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Guerrilla Gardening?

Urban Agriculture and the Environment

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The Resilient City in World War II

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History ((PSWEH))

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Abstract

During World War II, all countries at war were threatened by a severe decline in agricultural production. Wartime urban agriculture is a well-known phenomenon, yet most studies discuss it in a highly cursory way, and the environmental dimension has been neglected. This chapter explores the situation in Turku, which was Finland’s third-largest city during the war. From a contemporary perspective, the wartime city could be considered an ecological society. City residents raised their food themselves, and all possible waste was recycled. But the shortages also led to negative phenomena, such as animal abuse, declines in hygiene, the poaching of fish and animals, and the stripping of forests. Lahtinen argues that the wartime urban agriculture was literally a loot-based economy, the sustainability of which proved untenable.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For North America, see Cecilia Gowdy-Wygant, Cultivating Victory: The Women’s Land Army and the Victory Garden Movement (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2013), 3–6, 107–115; Ian Mosby, Food Will Win the War: The Politics, Culture, and Science of Food on Canada’s Home Front (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2014); Anastasia Day, “Productive Plots: Nature, Nation, and Industry in the Victory Gardens of the U.S. World War II Home Front,” Ph.D. dissertation, University of Delaware, 2018.

  2. 2.

    Lea Baumach, Urban food production: A contribution to urban resilience in Berlin ? (Hamburg: Diplom.de, 2014), 24–31.

  3. 3.

    Jacob Darwin Hamblin, “The Vulnerability of Nations: Food Security in the Aftermath of World War II,” in Simo Laakkonen, Richard Tucker, eds., A Special Issue on “World War II, the Cold War, and Natural Resources,” Global Environment. A Journal of History and Natural and Social Sciences no. 10 (2012): 42–65.

  4. 4.

    Annika Björklund, Historical Urban Agriculture. Food Production and Access to Land in Swedish Towns before 1900 (Stockholm: Stockholm University, 2010), 214–215, Figure 35.

  5. 5.

    Wendy Goldman & Donald Filtzer, eds., Hunger and War: Food Provisioning in the Soviet Union during World War II (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2015); Brian Short, The Battle of the Fields: Rural Community and Authority in Britain during the Second World War (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2014).

  6. 6.

    Lizzie Collingham: The Taste of War: World War Two and the Battle for Food (London: Allen Lane, 2011), 4–5, 16, 22–27, 50–51, 76–77, 83, 181, 220–23, 325, 380, 501.

  7. 7.

    Björklund, Historical Urban Agriculture, Chapter I.

  8. 8.

    Eino Jutikkala, Turun kaupungin historia 1856–1917 (“History of the City of Turku, 1856–1917”) (Turku: Turun kaupunki, 1957), 45.

  9. 9.

    Jutikkala, Turun kaupungin historia 1856–1917, 572. In 1890, the population of Turku was approximately 30,000.

  10. 10.

    Marita Söderström, Ratatieosakeyhtiöstä keltaiseen vaaraan. Sata vuotta Turun joukkoliikennettä (“From Tramway Shares to the Yellow Danger: One Hundred Years of Public Transportation in Turku”) (Turku: Turun maakuntamuseo, 1990), 14–15; Jutikkala, Turun kaupungin historia 1856–1917, 43.

  11. 11.

    Veikko Anttila and Matti Räsänen, “Kansankulttuurin murros” (“The Turning Point in National Culture”), in Paula Avikainen et al., eds., Suomen Historia 7 (“History of Finland 7”) (Espoo: Weilin+Göös, 1987), 44.

  12. 12.

    Rauno Lahtinen and Timo Vuorisalo, “‘It’s war and everyone can do as they please!’ An environmental history of a Finnish city in wartime,” Environmental History 9, no. 4 (October 2004): 675–96.

  13. 13.

    Reino Lento, Sellaista oli elämä vuosisadan vaihteen Turussa (“That’s What Life was Like in Turn-of-the-Century Finland”) (Juva: WSOY, 1979), 190–195; Jussi Kuusanmäki, “Ensimmäisen maailmansodan lehtisensuuri” (“Newspaper Censorship in World War I”), in Pirkko Leino-Kaukiainen, ed., Sensuuri ja sananvapaus Suomessa (“Censorship and Freedom of Speech in Finland”) (Helsinki: Suomen sanomalehdistön historia –projekti, 1980), 95–101; Alpo Rusi, Lehdistösensuuri jatkosodassa. Sanan valvonta sodankäynnin välineenä 1941–1944 (“Press Censorship in the Continuation War: Monitoring the Printed Word as a Tool in Warfare 1941–1944”) (Helsinki: SHS, 1982), 17–22, 359–369.

  14. 14.

