kyrka 07.jpg

|{{center|Pulpit}}

|alt6=

|File:Bergö kyrka 01.jpg

|{{center|View of Bergö church from cemetery}}

|alt7=

|File:Bergö sh 2010.JPG

|{{center|Tombs of Heroes in Bergö church cemetery}}

|alt8=

}}

• Albert Brommels (1891–1962), farmer and Member of Parliament

• {{SLS Q| Q113529990}}

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Category:Former municipalities of Finland