Frans Michael Franzén
Humanist of the day

Frans Michael Franzén

Frans Michael Franzén’s career at the Royal Academy of Turku advanced rapidly because the leading figures there wanted to keep him at the Academy’s disposal. Franzén was first university librarian, then professor of history and later was consecrated as a bishop. He was one of the first noteworthy Finnish poets and he also composed both hymns and drinking songs.

Frans Michael Franzén

Frans Michael Franzén
Born February 9, 1772, Oulu. Died August 14, 1847, Härnösand, Sweden.

Master of Arts, Royal Academy of Turku, 1789
Doctor of Theology, Uppsala University, 1818
Ordained, 1803

Professor of History and Morals, Royal Academy of Turku, 1801–11
Professor of Literary History, Royal Academy of Turku, 1798–1801
Librarian, Royal Academy of Turku, 1795–1811
Docent of Oratory, Royal Academy of Turku, 1792

President, Nyland Regional Students’ Society, 1800–11
Member of the Swedish Academy, 1808

Bishop, Härnösand Diocese, 1831–47
Minister, Klara parish, 1824–34
Minister, 1810–24, Dean, Kumla parish, 1820
Minister, Paimio parish, 1803–10

Honours
Riemumaisteri (An honorary master's title awarded to an individual 50 years after the original degree), Imperial Alexander University, 1840
Riemumaisteri, University of Uppsala, 1839
Lundblad Prize, 1794

Name given to:
Franzénia, formerly part of the University of Helsinki’s premises.
Helsinki: Franzéninkatu street (1901), Franzénin puistikko park (1928), Franzéninaukio square (1990)
Oulu: Franzénin puisto park and the Franzén monument

Photo: WikimediaCommons
Written by Tomas Sjöblom
Translated by Joseph McVeigh

A Precocious talent

The son of a merchant family in Oulu, Frans Michael Franzén showed a talent for literature at an early age. At only thirteen years of age, the precocious lad became a student at the Royal Academy of Turku in 1785. The talented young student received support from many of the…

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Poems, hymns and drinking songs

At the beginning of the 19th century, young university teachers were also expected to demonstrate a gift for poetry. This suited Frans Michael Franzén very well. He began his career as a poet as soon as he was named docent in 1792.

Franzén soon became known in cultural circles when…

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