    Sami Tantarimäki, “Puutarhan antimilla yli pulavuosien” (“Surviving the Years of Shortage with Gardens”), in Sakari Tuhkanen et al., eds., Tutkimusretkistä paikkatietojärjestelmiin – matkalla kulttuurimaantieteen maailmoissa (“From Explorations to GPS – Travel in the Worlds of Cultural Geography”) (Turku: Turun yliopiston maantieteen laitoksen julkaisuja 164/2001), 148–155.

  15. 15.

    Mirja-Riitta Siivonen, Pirkko Salonen and Tuija Kuchka, Siirtolapuutarha – kaupunkilaisten paratiisi (“Allotment Gardens – Paradise for City Dwellers”) (Helsinki: Tammi, 1999), 31–45; Tantarimäki, “Puutarhan antimilla yli pulavuosien,” 194–197; Uusi Aura (UA) July 31, 1914 and August 20, 1916.

  16. 16.

    Siivonen, Salonen, and Kuchka, Siirtolapuutarha – kaupunkilaisten paratiisi, 31–45.

  17. 17.

    Harri Andersson, “Huvilakaupunki” (“Villa City”), in Susanna Hujala and Päivi Kiiski-Finel, eds., Näkymätön kaupunki. Toteutumattomia suunnitelmia 1900-luvun Turussa (The Invisible City: Unrealised Plans in Twentieth-Century Turku) (Turku: Wäinö Aaltosen museo, 2002), 80–87; UA February 17 and April 24, 1921.

  18. 18.

    UA May 14, 1916.

  19. 19.

    Lento, Sellaista oli elämä vuosisadan vaihteen Turussa, 13.

  20. 20.

    UA May 9, 13, and 15, 1917.

  21. 21.

    For UK, see Peter Thorsheim, Waste into Weapons: Recycling in Britain during the Second World War (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015).

  22. 22.

    UA May 9 and 27, 1917; Turun Sanomat (TS) June 5, 1918.

  23. 23.

    Various authors have noted the harshness of that winter. See, for example, Alice Weinreb, Modern Hungers: Food and Power in Twentieth Century Germany (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017).

  24. 24.

    TS June 13, 1918.

  25. 25.

    Tantarimäki, “Puutarhan antimilla yli pulavuosien,” 150–151.

  26. 26.

    Siivonen, Salonen, Kuchka, Siirtolapuutarha – kaupunkilaisten paratiisi, 42–43; TS May 10, July 15, and August 30, 1934.

  27. 27.

    For example, TS August 9, 1933 and June 23, 1938.

  28. 28.

    Sinikka Uusitalo, Turun kaupungin historia 1918–1970 (“History of the City of Turku 1918–1970”) (Turku: Turun kaupunki, 1982), 113–115.

  29. 29.

    Ilkka Seppinen, “Talvisodan talous” (“The Winter War Economy”), in Lauri Haataja et al., eds., Suomi 85. Itsenäisyyden puolustajat. Osa 2: Kotirintamalla (“Finland 85: Defenders of Independence. Part 2: the Home Front”) (Porvoo: Weilin+Göös, 2002), 30–31.

  30. 30.

    Erkki Pihkala, “Kansanhuollon aikaan,” in Haataja, Suomi 85, 90–91.

  31. 31.

    TS May 19 and 22, 1940.

  32. 32.

    TS March 30, 1946.

  33. 33.

    Pihkala, “Kansanhuollon aikaan,” 93.

  34. 34.

    TS March 12, 1947, October 22, 1948 and May 5, 1949.

  35. 35.

    See for instance Anni Polva’s memoirs of life in wartime Turku. Anni Polva, Elettiin kotirintamalla… Lehtiä päiväkirjastani (Hämeenlinna: Karisto, 1995), 28–136.

  36. 36.

    Jouni Kallioniemi, Kotirintama 1939–1945 (“Home-front, 1939–1945”) (Turku: Vähä-Heikkilän kustannus, 2001), 82. Turku-area newspapers published several reports of illegal domestic animals found in Helsinki apartment buildings, but not a single corresponding case was reported in Turku.

  37. 37.

    TKK 1940–1945; activities of the city veterinarian.

  38. 38.

    Pihkala, “Kansanhuollon aikaan,” 88.

  39. 39.

    TS August 29, 1942; Liisa Nummelin, Maatalous kaupungissa. Maanviljelys ja karjanhoito Porin kaupungissa 1880-luvulta 1940-luvun lopulle (“Urban agriculture in Pori, 1880s–1940s”). MA Thesis, Turun yliopisto, 1988, 131.

  40. 40.

    TS October 30, 1943.

  41. 41.

    Pihkala, “Kansanhuollon aikaan,” 96.

  42. 42.

    TS February 29, 1944.

  43. 43.

    TS January 8, 1942.

  44. 44.

    TS June 3, 1943.

  45. 45.

    UA November 1, 1917.

  46. 46.

    For example, UA November 29, 1917 and TS December 12, 1918.

