Welcome to the unique Reenpää collection room
Published: 14.4.2008
Step inside the virtual collection room
Examine the collection’s details
In late 2004, Professor Heikki A. Reenpää donated his valuable private collection to the Helsinki University Library, now the National Library of Finland. The donated collection, over 20,000 volumes, is one of the most valuable donations ever received by the Library during its entire history. The Reenpää Collection augments and supplements the National Library’s collections of early Finnish literature. The unique Reenpää Collection room was opened at the National Library on Thursday 24 January 2008.
Genuine book rarities and literary treasures
The Reenpää collection that evolved from the Renqvist-Reenpää family’s home library contains many bibliophilically valuable books, including examples, published in the 1640s during the early period of Swedish Rule, from Peder Wald’s printing press. Also found in the collection is the song book and hymnal Piae cantiones – editions published in Rostock (1582) and Visingö (1679) – as well as an extensive series of Finnish-language New Testament Bibles ranging from Agricola’s first Finnish-language version translated in 1548 to the Bibles closer to our own time.
The Royal Academy in Turku’s doctoral dissertations are a valuable source of scholarly and scientific literature. The donated collection contains a comprehensive series of doctoral dissertations published by the more important professors in Turku; the collection has over 3,000 doctoral dissertations of the total of 4,450 that were published in Turku during the years 1642–1827.
The collection’s more recent part places particular emphasis on works of fiction. Included is the output – ranging from first editions to subsequently assembled and selected anthologies – of 220 Finnish authors. The collection contains complete series of the works of such authors as Aleksis Kivi, Juhani Aho, Eino Leino, F. E. Sillanpää and Mika Waltari.
These authentic vintage books, many in their original bindings, offer the Finnish bibliophilic community a completely new perspective on the formative stages of our literature.
Early phases of book illustration
The Reenpää library also presents early examples of Finnish book illustrating. The first woodcut known to have been printed in Finland was published by the Turku-domiciled Peder Wald’s printing press in 1650 – eight years after its founding – and it depicted runic stones in Professor Michael Wexionius’s book Epitome descriptionés Sueciae. The work of Jonas Grimsteen, the printing press’s first full-time woodcut engraver, also appears in the donated collection’s copy of Bishop Johannes Gezelius the Elder’s compilation Encyclopedia synoptica dating from the year 1672. The Reenpää Collection also has several extremely rare Vyborg printings that were published before the destruction of Vyborg and its only printing press in 1710.
Professor Heikki A. Reenpää, the Otava Book Foundation and the National Library implemented the collection room jointly. Library Secretary Pasi Koste is responsible for the collection’s cataloguing work in the National Library.
Researchers can use the Reenpää collection by agreement; the public can visit the room in connection with guided tours.
Further information
Library Secretary Pasi Koste, tel. 09 191 23195, pasi.koste (at) helsinki.fi
Press Officer Katri Nissilä, tel. 09 191 24082, katri.nissila (at) helsinki.fi
