BENGTSKÄR

Bengtskär is an islet 16 km south of the village Rosala on the island Hiittinen. To Hanko the distance is about 25 km East direction. These islets an islands are the most southern part of the Finnish South-West archipelago which contain thousands of islands. The Bengtskär islet guards the southern edge of it. These waters are very beautiful and very dangerous becuse of the thousands of underwater reefs and rocks. These waters have been the last silent harbour for many unlucky seamen and their ships.
Even the name of this islet, Bengtskär, comes from an shipwreck. It is told, that long ago a skipper called Bengt suffered an shipwreck. He manage to save himself to this islet but shortly after this, folks from the island Vänö came and robbered and killed the poor man. To his memory the island is called.

The first lightsystem was planned to the island in early 17th century, but wasn't carried out. 
In the end of that century, the winter traffic to Finlands only winter (and ice-free) harbour where increasing, it became more necessary to have an guard to mark the dangerous waters of the archipelago. The lighthouse-project got new speed when the steamer, S.S. Helsingfors, run aground near Bengtskär Jan 1st 1905. Already the same year, architect Granholm got the task to draw an lighthouse for this islet.
The bedrock was examined the next year and was found as good an solid, i could even be used  as building material for the lighthouse. The highest point of the islet was 8 meters over the normal sea-level.
In the end of january 1906, barracks for the workers were built. Next month they started to quarry stone of the island for the lighthouses foundation. In defiance of the rough weather the foundation was ready in July for the brickwork to start. The bricks, all 450.000 where shipped from Hanko, Östergårds Tegelbruk.
First they constructed the part of the lighthouse that contained the appartments in three floors, and then the tower.

Aug 11th. 1906, it was time to celebrate, the building was at roof laying height. To the celebration came the chief of the maritime government general Nikolaj Sjöman and senator Otto Donner. The senator held an speach and after that they've sang the anthem "Maamme (Our nation). The ship "Eläköön" (Celebration) saluted with 10 shots from an canon.

Directly after the celebration the work continued with the tower.
In the end of october the construction work was done. Inside the tower there circulates a stair with 248 steps and the highest bricklayer is in 48 meters height over the foundation
With it's height of 52 meters is Bengtskär the highest lighthouse in Scandinavia. West of the lighthouse they also build an sauna (of course) and a petroleum-storage and an water-reservoir. 

The construction work was done by 130 workers, men and women, most of them came from the nearby villages Rosala, Böhle and Hitis. They made the almost impossible in no time.

Dec 19th.1906 the light was turned on for the first time. It was equipped with an fog-horn which sound was reaching 8 - 13 miles, depending the weather circumstances. Bengtskärs sound-mark is two low and one high per minute.