Die Blütezeit der Goethe-Rezeption in Finnland (1930–1950)

The Finnish reception of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe reached its culmination in the 1930s and 1940s. Symbolic events were the years 1932 (one hundred years from Goethe’s death) and 1949 (two hundred years from Goethe’s birth). These events were commemorated with academic speeches and artistic
presentations. After the description of these events, attention is paid to the persons who were influential in Finnish-German relations; they were mostly university professors. The essay then discusses the Finnish translations of Goethe’s works and books about Goethe. Among the translators were such important writers and men of letters as V. Arti, J.A. Hollo, Volter Kilpi and Otto Manninen. The most important of the books about Goethe was the biography of Goethe in two volumes, Nuori Goethe. Elämä ja teokset (Young Goethe. Life and Works) and Goethe. Keskipäivä ja elämänilta (Goethe. Middle Years and the Dawn of Life) by the poet and university professor V.A. Koskenniemi. Hans Grellmann studied the early reception of Goethe (1948), while Gunnar Mårtenson wrote about Goethe’s early love Friederike Brion (1944). Articles were written e.g. by Rafael Koskimies, Tatu Vaaskivi, and Lauri Viljanen. In the Saksalaisen  kirjallisuuden historia (History of German Literature) by Rafael Koskimies and in the fifth volume of the Yleisen kirjallisuuden historia (General Literary History) by Eino Railo Goethe is discussed more extensively than any other writer. The paper also presents some other admirers of Goethe, such as Aino Kallas and Kersti Bergroth. In some cases, the reception of Goethe in Finland was influenced
by the Anthroposophism of Rudolf Steiner.