  47. 47.

    The municipal report of the City of Turku (TKK) 1916, section 1, 122.

  48. 48.

    TS May 13, 1941.

  49. 49.

    Matti Rasila, Turun eläinsuojeluyhdistys 1871–1971 (“The Turku Animal Protection Association 1871–1971”) (Turku, 1971), 55–57; Ulla Eronen, Piiskat piiloon, Tunkki tulee! Joensuun eläinsuojeluyhdistys 1899–1999 (“Hide The Whips! The Joensuu Animal Protection Association 1899–1999”) (Joensuu: Joensuun eläinsuojeluyhdistys, 1999), 137–139.

  50. 50.

    Kirsi Saarikangas, Asunnon muodonmuutoksia. Puhtauden estetiikka ja sukupuoli modernissa arkkitehtuurissa (“Changes in Housing Forms: The Aesthetics of Cleanliness and Gender in Modern Architecture”) (Helsinki: SKS, 2002), 127–133; Riitta Oittinen, Enemmän puhtautta – enemmän terveyttä? (“Cleaner – Healthier?”), in Simo Laakkonen et al. (ed.), Nokea ja pilvenhattaroita. Helsinkiläisten ympäristö 1900-luvun vaihteessa (“Soot and Clouds: The Helsinki Environment at the Turn of the 20th Century”) (Helsinki: Helsingin kaupunginmuseo, 1999), 143–151.

  51. 51.

    TKK 1917, section 3, 25–27.

  52. 52.

    Nummelin, Maatalous kaupungissa, 103; TKK 1933, section 6, 7.

  53. 53.

    Henry Nygård, Bara ett ringa obehag? Avfall och renhållning i de finska städernas profylaktiska strategier 1830–1930 (Åbo: Åbo Akademis förlag, 2004), 296–300.

  54. 54.

    Jussi Vallin, “Aurajoki avoviemärinä. Ketjuuntuminen ja jätevesiongelman ratkaisut” (“The Aurajoki as Sewer: Concatenation and Wastewater Solutions”), in Simo Laakkonen, Sari Laurila and Marjatta Rahikainen, eds., Harmaat aallot. Ympäristönsuojelun tulo Suomeen (“Gray Waves: The Arrival of Environmental Protection in Finland”) (Helsinki: SHS, 1999), 162.

  55. 55.

    TS February 17, May 7, May 10, May 14, May 21, June 3, June 10, June 14, July 7, and July 27, 1939.

  56. 56.

    TS February 24, 1946.

  57. 57.

    For Helsinki, see Simo Laakkonen, “Asphalt kids and the matrix city: Reminiscences of children’s urban environmental history,” Urban History 38, no. 2 (August 2011): 301–323.

  58. 58.

    TS April 26, 1948.

  59. 59.

    Hannu Eskonen, “Kalliokyyhky on pulun esi-isä” (“The Rock Dove is the Ancestor of the Pigeon”), Kaleva, February 7, 1981.

  60. 60.

    TS January 21, 1940.

  61. 61.

    TS May 23, 1948, May 5 and June 22, 1949. After US invasion there were an estimated 1.25–1.5 million stray dogs in Baghdad, a city of some 7 million people. “Baghdad to cull a million stray dogs as rogue canine population soars,” Daily Mail , 11 June 2010.

  62. 62.

    TS September 30, 1942 and January 14, 1943.

  63. 63.

    Rauno Lahtinen, Ympäristökeskustelua kaupungissa. Kaupunkiympäristö ja ympäristöasenteet Turussa 1890–1950 (“Urban Environmental Discussions: The Urban Environment and Environmental Attitudes in Turku 1890–1950”) (Turku: Turun yliopisto, 2005), 58–65.

  64. 64.

    Uusitalo, Turun kaupungin historia 1918–1970, 220.

  65. 65.

    TS April 19, 1950. Leo Kaprio received his PhD from Harvard University in 1956 and afterwards worked in WHO assignments in Asia and elsewhere.

  66. 66.

    TS January 13, 1953.

  67. 67.

    Scott G. Chaplowe, “Havana’s popular gardens: sustainable prospects for urban agriculture,” The Environmentalist 18, no. 1 (March 1998): 47; Nancy Karanja and Mary Njenga, “Feeding the Cities,” 2011 State of the World. Innovations That Nourish the Planet (Washington DC: Worldwatch Institute, 2011), 151–152.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Rauno Lahtinen

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  1. Rauno Lahtinen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Simo Laakkonen

  2. Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    J. R. McNeill

  3. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Richard P. Tucker

  4. Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Timo Vuorisalo

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Lahtinen, R. (2019). Guerrilla Gardening?. In: Laakkonen, S., McNeill, J.R., Tucker, R.P., Vuorisalo, T. (eds) The Resilient City in World War II. Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17439-2_6

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