Finnish Literary Society

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The main building of the Finnish Literary Society, Hallituskatu 1 in Helsinki

The Finnish Literature Society (Finnish: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura , abbreviation SKS , founded in 1831) is a scientific association for the promotion of the Finnish language , literature and culture based in Helsinki .

history

founding

After Finland came under Russian rule from Sweden as the Grand Duchy of Finland as a result of the Russo-Swedish War in 1809 , the Finnish intellectuals had to redefine their position. The saying , which was often written by Adolf Ivar Arwidsson and was written by Johan Vilhelm Snellman , has become known: “We are no longer Swedes, we don't want to be Russians, so let's be Finns!” After the fire in Turku (1827), the old capital of the country, where the first university in Finland was founded in 1640 , the intellectual life of the country was concentrated in Helsinki. This city had been the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland since 1812, and the University of Helsinki was opened here in 1828 as the successor to the Turku Academy .

Elias Lönnrot

On February 16, 1831, twelve men from the university environment met in the house of the first Finnish lecturer at Helsinki University, Carl Niclas Keckman (1793-1838). The meeting was recorded by Elias Lönnrot . However, since the tradition is incomplete, it is not known whether the meeting was called for the purpose of founding a society, nor is it known who actually invited the party. Not even the exact location is certain, but Keckman probably lived in the Helsinki district of Kruununhaka at the time . However, all names have survived. In addition to the two named, there were the theology lecturer Jacob Algoth Gadolin (1798–1848), the lecturer in Greek and Roman literature Nils Abraham Gylden (1805–1888), the doctor Immanuel Ilmoni (1797–1856), the theologian Bengt Olof Lille (1807 –1875), the doctor Mårten Johan Lindfors (1800–1869), the assistant rector Arnold Gerhard Lindforss (1804–1850), the lawyer Johan Jacob Nordström (1801–1874), the philologist and later history professor Gabriel Rein (1800–1867), the librarian Carl Henrik Ståhlberg (1799–1878) and the master's degree in philosophy, but then Fredrik Ticklén (1802–1844) , who studied medicine .

The men were between 24 and 38 years old and had all started their education at the Turku Academy. In the course of the evening they both came to the conclusion that they were more "interested in the Finnish book material (Finnish" suomalaisista kirja keinoista "), and especially in the Finnish language, how to make it work better in writing" could, would have to worry. One consequence of this was the establishment of a company, whose founding meeting was then invited a week later. Within this week, the cumbersome phrase “Finnish book material” had changed to “suomalainen kirjallisuus” (“Finnish literature”) - which was the Finnish word for literature (Finnish: kirjallisuus , genitive kirjallisuuden ), which had not existed before had been. A neologism was used in the name of the company , which at the same time embodied the program. Who exactly was the creator of the word, whether the recorder Lönnrot or the editor and good linguist Keckman, can no longer be determined with certainty.

The aim of the society can thus be described as the "promotion and dissemination of the Finnish language and Finnish literature as well as general research into Finnish culture in general". This was necessary because the status of Finnish, which was spoken by the vast majority of the population, was nowhere near that of Swedish. The language of the university was also consistently Swedish, and it was not until 1828 that the first Finnish editing office was set up, and was held by the aforementioned Keckman. In 1832 the first master's thesis was written in Finnish, from 1856 there were first lectures in Finnish (by Lönnrot) and in 1858 the first Finnish-language dissertation was defended. This development was also significantly influenced by the society, whose members came together from the third meeting in the rooms of the university.

The word "suomalainen kirjallisuus" - like "literature" in other languages ​​- meant much more then than it does today. It referred to "the inseparable unity of language, history and the written word, whereby the writing of folk poetry was just as important as the widespread dissemination of Finnish-language written education." Thus, the society had given itself such an extensive program that it was for the coming Decades, but also centuries, was busy. It thus became "a kind of central planting place of Finnish culture, [...] [one of the] islands of living tradition in the sea of ​​a memory-poor world ..." The great social significance is also evident from the fact that in 1931 all students of Finnish schools in Helsinki were united Day off when the SKS celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Further development and social significance

