Urjala

Urjala in south-eastern Häme has been inhabited since the early Middle Ages; Urjalankylä was densely populated as early as the 11th century. In the 14th century the province was divided into administrative districts. Urjala belonged to the district of Saarioinen, which had its center in Sääksmäki. Urjala was part of the vast parish of Sääksmäki till the year 1483, when it was incorporated into Akaa parish as a chapel.Urjala became an independent parish in 1789. In 1924 the villages of Matku, Raitoo, Kokko, Saviniemi and Suonpää were moved to the new Koijärvi parish. Kokko was moved back in 1969. The parish church was built in 1806 and rebuilt, designed by C.A.Edelfelt, in 1867. There are three prayer houses in the parish: 1) Rauhanmaja, 5 km from the church, built in 1900; 2) Halkivaha, which is shared by the border villages of Urjala and Vesilahti and served by the priests of both parishes; 3) Matku prayer house is near Matku railway station, 18 km from the church. It was built by the villagers circa 1910.

Swedish name
Urjala

Villages in Finnish
Annula, Haaronen, Hakkila, Halkivaha, Harittu, Honkola, Huhti, Ikaala, Järviö, Kamppari, Kankaanpää, Kehro, Kokko, Kölli, Laukeela, Matku, Mellola, Menonen, Nuutajärvi, Pappila, Perho, Prusila, Puolimatka, Raitoo, Salmi, Saviniemi, Taipale, Urjalankylä, Vahonen, Väkkärä, Valajärvi, Välkkilä, Velkala, Vuolle, Yntälä

Villages in Swedish
Annula, Haaronen, Hakkila, Halkivaha, Harittu, Honkola, Huhti, Ikaala, Järviö, Kamppari, Kankaanpää, Kehro, Kokko, Kölli, Laukeela, Matku, Mellola, Menonen, Notsjö, Pappila, Perho, Prusila, Puolimatka, Raitoo, Salmi, Saviniemi, Taipale, Urjalankylä, Vahonen, Väkkärä, Valajärvi, Välkkilä, Velkala, Vuolle, Yntälä