Case Study Finland
Tuomas Heikkilä (Finland, University of Helsinki) chose to analyse the area of present-day Finland, among the last to be Christianized and annexed to the Latin sphere of culture during the Middle Ages. The focal point is the cathedral chapter of Turku (Swedish: Åbo), established in 1276. Finland belonged to the Swedish realm until 1809, and Turku bishopric, covering roughly the area of present-day Finland, was the Easternmost of the seven dioceses of the realm. As the ecclesiastical, learned, economical, and administrative hub of the Eastern half of the realm it played the central role in identity-building. At the same time, it translated the broader pan-European Latin culture to suit the local conditions that were very much affected by pre-Christian Finnish-speaking oral culture and folklore. The identity invented in the small community of the chapter was effectively scaled to the whole diocese, e.g. through the practice of the clergy of the bishopric receiving their schooling and most of their books in Turku.
The case study combines scholarly scrutiny (history, archaeology) with close collaboration with local memory institutions (archives, museums). In doing so, it intends to broaden the traditional scope and audience of historical study to better include the broad public. This is reflected in the expected outcomes of the case study:
1) in terms of scholarship, the case study explores the dynamics of local literary and oral culture in identity-building. In addition to communicating the results in written form, we aim to enhance the awareness of the long historical roots of local identity and that of the historical materials related;
2) the chapter celebrates its 750 years of existence in 2026. This academic endeavour will provide the jubilee with the scholarly valid, but easily approachable material sets – like stories, sets of documents and pictures – for public outreach. Thus, the case study contributes to understanding cultural heritage and building identities in a versatile manner;
3) as a part of the overarching RESTORY project, the case study provides interesting points of reference that can be elaborated further during the project. The wealth of historical similarities (viz-a-viz e.g. Romania and Finland) between East and West on the one hand, and the marked differences in the actual course of history, on the other, provide a fruitful basis for the broader study of textual and oral heritage and their role in building historical identities.