Yrjo-Koskinen

The rapidly growing and consolidating society initially had no funds of its own other than the membership fee. From the 1840s onwards, income came from the sale of books, and from 1850 on, more and more donations and inheritances, which was partly due to the censorship decree of 1850, which banned almost all Finnish literature for ten years. As a result, many private individuals felt compelled to donate to the company, up to and including extensive inheritances of over 100,000 Finnmarks , for example in 1858 from the childless master baker couple Blomberg or in 1918 from the young businessman Gustaf Fredrik Ahlgren, who bequeathed 185,913 Finnmarks to the company. In addition, the company tried to raise funds and finance projects from the start. One of their first actions was to collect donations for a monument to be erected for Henrik Gabriel Porthan . The statue was inaugurated in Turku in 1864.

In the last third of the 19th century there was polarization within Finnish society regarding the position of the predominant Swedish and Finnish. The Fennomaniac campaigned radically for the implementation of Finnish in all areas of life, and here the society, chaired by the politician and historian Yrjö Koskinen, played an important role. The power struggle was partly fought on the backs of weaker people, the best example of which is the novel The Seven Brothers by Aleksis Kivi , which was published by the SKS in 1870. This first Finnish novel is still one of the most famous works in Finnish literature today, but it was completely panned by the linguist and poet August Ahlqvist . The power struggle between Yrjö Koskinen and Ahlqvist, which the latter had lost and for which he is now taking revenge, can be seen as a reason for this. The radicalization of society also led to the resignation of some members who followed a less radical direction, such as Johan Ludvig Runeberg or Zacharias Topelius .

Main building of the SKS in a photo from 1908

In 1890 the current building was ready to move into. The construction, a design by the architect Sebastian Gripenberg (1850–1925), was financed with the help of an extensive fundraising campaign . The society with library and archive is housed here to this day.

In 1977, as part of the company FILI , the information center for Finnish literature was founded, which among other things subsidizes the translation of Finnish literature into foreign languages. The quarterly magazine "Books from Finland" was published under his aegis. It has been published by the Helsinki University Library since 1967 and has now been taken over by the FILI. The magazine was published as an internet publication until 2008, then from 2009 to 2015 and was discontinued in July 2015.

Research activity

The archivist Urpo Vento and Professor Toivo Vuorela in the Folk Poetry Archive, 1965

To this day, one of the main concerns of society has been the financial support of research projects related to Finnish culture in the broadest sense. Research trips have been supported since the 1830s, above all those of Elias Lönnrot and Matthias Alexander Castrén . Mostly it concerned remote areas in Finland, where folk poetry could still be recorded, and sometimes also neighboring regions such as Estonia or Ingermanland . As a result, extensive collections of material have been created that are kept in the company's archives. These are folk poetry, tape recordings, photos, etc. Ä. Material. In addition, a scientific library was set up in parallel.

In connection with the SKS, the dictionary foundation (Finnish: Sanakirjasäätiö ) can also be seen in 1924, which was to be responsible for many major lexicographical projects. The lead here was Eemil Nestor Setälä , who initially built it in competition with the SKS. After his death, the foundation worked closely with the SKS, for a long time also on their premises. The first large monolingual Finnish dictionary Nykysuomen sanakirja I-VI (1951–1961) was compiled under the direction of the SKS and published by the Finnish publisher WSOY .

The importance of research extends beyond Finland's borders. The Estonian Folk Poetry Archive of Jakob Hurt was temporarily stored in Helsinki because the conditions in Estonia were too uncertain. The Finnish professor of folklore, Kaarle Krohn , organized the transfer of the material after Hurt's death (1907). As a result, many Estonian intellectuals who left Estonia and went into hiding in Helsinki after the 1905 Revolution were able to make a living from society by copying Estonian materials. Ironically, the SKS had applied for money from the Tsar for this and had it approved, i. H. the tsar financed the enemies of the state who fled from him in Helsinki. Conversely, the Finnish side also benefited from the intensive contacts with Estonia at that time, as Krohn had taken over the system of correspondents, who provided the researcher with material in writing, from Jakob Hurt. After the Second World War, when Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union, the SKS was an important link to the largely isolated country.

