Billeted Soldiers and Local Civilians in 1750s Helsinki

Abstract

This chapter discusses the soldier billeting system, in which the townspeople were obliged to lodge soldiers in their homes. The article shows that, even though the billeting was a heavy burden to the local burghers in Helsinki, the co-existence of soldiers and civilians in same houses and rooms was in itself surprisingly peaceful. One of the reasons is that the garrison soldiers began, from an early stage, to interact closely with the local community, demonstrated for example by the numerous marriages between them and the local women.