Johan Jacob Ahrenberg
Johan Jacob Ahrenberg (born April 30, 1847 in Vyborg , † October 10, 1914 in Helsinki ) was a Finnish-Swedish architect and writer .
Life
Ahrenberg was the son of the school clerk Carl Wilhelm Ahrenberg (1807-1880), rector of the Vyborg Gymnasium from 1846 to 1849 and the higher elementary school in Vyborg from 1857 to 1872. In 1875 he graduated from the Royal Academy of Liberal Arts in Stockholm . At the end of his education he visited Paris , Venice , Florence and cities in the Middle East and North Africa. Ahrenberg was employed by the Office for Public Buildings in 1877, was first architect from 1886 to 1910 and was promoted to chief architect in 1910. He drafted building plans, most of which were intended for public buildings, especially school buildings. In 1878 he was the head of the Finnish exhibition committee at the world exhibition in Paris and in 1882 chief architect of the Finnish delegation at the world exhibition in Moscow . Ahrenberg's creativity features features of all architectural styles from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, from imitation of Italian palazzi and classicist buildings to neo-Gothic and modern times .
As a writer, he combined his great talent for storytelling with great productivity. The mixture of Finns and Russians in the Vyborg Province and their relationship to one another is a recurring motif in his literary works. They include travel and folklore accounts as well as a number of novels such as Hihuliter , Familjen på Haapakoski or Vår landsman . The story Stockjunckaren ( Der Stockjunker ) is regarded as his artistically most valuable work . In it the downfall of a Vyborg trading house is told. He created the greatest value for posterity with his fresh and life-affirming memory pictures in six parts Mannniskor som jag känt ( people I knew ). He also became famous for his writings on the history and theory of architecture. For these books he was awarded the silver medal of the Petersburg Art Academy .
Ahrenberg, who is culturally diverse, also tried his hand at painting and journalism .
His grandson is the famous Finnish designer Kaj Franck , “the conscience of Finnish design”.
Works
Building (selection)
- Main building of the Provincial Government in Oulu , 1887
- Finnish secondary school in Tampere , 1890
- Church in Hanko , 1892
- Church in Kajaani , 1892
- New Church in Kristinestad , 1897
- Main building of the reserve officers school in Hamina , 1898
- Girls' high school in Oulu, 1901
- Åland High School in Mariehamn , 1903
- Helsinki High School, 1905
- Finnish girls' school in Vyborg, 1906
- Helsinki Synagogue, 1906
- Girls' school in Sortavala , 1911
- Post office in Vyborg, 1914
Books
- Hemma , 1887
- Hihuliter , 1889
- Stockjunckaren , 1892; German Der Stockjunker, a story from Karelia , Halle / Salle 1895
- Familjen på Haapakoski , 1893, ISBN 9781103273546
- Från Karelen: vald samling berättelser och Kulturbilder , Stockholm 1894
- Vår landsman , 1897
- Männniskor som jag känt , 1904, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1914
- Med styrkans rätt , 1899
Web links
- Literature by and about Johan Jacob Ahrenberg in the catalog of the German National Library
- www.nykarlebyvyer.nu via Jacob Ahrenberg ( Memento of June 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (swed.), accessed on August 26, 2010
- heninen.net: The Girl's School - The Architect , accessed August 26, 2010
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ahrenberg, Johan Jacob |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ahrenberg, Jac; Ahrenberg, Jakob; Ahrenberg, Jacob |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Finnish-Swedish architect and writer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 30, 1847 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vyborg |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 10, 1914 |
| Place of death | Helsinki |