A rock from the coast of Suomenlinna

Suomenlinna is a place located on several islands near Helsinki. It has a long history, reaching back more than 250 years. The fortress was built by Sweden from 1748 to repel the growing influence of Russia in the Baltic Sea region after the Swedish–Russian wars of 1700–1721 and 1741–1743. Under the name 'Sveaborg' (translates to 'the fortress of Sweden'), it served the Swedish army as a defence fortress for several centuries. During the Swedish–Russian War of 1808–1809, Helsinki was initially conquered and, after negotiations, also the fortress was handed over to Russian troops. As a result, entire Finland was conquered by the Russians. Subsequently, Sveaborg played an important role as a naval base during World War I. When Finland gained independence in 1917, Sveaborg became Finnish but lost its military importance after World War II. Since then it has been called 'Suomenlinna' (translates to 'the fortress of Finland'). In 1973, Suomenlinna was handed over to civilian administration and has since been used primarily as an open-air museum. The remaining military structures are now of secondary importance. The status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site was designated in 1991. Several hundred years of history and, since 1991, constant efforts to make the former Suomenlinna military fortress available to the public as a UNESCO World Heritage Site have led to the place Suomenlinna is today. The place Suomenlinna that Franz-Benjamin Mocnik experienced is, however, much more than this historic place. It is the place he got to know on a summer's day in 2024. Until he boarded the ferry in Helsinki harbour, Suomenlinna was mainly an unpronounceable name on the map and a recommendation from friendly researchers. Once he was on the island, Franz-Benjamin Mocnik walked the history by trying to cover every corner of the island. It was a warm day, the sun was shining, the sky was completely cloudless, and Suomenlinna was crowded with visitors. Through a message from Anthony Robinson, Franz-Benjamin Mocnik learnt that Anthony Robinson, Robert E Roth, and some other researcher were also visiting Suomenlinna. It was a coincidence that their visit to the island was on the same day, and fortunate that he found out about it in time when already being on his way to the island. Franz-Benjamin Mocnik met the three of them, they ate a little, and they talked while proceeding their walk on the island. The history of the place mingled with the warm summer weather and the exciting conversations of four scientists. During his walk, even before he met the three other scientists, Franz-Benjamin Mocnik found a small rock at the end of the island that he liked. This rock subsequently became a symbol of this place that he got to know in the summer of 2024. There are many possible reasons why this rock represents Suomenlinna, but none of them alone can explain this fact. There are many rocks like the one Franz-Benjamin Mocnik picked up in Suomenlinna. His rock is, however, not only similar to those found there, it also comes from there. By looking at numerous rocks and choosing this one, it became a symbol of Suomenlinna. The other rocks on Suomennlinna do not represent this place. They form part of it, but they do not represent. His rock, however, is no longer part of the place, at least spatially, but represents it because of Franz-Benjamin Mocnik's conscious choice. The fact that he chose the rock intentionally in order to remember the place later also contributes to this. Although this may explain why the rock represents the place, the process of picking this rock and carrying it in his pocket for a day to finally place it on his desk plays a crucial role. By giving the rock physical attention, its significance was amplified and turned into a sensual experience. It is not only the rock that Franz-Benjamin Mocnik has chosen on the shore of Suomenlinna but also the rock for which he has made an effort and which has accompanied him in his trouser pocket for one day. If someone had sent the rock to him by post, it would have been the same rock, but its representative function would have been different.