1881day.year
Johan Vilhelm Snellman
(1806 - 1881)
Finnish philosopher and politician
Finnish philosopher and politician
Johan Vilhelm Snellman was a Finnish philosopher and statesman instrumental in the country's national awakening and cultural revival.
Born in 1806 in Sweden, Snellman moved to Finland and became a professor of philosophy at the Imperial Alexander University. He founded the magazine 'Saima' to promote Finnish language and culture, sparking a literary and national renaissance. As a senator, he enacted economic and educational reforms to modernize Finnish society under Russian rule. His philosophical writings emphasized moral self-improvement and the role of language in nation-building. Snellman's ideas laid the intellectual groundwork for Finland's eventual independence. He died on July 4, 1881, and is celebrated as a father of Finnish nationalism.
1881
Johan Vilhelm Snellman