author
August Schauman
1826–1896
A sharp, influential voice in 19th-century Finland, he helped shape public debate through journalism and political writing. He is best remembered as the founder of the Swedish-language daily Hufvudstadsbladet.
1 Audiobook
Kuuden vuosikymmenen ajoilta: Muistelmia Suomesta
by August Schauman
About the author
Born in Helsinki in 1826, Josef August Schauman was a Finnish journalist, politician, and memoir writer who became an important public figure in Finland’s cultural and political life. He is best known for founding Hufvudstadsbladet in 1864, a Swedish-language daily newspaper that went on to play a major role in Finnish public discussion.
During his student years, Schauman became interested in the national questions of his time, especially the place of Finnish and Swedish in society. Accounts of his life describe him as a liberal editor who supported improving the status of the Finnish language while also arguing that Swedish had a rightful place in Finland.
He also wrote memoirs, leaving behind a personal view of the era he lived through. Schauman died in 1896, but he remains closely associated with the growth of Finnish journalism and with debates about language, identity, and public life in 19th-century Finland.