Adolf Ivar Arwidsson, son of a chaplain from Padasjoki, was born in 1791. The family later moved to Laukaa when his father was appointed vicar of the local parish. As an upper-secondary school pupil, Arwidsson experienced the Finnish War of 1808–09 and its aftermath, which was hard on rural Laukaa. These experiences had a notable influence on his later anti-Russian views.

Arwidsson had originally dreamt of becoming an army officer. Instead, in 1810 he settled upon the Royal Academy of Turku, receiving his Bachelor’s degree four years later. His father hoped his son would become a priest, but Arwidsson ultimately decided on history. His doctoral thesis, Ingeni romantici, aevo medio orti, expositio historica (‘A historical presentation of the Romantic spirit born in the Middle Ages’), was published in 1817, and Arwidsson was appointed docent in History.

Arwidsson was essentially a romantic, and in the field of history he was interested in discovering history’s great men of purity and honesty and their heroic deeds. Arwidsson particularly admired Charles XII of Sweden and never studied historical periods after the decline of the Swedish Empire, as it made him “so depressingly sad”.

In 1816, Arwidsson travelled to Sweden to meet prominent local national romantics. He made the acquaintance of poets, and visited the National Library of Sweden and its staff. After finishing his doctoral thesis, Arwidsson travelled again to Sweden. This time he studied Icelandic and made more acquaintances who would benefit him in the years to come, especially Per Adam Wallmark, who had close connections to the crown prince.

In Sweden Arwidsson absorbed the national romanticist atmosphere, and on his return to Finland, he began to write patriotic political texts, seeking to become chairman of the student union. He penned acerbic, radical critiques of society in several Finnish and Swedish newspapers before founding his own political newspaper, Åbo Morgonblad, in 1821. Arwidsson wrote about the Finnish state, the nation and its citizens, to which he saw Russia as a threat. He advocated freedom of the press and public discussion, considering them essential for civic activity. He was also among the first to demand the development of the Finnish language and the creation of a sense of national identity. His scathing political writing scandalised audiences in both Turku and in St Petersburg, and many of the high officials of the Grand Duchy and the academy began to insist on his suspension from the academy. While they agreed with many of Arwidsson’s views, his subversive style and opposition to the Duchy made them uneasy.

Arwidsson was suspended from the academy’s service in 1822, after a mere one and a half years of political agitation. He was forced into exile in Sweden the following year.

References

• Kari Tarkiainen, Arwidsson, Adolf Ivar, National Biography online publication. Accessed August 4, 2015. Available for free via Nelli
• Sverker Ek, Adolph Ivar Arwidsson, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon online publication. Accessed August 4, 2015.
• Adolf Ivar Arwidsson, Wikipedia online publication. Accessed August 4, 2015.