Publishing activity

First edition of the Kalevala

Publishing has been one of the company's main concerns from the start. Even before founding their own printing company, they began to publish a series of books. Volume 1 of the publication series "Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran Toimituksia" ("Negotiations of the Finnish Literature Society") was a translation from German that Keckman had made. Heinrich Zschokke's Kultala ( Das Goldmacherdorf ) was published in 1834. Volume 2, however, already published the most famous book in Finnish literature, Elias Lönnrots Kalevala (the first version from 1835).

From 1841 the magazine "Suomi" appeared, which contained many scientific treatises and was created on the initiative of Lönnrot, who was a district doctor in Kajaani from 1833 to 1854 . Together with some other district doctors from the area, he had initiated the magazine, which was officially taken over by the society in 1844. The magazine was initially mostly in Swedish, but increasingly contained articles in Finnish. From 1867 it was only Finnish. “Suomi” is published to this day, albeit in a slightly different form as a series of books.

Since 1866, the then section for historical literature of the SKS, which became the independent Finnish Historical Society ( Suomen Historiallinen Seura ) in 1875 , published the journal “Historiallinen Arkisto” (Historical Archive), which is also continued to this day.

At the beginning of the 1840s, the company was also concerned with setting up its own print shop. For this purpose, the Finnish businessman Paavo Tikkanen (1823–1873), who opened a printing house in 1849 together with the linguist Herman Kellgren (1822–1856), could be won. The first book to leave the press in this printing house was the new edition of Kalevala , i. H. Today's canonized 2nd edition from 1849. For the first time, the Antiqua was used instead of the previously common Fraktur .

Second edition of the Kalevala , 1849

In contrast to comparable societies, which limited themselves to scientific publications, the society specifically promoted the publication of Finnish-language literature. This applied to translations into Finnish of works from European classical literature as well as Finnish original literature. The collected works of Aleksis Kivi were published as early as 1877 and 1878. The society also gained cultural and historical importance outside of Finland: The soon-to-be-relevant collection of Estonian fairy tales by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald , who had it printed in Helsinki in 1866, after this had not been possible in Estonia , was published as volume 42 of the general series .

The general series appears to this day. The third part of the history of the SKS (Häggman 2015, see under secondary literature) bears the sequence number 1403. In addition, there has been a series of paperback books "Tietolipas" ("knowledge cassette") since 1945, in which inexpensive study books are offered. The series continues to appear today and reached volume 250 in 2016.

Although many of the titles in the general series already have a scientific character, the “Studia Fennica” series, the first volume of which was published in 1933, deserves special emphasis. Since 1992 it has been divided into three sub-sections: “Studia Fennica Ethnologica”, “Studia Fennica Folkloristica” and “Studia Fennica Linguistica”. Later the departments “Studia Fennica Historica” (2002) and “Studia Fennica Litteraria” (2002) and most recently “Studia Fennica Anthropologica” (2007) were added. All series are peer reviewed.

Cultural promotion

Research prizes, grants and literary prizes, which have been awarded since 1886, are another instrument for promoting culture. The first prize winner was Pietari Päivärinta , who received 1,000 Finnmarks in 1886. Increasingly, the SKS now also received state funds that it could use.

A modest amount of support was sometimes given to those in need, for example the blind rune singer Miihkali Perttunen, who had provided valuable material. He was the son of the famous rune singer Arhippa Perttunen (1762–1841), who sang Lönnrot on his fifth trip. In special cases, a writer was also paid a pension, whereby the SKS did not necessarily use its own funds, but appeared as an applicant in other bodies, as was the case with Juhani Aho .

membership

The society has (as of 2016) around 3000 members. Many of them are active in science and research, but culture and teaching are also part of the activities of the members. Many teachers, writers and translators are members. Approximately half of the members are women who have been accepted into society since 1846. The first female member was Johanna Snellman, the wife of the philosopher and statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman .

