ZAKRIS [

ZACHARIAS]

See also:

• ZAKRIS [ZACHARIAS] TOPELIUS (1818-1898)

TOPELIUS (1818-1898)  , Finnish author, was born at Kuddnas, near Nykarleby, on the 14th of January 1818 . He was the son of a doctor of the same name, who was distinguished as the earliest collector of Finnish folk-songs . Topelius became a student at Helsingfors in 1833, was made professor in 1863 and received in succession all the academic distinctions open to him . Quite early in his career he began to distinguish himself as a lyric poet, with the three successive volumes of his Heather Blossoms (1845-1854) . The earliest of his historical romances was The Duchess of Finland, published in 1850 . He was also editor-in-chief of the Helsingfors Gazette from 1841 to x86o . In 1878 Topelius was allowed to withdraw from his professional duties, but this did not sever his connexion with the university; it gave him, however, more leisure for his abundant and various literary enterprises . Of all the multifarious writings of Topelius, in prose and verse, that which hasenjoyed the greatest popularity is his Tales of a Barber-Surgeon, episodes of historical fiction from the days of Gustavus II . Adolphus to those of Gustavus III., treated in the manner of Sir Walter Scott; the five volumes of this work appeared at intervals between 1853 and 1867 . Topelius attempted the drama also, with most success in his tragedy of Regina von Emmeritz (1854) . Topelius aimed, with eminent but perhaps pathetic success, at the cultivation of a strong passion of patriotism in Finland . He died on the 13th of March 1898 at Helsingfors .

Topelius was an exceptionally happy writer for

children, his best-known book being Losning for barn . His abundant poetry is graceful and patriotic, but does not offer any features of great originality . (E .