Paltaniemi

Paltaniemi is a village on the shores of Lake Oulujärvi, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the Kajaani's town center in Kainuu, Finland. It has a population of 291 inhabitants (in December 2020).[1] The Kajaani Airport is located in the eastern side of the village.

Paltaniemi
Village
Paltaniemi Church from 1726.
Paltaniemi Location in Finland
Coordinates: 64°16′51″N 27°39′06″E
Country	Finland
Region	Kainuu
Municipality	Kajaani
Area
• Total	2.55 km2 (0.98 sq mi)
Population  (31 December 2020)[1]
• Total	291
• Density	1,141/km2 (2,960/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)

From the 17th century until the end of the 19th century, Paltaniemi was the spiritual center of Kainuu, where the most important priests and officials of the parish lived.[2] Paltaniemi's current wooden church, completed in 1726, is the village's third; the first church was destroyed in an earthquake in 1626 and the second church was burned by the Russians during the Great Wrath in 1716.[2] Paltaniemi belonged to Paltamo municipality until 1954, before the village was incorporated into Kajaanin maalaiskunta.[2]

Paltaniemi is especially known as the birthplace of the Finnish poet Eino Leino,[3] and the Eino Leino House museum is located on the site of his former birthplace.[4] Elias Lönnrot, known as the compiler of the Finnish national epic Kalevala, also lived in the village while working as a doctor in Kajaani.[2][5] The German zoologist Fritz Remmler, who also worked as a Gestapo spy, maintained a zoological station in Paltaniemi between 1928 and 1939.[2]