The diaries of Martti Rautanen

Martti Rautanen was one of the first Finnish mission workers who arrived in Owambo in 1870. He worked in the region until his death in 1926. During these over five decades, he kept a diary and his observations open up a unique view of the early stages of Finnish mission work in the area. His diaries portray the daily life of mission workers, milestones of their work as well as Rautanen’s numerous subjects of interest: local cultures, practices and languages, the development of written language, natural conditions, flora and fauna and meteorology.

Martti Rautanen’s diaries are part of his personal collection which is located in the Finnish National Archives in Helsinki. The collection consists of textual materials and images that were produced and gathered during his stay in Owambo. His diaries form a central part of this material.

The diaries of Rautanen have been used to some extent in historical research in Finland but their usability has been affected by the fact that they are written in German and are partly difficult to read.

Turku University Foundation has funded a project whereby diaries are made more accessible for scholars by transcribing the original German text and by producing a Finnish translation of it. This work has been executed by MA Eero Perunka.

This far, the material consists of diary texts from the years 1870-1925 but does not include all existing materials from these years. See a detailed list of materials. We intend to continue the project in the future and supplement the material also to include the rest of the diary texts.

Permission to use materials

The project has produced two kinds of documents: transcriptions of original hand written German texts and Finnish translations of them. Using these materials requires permission. To apply for permission please contact Leila Koivunen (leila.koivunen [at] utu.fi) and describe the purpose of use.

Image: Martti Rautanen, photograph by Hannu Haahti (1911). Finnish Heritage Agency, Picture Collections, photographs of the Finnish Missionary Society.