In his book Suomen kulttuurihistoria (‘A Cultural History of Finland’), Anssi Halmesvirta (b. 1956 in Kiuruvesi) provides a compact overview of Finnish cultural history. He presents high culture as well as more popular phenomena, as well as cultural policy and developments in contemporary times.
Dr Halmesvirta is the Professor of General History at the University of Jyväskylä. He studied at Jyväskylä and at the University of Sussex, where he received his Ph.D. in 1990. His research focuses on the history of ideas, English and Hungarian political history of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as the history of ideologies and the history of medicine. He was awarded the medal for scientific achievement by the Osk. Huttunen Foundation in 1995.
German translations:
Land unter dem Nordlicht: Eine Kulturgeschichte Finnlands, primus verlag 2013, Übersetzung: Rolf Klemmt.
Photo: © Ulla Halmesvirta