Old Fennica (Vanha Fennica)
The oldest special collection in the SKS Library is also its most valuable.
The Old Fennica Collection includes Finnish literature from the period of Swedish rule (until 1809) and up to the Turku Fire (1828). It consists of:
- rare works by Mikael Agricola
- dissertations from the Turku Academy (Academia Aboënsis)
- other materials related to the Turku Academy, such as speeches
- Bibles and other religious and theological literature
- funeral sermons, wedding poems and memorial speeches
- broadsheets.
The majority of the collection consists of materials printed in the 17th and 18th century.
Background of the Collection
When the SKS library’s collections began to be catalogued and subsequently classified in the late 19th century, Kustavi Grotenfelt, who created the library’s first collection catalogue, initially divided the “book resources” into older Finnish literature and other materials (such as newspapers and country-specific histories). Thus, the Old Fennica, representing the earliest Finnish literature from the Swedish rule, was treated as a distinct entity and was intended to remain so.
By 1936, the library books were organised according to a classification scheme created for the collections. By then, the Old Fennica was recognised as its own special collection.
Photo: Vesa Kyllönen.