Jakob Hurt facts for kids
Jakob Hurt (22 July [O.S. 10 July] 1839 in Himmaste – 13 January 1907 [O.S. 31 December 1906] in St Petersburg) was a very important Estonian person. He was born in Himmaste and passed away in St. Petersburg. He is famous for collecting old Estonian stories, songs, and traditions. He was also a theologian (someone who studies religion) and a linguist (someone who studies languages).
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Who Was Jakob Hurt?
Jakob Hurt is often called the "king of Estonian folklore." He was a pastor, which is a religious leader, and he loved learning about languages. He spent much of his life working to save and share the rich history of Estonian culture.
Collecting Estonian Stories
In the 1870s, Jakob Hurt had a big plan. He wanted to publish a huge collection of Estonian folklore called Monumenta Estoniae Antiquae. To do this, he asked for help from many people. About 1,400 volunteers joined him. They visited almost every home in the Livonia region. These volunteers collected about 124,000 pages of old stories, songs, and traditions!
Even though he collected so much, Jakob Hurt faced money problems. Because of this, only two books of folk songs were published in 1875–76. These books were called Vana kannel, which means "Old Zither." Later, two more volumes were published in 1938 and 1941. Hurt also published a three-book collection called Setukeste laulud (The Setos' Songs) between 1894 and 1907.
How Jakob Hurt is Remembered
Jakob Hurt is still remembered and honored in Estonia today. You can find statues of him in the cities of Tartu and Põlva. Streets in Tartu, Põlva, Otepää, and Himmaste are also named after him. For many years, his picture was even on the Estonian 10 krooni banknote, which was a type of money.
Membership in Organizations
Jakob Hurt was an honorary member of the Estonian Students' Society. This shows how much he was respected by students and scholars in Estonia.
