Svenska normallyceum i Helsingfors

Svenska normallyceum i Helsingfors (Norsen) was a Swedish school in the Kaartinkaupunki district of Helsinki between 1864 and 1977. The school was only for boys until 1974 when it became a co-educational school.

History
Svenska normallyceum was established on the initiative of Johan Vilhelm Snellman in 1864. The school was initially called Helsingfors normalskola, but the name was changed in 1874. As a normal school, Norsen offered prospective teachers auscultation opportunities, which is why it included both classical and realschule education. Between 1867 and 1872 the school had a department for Finnish-speaking students.

The school was located on Aleksanterinkatu 6 for the first few years and then on Kasarmikatu 48 between 1867 and 1878. Norsen was then temporarily located in a rented facility at Ratakatu 2, while a new school building designed by architect Axel Hampus Dahlström was being built. In 1880 the school moved to the new building on Unioninkatu 2, where it remained. Norsen was a boys' school until 1974 when it was merged with the girls' school Svenska Flicklyceet i Helsingfors and formed a co-educational school. In 1977 the school was split into the högstadium Högstadieskolan Svenska normallyceum and the gymnasium Ottelinska Gymnasiet, now Gymnasiet Svenska normallyceum.

Famous alumni

 * Alec Aalto, diplomat
 * Hans Blomberg, electrical engineer
 * Bo Carpelan, author
 * Adolf Ehrnrooth, general who served during the Winter and Continuation wars
 * Einar Englund, composer
 * Jörn Donner, author, director, producer, journalist, politician
 * Ragnar Granit, scientist awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1967
 * Christian Grönroos, Professor of Service and Relationship Marketing at Hanken
 * Harry Helenius, diplomat
 * Gustav Hägglund, Commander in Chief of Finnish Armed Forces
 * Jan-Magnus Jansson, politician, Professor of general state science
 * Erik Kruskopf, art critic, art historian, writer
 * Börje Lampenius, actor, director
 * Magnus Lindberg, composer, pianist
 * Claus Montonen, theoretical physicist
 * Leif Segerstam, conductor, composer, violinist, violist, pianist
 * Leif Sevón, lawyer, judge
 * Mikael Sundman, architect
 * Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel
 * Georg Henrik von Wright, philosopher, professor, member of Academy of Finland
 * Benedict Zilliacus, journalist

Headmasters

 * Julius Efraim Bergroth 1864-1870
 * Alfred Kihlman 1871-1895
 * Carl Johan Lindeqvist 1896-1900
 * Vilhelm Theodor Rosenqvist 1900-1918