Carl Bäck’s armour
Lieutenant Colonel Carl Bäck was a member of a German noble family that had moved to Finland from the Rhine region in the 16th century. He was born in Nuutajärvi in 1609 and died there in 1663, having had a long military career.
Carl Bäck’s armour is one of the six suits of armour in the National Museum of Finland, which together form a significant selection. All of them date from 1550–1650 and were manufactured in Northern Europe, apparently in present-day Germany, Flanders or Netherlands.
All of the suits of armour in the National Museum are related to the history of Finland and the name of their last owner is known. This is rare in Europe; usually, information about the owner of the armour and his life has only been preserved in the case of royalty and other nobles.
The National Museum’s suits of armour have their own unbroken history. For example, they have mostly not been supplemented with parts that did not originally belong to them or parts dating from different periods. They were placed in burial churches after the owner’s death, and parishes donated them to the museum’s collections in the late 19th century. Thanks to this, the suits of armour in the National Museum are almost complete and in their original late 16th century and 17th century appearance.
Judging by its style, Carl Bäck’s armour was made sometime between the 1600s and 1650s, so it is about 400 years old. In terms of its structure and form, it is a typical suit of heavy cavalry armour, a cuirassier’s armour. Such suits were intended to be worn on the battlefield and only on horseback. They were forged from iron and steel and assembled together with rivets and leather straps. Weapons used with the armour usually included two pistols and a sword, but sometimes also a third firearm with a longer barrel.
Very little is known about the manufacture of this suit of armour and the history of its ownership. For example, it is not known whether it was made to order for Carl Bäck or if it had previous owners. It could have been bought, received or gained as spoils of war. If the suit of armour was made for Carl Bäck, it was made to fit his measurements and body shape. In that case, Bäck’s height can be estimated to have been about 184 cm, his shoulder width 56 cm at most and his waistline less than 97 cm. The maker of the armour or the exact location where it was made are not known. No markings have been found on the armour, such as the stamps of an armour maker or guild, armoury or city. No stamps were found in the X-ray examination carried out in connection with the conservation either. However, it is possible that markings are hidden by the layer of black paint, which is thick in places.
Carl Bäck’s armour ties the region of Finland to 17th century Europe. The suit of armour could also have been worn by a cavalry officer in the present-day area of Italy or England. Indeed, 17th century suits of armour were pan-European, proto-industrial and often made in a few major European centres of armour production.
During his military career, Carl Bäck participated in the Thirty Years’ War. In addition, he fought in the Polish-Swedish Wars, also participating in the Battle of Warsaw in 1656. Bäck was seriously wounded in a battle against the Poles in 1658. He sustained a gunshot wound to his arm and apparently a lance thrust above his heart. The bullets could not be removed from his body, and he died partly due to his wounds in December 1663. Carl Bäck was buried in the old wooden church of Urjala in 1664. According to the custom of the time, his suit of armour and coat of arms were placed in the church at his funeral. In 1872, the parish of Urjala donated Carl Bäck’s armour to the State Historical Museum, which later became the National Museum of Finland.
