Julius Krohn

Born in Viipuri on April 19, 1835, Julius Krohn was a Finnish writer and scholar of Baltic German background. He became known for his wide-ranging literary life: alongside poetry and journalism, he translated works, wrote hymns, and studied Finnish language and folk tradition.

Krohn taught Finnish at the University of Helsinki and later became a professor of Finnish literature. He is especially remembered for his work on folk poetry and for helping build a more systematic way of studying oral tradition, an approach that became important in Finnish folklore research.

He died on August 28, 1888. His influence continued after his death through Finnish literary and scholarly culture, and his family became notable in its own right, with several children going on to prominent careers in literature and academia.