In memoriam Raija Bartens (1933-2025)

Professor Emerita, linguist Raija Bartens (1933-2025) died at the age of 91 on 5 March 2025 in her hometown Göttingen, Germany.

Raija Bartens graduated in philosophy from the University of Helsinki in 1958. She worked as a researcher of Saami languages in the editorial office of the comprehensive Inari Saami dictionary from the 1960s until its completion in the 1990s. Bartens received her doctorate in 1972. She was Professor of Finno-Ugric Languages at the University of Helsinki from 1980 to 1997. She was also a founding member and honorary member of the M. A. Castrén Society.

Raija Bartens made an important contribution to Finno-Ugric studies by translating the rich folk literature of several kindred languages directly from Komi, Udmurt, Khanty, Mansi and Mari into Finnish. She also compiled the first anthology of Mordvin literature in Finland The Sound of Life, translated into Finnish the Mordvin folk epic Mastorava, the anthologies Komi-Permyak Poetry Land and The Road to Modern Mari Lyric Poetry. Without these works, there would be a huge vacuum in the world of Finno-Ugric poetry.

Raija Bartens will be remembered by the M. A. Castrén Society and Finnish Fennougricists, as well as by collaborators from Estonia and elsewhere.