Zachris Topelius | |
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| Born | Zacharias Topelius (1818-01-14)14 January 1818 Kuddnäs, nearNykarleby,Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 12 March 1898(1898-03-12) (aged 80) Sipoo,Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire |
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| Language | Swedish |
Zacharias Topelius (Finland Swedish pronunciation:[sɑˈkɑːriɑstoˈpeːliʉs]; 14 January 1818 – 12 March 1898) was a Finnish author, poet, journalist, historian, andrector of theUniversity of Helsinki who wrotenovels related to Finnish history. He wrote his works exclusively in Swedish, although they were translated early on into Finnish.[1]
Zacharias is his baptismal name, and this is used on the covers of his printed works. However, "he himself most often used the abbreviation Z. or the form Zachris (Finland Swedish pronunciation:[ˈsɑkris]), even in official contexts", as explained in theNational Biography of Finland. Zachris is therefore the preferred form used in recent academic literature about him.[2]
The Finnish form of Topelius' first name is Sakari(as) (Finnish pronunciation:[ˈsɑkɑri(ɑs)]).
The original name of the Topelius family was the Finnish name Toppila, which had been Latinized to Toppelius by the author's grandfather's grandfather and later changed to Topelius. Topelius was born at Kuddnäs, nearNykarleby inOstrobothnia, the son of a physician of the same name (Zacharias Topelius the Elder [fi]), who was distinguished as the earliest collector of Finnish folk songs.[3] His grandfather,Mikael Toppelius, was a painter noted for his murals and altarpieces in churches in Ostrobothnia.[4]
As a child, he heard his mother, Katarina Sofia Calamnius, sing the songs of the Finnish-Swedish poetFrans Michael Franzén. At the age of eleven, he was sent to school inOulu and boarded with relatives in the possession of a lending library, where he nurtured his imagination with the reading of novels. He was given a Christian upbringing that came to characterize his entire life.[5]
He came toHelsinki in 1831 and became a member of the circle of young nationalist men surroundingJohan Ludvig Runeberg, at whose home he stayed for some time. Topelius became a student at theImperial Alexander University of Finland in 1833, received his master's degree (cand. philol.) in 1840, theLicentiate degree in history in 1844 and his PhD in 1847, having defended a dissertation titledDe modo matrimonia jungendi apud fennos quondam vigente ("About the custom of marriage among the ancient Finns"). Besides history, his academic studies had for periods been devoted both to Theology and Medicine. He was secretary ofSocietas pro Fauna et Flora Fennica [fi] 1842–1846, was employed by the university library 1846–1861, and taught History, Statistics and Swedish at the schoolHelsingfors lyceum [fi] during the same period.
Through the intervention of a friend,Fredrik Cygnaeus, Topelius was named professor extraordinary of the History of Finland at the university in 1854. He was made first ordinary professor of Finnish, Russian and Nordic history in 1863, and exchanged this chair for the one in general history in 1876. He wasrector of the university from 1875 until 1878, when he retired as Emeritus Professor and received the title ofverkligt statsråd (Finnish: todellinen valtioneuvos, Russian: действительный статский советник; literally "state councillor", a Russian honorary title).
Quite early in his career he began to distinguish himself as a lyric poet, with the three successive volumes of hisHeather Blossoms (1845–54). The earliest of his historical romances wasThe Duchess of Finland, published in 1850. He was also editor-in-chief of theHelsingfors Tidningar [fi] from 1841 to 1860. In 1878, Topelius was allowed to withdraw from his professional duties, but this did not sever his connection with the university; it gave him, however, more leisure for his abundant and various literary enterprises. Of all the multifarious writings of Topelius, in prose and verse, that which has enjoyed the greatest popularity is hisTales of a Barber-Surgeon, episodes of historical fiction from the days ofGustavus II Adolphus to those ofGustavus III, treated in the manner ofSir Walter Scott; the five volumes of this work appeared between 1853 and 1867. Topelius attempted to write drama, too, enjoying the most success with his tragedyRegina von Emmeritz (1854). Topelius aimed at the cultivation of a strong Finnish patriotism.[3] He wrote a poem whichJean Sibelius used for a composition with a political statement,Islossningen i Uleå älv.
Together with the composerFriedrich Pacius, he wrote thelibretto (in the style ofRomantic nationalism) to the first Finnish opera:Kaarle-kuninkaan metsästys (Swedish:Kung Karls jakt, English:King Charles' Hunt). Topelius initially thought of writing a trivial entertainment, but having heard extracts from the opera project at a concert in 1851, he realized that Pacius was writing a grand opera on the theme of salvation, following the early Romantic style ofCarl Maria von Weber'sDer Freischütz (1821) andOberon (1826). Topelius wrote the libretto in Swedish (though it was translated later by others), but its subject is emphatically Finnish. He also wrote the libretto forPrinsessan av Cypern, set byFredrik Pacius andLars-Erik Larsson.
Topelius died in hismanor house in Koivuniemi, Sipoo, Finland, where he wrote his greatest works.[6] He is buried in theHietaniemi Cemetery inHelsinki.[7]
According to tradition, the modernflag of Finland was based on a design by Topelius in about 1860.[8]
There was asmall Finnish American village named after Topelius, platted in 1901 inOtter Tail County, Minnesota, US.
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| Preceded by Adolf Moberg [sv;fi] | Rector ofImperial Alexander University 1875–1878 | Succeeded by |
In the full flush of nationalistic enthusiasm Finnish literary histories were written largely without reference to what had happened and was happening in the other tongue, save for the work of such giants as Johan Ludvig Runeberg and Zachris Topelius: because of their role in national life, and thanks to early and excellent translation, they were regarded as essential parts of Finnish-language literature, albeit they wrote entirely in Swedish.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Gosse, Edmund William (1911). "Topelius, Zakris". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 49.
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