Vormsi

Template:Short description Template:Infobox islands Vormsi (Template:Langx) is the fourth-largest island of Estonia, measuring Template:Convert and a registered population of around 400. It is located in the Baltic Sea, northwest of the mainland and east of Hiiumaa island, and is part of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago).

Administratively the island forms part of Vormsi Parish (rural municipality).

History

File:Klagomännen från Ormsö 1861.jpg

Estonian Swedes of Ormsö (1861)

The documented history of Vormsi dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of this time, the island was inhabited by Estonian Swedes ("rannarootslased" in Estonian or "coastal Swedes" in English). Ormsö in Swedish means "Orm's island", and can be translated also as "Snake island".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Estonian name Vormsi and German Worms have both been derived from Ormsö.

The island's population reached 3,000 before World War II. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, forming the larger region of Aiboland, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden.

Villages

The villages on the island include: Hullo (the administrative centre), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby, Förby, Borrby, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof, formerly Busby<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>), Rumpo (the main beach area) and Hosby.

The island of Vormsi has homeowners from several countries and regions in Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and elsewhere.

Economy

Vormsi is the per capita wealthiest island and region in Estonia outside of the Tallinn metro area, with incomes on the same level as inner Tallinn. This is attributed to the fact that many comparatively wealthy people own summer homes on the island and are registered as residents, so their yearly income tax is forwarded to the island's budget.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Vormsi has only small businesses with no significant industrial activity. The island earns the majority of its revenues from the taxation on the salaries earned by its residents on the Estonian mainland.

Literature

• Kanarbik, Madis, Ormsö. De estlandssvenska böndernas kamp mot godsägarna under 1700- och 1800-talet [Nordistica Tartuensia; 9] (Tartu, 2003)
• Beyer, Jürgen, 'Whom should one thank for a narrow escape? Lessons drawn from a perilous journey from Vormsi and Noarootsi to Finland in 1796', Pro Ethnologia 17 (2004), 175-95

Gallery

• Vormsi sadam 2015.jpg

  Vormsi harbour (2015)

• Lehmihaka.jpg

  Paddock, Rälby

• Vormsi-tuulimylly.jpg

  Old windmill, Rälby

• Metsänvartijanmökki1.jpg

  Woodsman's cottage, Hullo

• Vormsi-Ormso-Rumpo-muul.jpg

  Beach area in Rumpo

• Vormsi-Rumpo.jpg

  Viewing platform in Rumpo peninsula, looking towards Sviby harbor

• Vormsi kalmistu 02.jpg

  Vormsi cemetery

• Aurora Borealis in Vormsi, Estonia.jpg

  Aurora borealis in Saxby

• Vormsi Hullo tuulikud.jpg

  Windmills in Hullo, 1930s

• Borbi küla (Borrby), Vormsi saar (Ormsö) SLS 443 22 - 1934.jpg

  Aerial photo of the Borrby village, 1934

• Ny Dag hyllar Stalin ockupation av Estland.jpg

  Swedish communist daily Ny Dag headline on 5 September 1940: "The Swedes on Vormsi greet Stalin and the new regime"

• Estlandssvenska flyktingar.jpg

  Fleeing the Soviet occupation to Sweden, 1944

• Vormsi Parish - panoramio.jpg

  Road signs in Hullo

• Vormsi kirik 2011.jpg

  The 15th century Swedish (now Lutheran) church in Hullo (2011)

• Vormsi - panoramio (1).jpg

  Round crosses in the Vormsi cemetery

• Estonia-nordic-cross-flag-02.jpg

  A Nordic cross flag used in Vormsi

• Ormsö Vormsi ferry.jpg

  Vormsi is connected with the mainland by MS Ormsö (:et)

External links

• Vormsi vald (Vormsi municipality)