# Oulu founded (8 April 1605)

URL: https://allhistories.com/finland/timeline/1605-oulu-founded
Location: Oulu, North Ostrobothnia
Themes: Key Events

Oulu was granted town rights by Charles IX on 8 April 1605, next to a castle built in 1590. It became a centre of the tar and salmon trade. The northern expansion followed the Treaty of Teusina, which opened the north to settlement. The town grew significantly in the following centuries thanks to the tar trade.

## Why it matters
Oulu grew into the leading city of northern Finland.

Ruler at the Time: [Charles IX](https://allhistories.com/finland/rulers/charles-ix)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Oulu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oulu)
- [Wikipedia — Finland under Swedish rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland_under_Swedish_rule)
- [Wikipedia — Reformation & Vasa Era (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Finland)