author
Kaarle Alfred Castrén
1845–1873
A pioneering Finnish historian, he helped bring serious historical writing into Finnish at a time when the field was still taking shape. His best-known work gathered memories of the Finnish War of 1808–1809 from popular oral tradition.
1 Audiobook
Muistelmia vuosien 1808-1809 sodasta: Kansan suusta kokoillut
by Kaarle Alfred Castrén
About the author
Born in Sotkamo on November 26, 1845, Kaarle Alfred Castrén became one of the first historians to write scholarly history in Finnish. He is described in reliable reference sources as a Finnish historian, and he also served as the first secretary of the Finnish Antiquarian Society.
Although he died young in Helsinki on April 22, 1873, he left a clear mark on Finnish historical culture. His work is especially associated with Muistelmia vuosien 1808–1809 sodasta, a collection based on accounts of the Finnish War preserved in popular memory.
The surviving sources available here are brief, so some parts of his life remain only lightly documented in this summary. Even so, he stands out as an early figure in building Finnish-language historical scholarship during the 19th century.