House of the Estates


The House of the Estates is a historical building in Helsinki, Finland. It is located opposite of the Bank of Finland building, immediately northeast of Helsinki Cathedral. From 1891, when it was built, it housed the three commoner estates of the four estates of the realm of Finland ; there is a separate House of Nobility. The estates were superseded at the 1906 parliamentary reform by the foundation of the unicameral parliament of Finland. The parliament settled elsewhere, leaving Säätytalo for secondary usage.
Today the House of the Estates houses sporadic governmental meetings. It is also the established location for official coalition talks after general elections and for the sessions of High Court of Impeachment. In addition, the house is used by scientific and scholarly organizations for meetings. The building is owned by the Republic of Finland through Senate Properties.