In addition to a career in linguistics, Arvid Genetz was also a political actor and poet. During his studies he participated in the politicization of the student union by initiating the 1872 ceremony to honour the 50th anniversary of when Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Elias Lönnrot and Johan Vilhelm Snellmann entered the university.

Genetz adhered to the Fennoman point of view in politics, although he leaned more to the liberal and moderate wing during the early days of the movement. When the moderate and more collective trend of the movement lost its popularity, Genetz followed suit. He was a man of science at his core and drifted into the edges of politics and nationality issues, rather than seeking them out.

On the state level, Genetz worked as a clergy representative in parliament in 1891, as the director of the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation from 1890–6, and as a senator from 1901–5. His political career was mostly what could be expected of a person of nationalist culture. The real political professor in him, however, does not hold, especially when his political actions are compared to those of his academic contemporaries, such as Yrjö Sakari Yrjö-Koskiseen and Emil Nestor Setälä.

Nationalism can also be seen in Genetz’s poetry. Genetz used the pen name Arvi Jännes, which was a Finnicized version of his real name. His best known poems are Herää Suomi! (‘Rise, Finland!’), Väinölän lapset (‘The children of Väinölä’) and Karjala (‘Karelia’). In the first of these works, Genetz spoke of a personal desire for reconciliation between pro-Finnish and pro-Swedish people, but those who were pro-Swedish saw it as a powerful Fennoman proclamation. The lines of the poem then became a theme song for student radicalism.

In the end, Genetz published only one collection of poems, called Muistoja ja toiveita ystäville jouluksi (‘Memories and wishes to friends at Christmas’), in 1889. In it he collected earlier political poems as well as later poetry on various subjects. His political poems in particular had already been published in the papers.

Sources

• Suutari, Toni and Merja Salo (eds.). 2001. Castrén’s heirs. Professors of Finnish and related languages at the University of Helsinki 1851–2001. Helsinki, 18–20.
• Vares, Vesa. ‘Genetz, Arvid’. National Biography of Finland online, The Finnish Literature Society. Accessed June 17, 2015 (Available for free at the Nelli portal).
• Harmaja, Harri. Arvid Genetz (1848–1915). Online publication. Accessed June 17, 2015.
• Wikipedia. Arvid Genetz.
• Jännes, Arvi. Muistoja ja toiveita ystäville jouluksi (‘Memories and wishes to friends at Christmas’).