Honorary members

Individuals can be made honorary members. They can be distinguished academics, writers or important public figures in Finland. Among others, the following people were elected honorary members (year of election in brackets): Alexander Sergejewitsch Menshikov (1840), Robert Henrik Rehbinder (1840), Johan Vilhelm Snellman (1876), Zachris Topelius (1879), Johann Casimir Ernrot (1889) , Otto Manninen (1936), Lauri Hakulinen (1977), Pertti Virtaranta (1985) and Lassi Nummi (2004); Among others, the Presidents Juho Kusti Paasikivi (1951), Urho Kekkonen (1962), Mauno Koivisto (1987) and Tarja Halonen (2002) were appointed honorary members.

Corresponding members

Many foreign scholars who were involved in one way or another with Finnish culture have been elected Correspondents by the Finnish Literary Society. These included u. a. the following personalities (in brackets year of choice):

Adolf Ivar Arwidsson

Adolf Ivar Arwidsson (1833), Friedrich Rückert (1836), Friedrich Robert Faehlmann (1845), Eduard Ahrens (1845), Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann (1847), Hermann Brockhaus (1850), Franz Anton Schiefner (1850), Wilhelm Schott (1850 ), Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1854), Pál Hunfalvy (1859), August Schleicher (1860), Anton Boller (1868), Vilhelm Thomsen (1874), Friedrich Max Müller (1881), William Forsell Kirby (1889), Andrew Lang ( 1891), Rudolf Eucken (1900), Jan de Vries (1924), Walter Anderson (1926), Friedebert Tuglas (1926), Björn Collinder (1931), Stith Thompson (1951), Hans Fromm (1962), Lennart Meri (1976 ), Lutz Röhrich (1980), Mihály Hoppál (1985), Lyle Campbell (1999), Marko Pantermöller (2010).

List of chairmen

Gabriel Rein
Erik Gabriel Melartin
Johan Vilhelm Snellman
Kaarle Krohn
  • 1831 Carl Niclas Keckman (one week), Johan Gabriel Linsén (interim, two months)
  • 1831–1833 Erik Gabriel Melartin
  • 1833–1841 Johan Gabriel Linsén
  • 1841-1853 Gabriel Rein
  • 1853–1854 Frans Johan Rabbe
  • 1854–1863 Elias Lönnrot
  • 1863–1867 Gabriel Rein
  • 1868–1870 Mathias Akiander
  • 1870–1874 Johan Vilhelm Snellman
  • 1874-1892 Yrjö Koskinen
  • 1892–1902 Arvid Genetz
  • 1902-1917 Eliel Aspelin-Haapkylä
  • 1917–1933 Kaarle Krohn
  • 1933–1947 Viljo Tarkiainen
  • Martti Rapola 1947-1972
  • 1973–1975 Kustaa Vilkuna
  • 1975–1988 Lauri Honko
  • 1988–1992 Kai Laitinen
  • 1992-1996 Heikki Ylikangas
  • 1966–2002 Anna-Leena Siikala
  • 2002-2007 Maria-Liisa Nevala
  • 2007-2013 Aili Nenola
  • 2013– Seppo Knuuttila

