August Ahlqvist facts for kids
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Karl August Engelbrekt Ahlqvist (born August 7, 1826 – died November 20, 1889) was a very important person in Finland. He was a professor, a poet, and a scholar who studied Finno-Ugric languages. He also wrote books and was a literary critic. He is often remembered for being a strong critic of the famous Finnish writer Aleksis Kivi. Kivi later became known as Finland's national author. Ahlqvist sometimes used the pen name A. Oksanen for his writings.
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About Karl August Ahlqvist
Karl August Ahlqvist was born in Kuopio, Finland. His mother was Maria Augusta Ahlqvist.
His Education and Career
Ahlqvist started studying at the Imperial Alexander University in 1844. This university is now called the University of Helsinki. He earned several degrees there, including a Doctor of Philosophy in 1859.
In 1863, he became a professor of Finnish language and literature at the University of Helsinki. He later became the Dean of the History-Linguistic Section from 1882 to 1884. He even served as the university's Rector, which is like being the head of the university, from 1884 to 1887. He retired in 1888 and passed away in Helsinki in 1889.
His Travels and Research
Ahlqvist loved to travel and learn about languages. In 1846 and 1847, he explored parts of Finland and Russia. He collected local folk tales and studied different minority languages.
Later, from 1854 to 1855, he traveled among Finnish tribes near the Baltic Sea and in eastern Russia and Siberia. Between 1856 and 1859, he focused on Finno-Ugric languages near the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. He also visited Hungary in 1861 and 1862. During these trips, he made many important observations about languages and cultures.
Contributions to Finnish Language and Literature
Ahlqvist played a big part in improving the Finnish language. He was highly respected for his work on Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian, and other related languages.
He started a Finnish language magazine called Suometar in 1847. It was published for many years. He also founded Kieletär, a journal about Finnish linguistics. Ahlqvist was also the first person to translate the works of the famous poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg into Finnish.
As a literary critic, Ahlqvist was very strict. His strong criticism of Seitsemän veljestä (Seven Brothers), a book by Aleksis Kivi, even caused its publication to be delayed.
| Educational offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wilhelm Lagus |
Rector of Imperial Alexander University 1884–1887 |
Succeeded by Thiodolf Rein |
