Johan Vilhelm Snellman

Johan Vilhelm Snellman
J. V. Snellman in the 1870s.
Born	(1806-05-12)12 May 1806 Stockholm,Sweden
Died	4 July 1881(1881-07-04)(aged 75) Kirkkonummi,Grand Duchy of Finland
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Turku
Occupation(s)	Philosopher, journalist, writer, politician

Johan Vilhelm Snellman(Swedish pronunciation:[ˈjuːhɑnˈvilːhelmˈsnelːmɑn];12 May 1806 – 4 July 1881)was an influentialFennomanphilosopher andFinnishstatesman,ennobledin 1866. He was one of the most important 'awakeners' or promoters of Finnish nationalism, alongsideElias LönnrotandJ. L. Runeberg.

Life and career

Snellman was born in Stockholm,Sweden,the son of Kristian Henrik Snellman, a ship's captain. After theRussianconquest ofFinlandin 1808–09, and the promising establishment of the semi-autonomousGrand Duchy of Finland,his family moved there in 1813, to theOstrobothniancoastal town ofKokkola.His mother Maria Magdalena Snellman died there only a year later.

Snellman was educated at theRoyal Academy of Turkufrom 1822,where he studied theology as well as history, Greek, Latin and world literature, as well as a little bit of physics and other natural sciences. While studying at the academy, Snellman also received permanentnational romanticinfluences, but he differed from the romantics in that he was interested in the future and the spiritual activity of nations instead of history.

He settled in Helsinki in 1828 when the university was moved there.In 1835, after academic work amongst followers ofHegel,Snellman was appointed lecturer at theUniversity of Helsinki,where he belonged to the famous circle ofCygnaeus,Lönnrot,andRunebergcomprising the brightest of their generation. Snellman's lectures quickly became popular with the students, but in November 1838 his lectureship was temporarily recalled after a judicial proceeding that ultimately aimed to establish firm governmental control of new and oppositional thought among the academics.

As a consequence, Snellman exiled himself to Sweden and Germany, more or less voluntarily, from 1839 to 1842. By the time he returned to Helsinki, his popularity had increased further, but the political juncture did not allow the university to employ him. Instead, he took up the position as headmaster fora schoolin distantKuopioand published starkly polemical periodicals, including the paperSaimainSwedish,which advocated the duty of the educated classes to take up the language of the then circa 85% majority of Finns, and developFinnishinto a language of the civilized world,useful for academic works, fine arts, state craft, andnation building.

Portrait of J. V. Snellman by Oskar Nylander, 1849

Saimawas suppressed by the government in 1846. In 1848–49, Snellman was again rebuffed when applying for the position of professor at Finland's University in Helsinki. After having contemplated a renewed exile in Sweden, this time possibly definitive, Snellman in 1850 gave up the position in Kuopio and moved to Helsinki, where he and his family lived under economically awkward conditions until the death ofEmperor Nicholasin 1855. Then it again became possible for Snellman to publish periodical papers on political issues.

He had married Johanna Lovisa Wennberg in 1845, and they had five children before her death in 1857.

Portrait of J. V. Snellman byBernhard Reinholdfrom 1874.

In 1856, Snellman was finally appointed professor, which was met with great satisfaction among politically interested Finns. However, Snellman's unparalleled popularity could not remain. He was a generation older than the most active political opposition, and now backed a government which had the brightest expectations for Finland under the rule ofEmperor Alexander II.Thelanguage strife in Finland,of which he was the chief initiator, contributed also to substantial opposition against him and his views. Finally and not least, his stance against thePolishrebels of theJanuary Uprisingof 1863 was seen by many as the ultimate sign of unprincipled ingratiation.

In 1863 Snellman was called to a cabinet post in theSenate of Finland,in effect as Chancellor of the Exchequer, where he became an energetic and valued senator.He accomplished alanguage decreefrom the Emperor that would gradually give Finns a position equal to that of the Swedish within the Finnish government. In practical terms it meant the re-establishment of the Parliament, which had remained inhibited since the Russian conquest.

A separate Finnishcurrency,theMarkka,was introduced in 1860, and Snellman managed to tie it to silver instead of to theruble.The Markka came to be of the utmost value for Finland. Snellman's tenure as Finance Minister would be tainted by theFinnish famine of 1866–1868,aggravated by the government's strictfiscal policy,but Snellman worked to get aid while trying to protect the new currency.

Snellman's inflexibility and high profile position in the political debate would however, together with his old reputation as radical agitator of the 1830s–1840s, accumulate too much resistance and aversion to his person and his policies. In 1868 he was forced to resign from the senate.

For the remainder of his life, he continued to participate in the political debate, and now ennobled he belonged to the Nobles' Chamber of the parliament. Snellman never lost his popularity among his Fennoman followers, but he had become a highly divisive symbol in Finland's political landscape.

Bust of J. V. Snellman

Honors

Statue of J. V. Snellman in front of theBank of Finland,Helsinki.

Johan Vilhelm Snellman first appeared on a 1960 coin, commemorating the introduction of themarkkadenomination in 1860. He was recently selected as the main motif for another commemorative coin, the €10Johan Vilhelm Snellman commemorative coin,minted in 2006 celebrating the 200th anniversary of his birth. The obverse depicts J.V. Snellman. It also depicts the logo of the Europe Coins Programme. The reverse design features represent the dawn of Finnish culture.

A park in Kuopio called theSnellman Park(Snellmaninpuisto) has been named after J. V. Snellman; it was formerly known as the former location of theKuopio Market Square.In the middle of the park, a bust of J. V. Snellman sculpted by Johannes Takanen was unveiled on July 3, 1886.

Snellman's birthday on May 12 is dedicated to him and it has become one ofFinland's flag days,known as the "Day of Finnish Identity" or the "Finnish Heritage Day".

Works

In 1842 Snellman published his foremost workLäran om staten(Study of the State).

External links

• J. V. Snellman in 375 humanists – 12 May 2015. Faculty of Arts, University of Helsinki.
• J.V. Snellman: Where would Finland be without him?atthisisFINLAND
• "Johan Vilhelm Snellman - Finnish philosopher".Encyclopedia Britannica.20 July 1998.Retrieved11 June2023.
• "Johan Vilhelm Snellman".Project Runeberg. 22 May 2011.Retrieved11 June2023.