Secondary literature

  • Hans Fromm: The Finnish Literature Society, in: Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher Neue Episode 1 (1981), pp. 230–233.
  • Kai Häggman: Sanojen talossa: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1890-luvulta talvisotaan . Helsinki: SKS 2012.
  • Kai Häggman: Pieni kansa, pitkä muisti: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura talvisodasta 2000-luvulle . Helsinki: SKS 2015.
  • Cornelius Hasselblatt : Language and literature in Finland in the first half of the 19th century, in: The New North: Norwegians and Finns in the early 19th century. Edited by Robert Bohn, ed. by Bernhard Glienke. Frankfurt am Main, Bern, New York, Paris: Peter Lang 1990, pp. 51–69.
  • LA Puntila: The language-sociological equality process of Finnish, in: Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher 44 (1972), pp. 134-143.
  • Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kari Tarkiainen: Adolf Ivar Arwidsson , in Matti Klinge (ed.): Suomen kansallisbiografia 1 . Helsinki: SKS 2003, p. 406.
  2. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, pp. 17, 29.
  3. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, pp. 34-40.
  4. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 17.
  5. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 26.
  6. ↑ Cornelius Hasselblatt: Language and literature in Finland in the first half of the 19th century, in: The New North: Norwegians and Finns in the early 19th century. Frankfurt am Main et al .: Peter Lang 1990, p. 58.
  7. ^ LA Puntila: The language-sociological equality process of Finnish, in: Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher 44 (1972), pp. 138-139.
  8. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 29.
  9. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 27.
  10. ↑ Hans Fromm: The Finnish Literature Society, in: Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher New Volume 1 (1981), p. 230.
  11. ↑ Kai Häggman: Sanojen talossa: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1890 luvulta talvisotaan . Helsinki: SKS 2012, p. 331.
  12. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 59.
  13. ↑ Kai Häggman: Sanojen talossa: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1890 luvulta talvisotaan . Helsinki: SKS 2012, p. 56.
  14. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, pp. 154-156.
  15. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 138.
  16. ↑ Kai Häggman: Pieni kansa, pitkä muisti: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura talvisodasta 2000 luvulle . Helsinki: SKS 2015, pp. 256–266.
  17. ↑ s. Via Booksfromfinland.fi
  18. ↑ Directory for the period 1831–1890 by Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831–1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, pp. 198-199.
  19. ↑ Kai Häggman: Sanojen talossa: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1890 luvulta talvisotaan . Helsinki: SKS 2012, pp. 300-301.
  20. ↑ Seppo Zetterberg : Kulttuuria ja kumouspuuhia. Helsingin virolaisyhteisö 1900-luvun alussa. Helsinki: SKS 2013, pp. 136-137.
  21. ↑ Directory for the years 1886–1942 from Kai Häggman: Sanojen talossa: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1890-luvulta talvisotaan . Helsinki: SKS 2012, p. 113.
  22. ↑ Kai Häggman: Pieni kansa, pitkä muisti: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura talvisodasta 2000 luvulle . Helsinki: SKS 2015, pp. 97–111.
  23. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 92.
  24. ↑ See overview of the literature of Finland in the years 1872 to 1874 , in: Russische Revue. Monthly for the customer of Russia , Volume 6 (1875), p. 399
  25. ↑ Historiallinen Arkisto History on the sides of the Finnish Society
  26. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 100.
  27. ↑ Cornelius Hasselblatt: History of Estonian Literature. From the beginning to the present. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter 2006, p. 247.
  28. ↑ Martti Rapola: Vanha kirjasuomi. Helsinki: SKS 1945 (Tietolipas 1).
  29. ↑ Jukka Kortti: Mediahistoria. Helsinki: SKS 2016 (Tietolipas 250).
  30. ↑ Directory for the years 1886–1942 from Kai Häggman: Sanojen talossa: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1890-luvulta talvisotaan . Helsinki: SKS 2012, pp. 477-507; for the years 1939 to 2013 with Kai Häggman: Pieni kansa, pitkä muisti: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura talvisodasta 2000-luvulle . Helsinki: SKS 2015, pp. 421–462.
  31. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 197.
  32. ↑ Kai Häggman: Sanojen talossa: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1890 luvulta talvisotaan . Helsinki: SKS 2012, pp. 215-216.
  33. ↑ Kai Häggman: Pieni kansa, pitkä muisti: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura talvisodasta 2000 luvulle . Helsinki: SKS 2015, p. 470.
  34. ↑ Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, p. 294.
  35. ↑ Complete lists in: Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, pp. 87, 216; Kai Häggman: Sanojen talossa: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1890-luvulta talvisotaan . Helsinki: SKS 2012, p. 279; Kai Häggman: Pieni kansa, pitkä muisti: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura talvisodasta 2000-luvulle . Helsinki: SKS 2015, p. 472.
  36. ↑ Complete lists in: Irma Sulkunen: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1831-1892 . Helsinki: SKS 2004, pp. 184-185; Kai Häggman: Sanojen talossa: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1890-luvulta talvisotaan . Helsinki: SKS 2012, pp. 278-279; Kai Häggman: Pieni kansa, pitkä muisti: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura talvisodasta 2000-luvulle . Helsinki: SKS 2015, pp. 473–481.

Coordinates: 60 ° 10 ′ 12.7 ″  N , 24 ° 57 ′ 22.6 ″  E