Edvard Immanuel Hjelt (28 June 1855 – 2 July 1921) was a
Finnish chemist
A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...
,
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
and a member of the
Senate of Finland
The Senate of Finland (; ) combined the functions of Cabinet (government), cabinet and supreme court in the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1816 to 1917 and in independent Finland from 1917 to 1918.
The body that would become the Senate was establis ...
. Hjelt studied chemistry in Finland and in Germany and became rector of the
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki (, ; UH) is a public university in Helsinki, Finland. The university was founded in Turku in 1640 as the Royal Academy of Åbo under the Swedish Empire, and moved to Helsinki in 1828 under the sponsorship of Alexander ...
in 1899. He opposed the
increasing influence of Russia in the
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed from 1809 to 1917 as an Autonomous region, autonomous state within the Russian Empire.
Originating in the 16th century as a titular grand duchy held by the Monarc ...
and started his career in politics. Good connections to Germany created during his chemistry studies before and after his graduation made it possible for him to get military help during the
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between Whites (Finland), White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) during the country's transition fr ...
. Hjelt organized the training of the
Finnish Jäger troops
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
in Germany.
Early life and education
Hjelt was born in Vihti, Finland. He was the elder brother of
August Hjelt. He studied chemistry at the
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki (, ; UH) is a public university in Helsinki, Finland. The university was founded in Turku in 1640 as the Royal Academy of Åbo under the Swedish Empire, and moved to Helsinki in 1828 under the sponsorship of Alexander ...
, and, like most of the chemists of the 19th century, went abroad to improve his education. From 1877 till 1878 he first studied with
Johannes Wislicenus at the
University of Würzburg
The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (also referred to as the University of Würzburg, in German ''Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg'') is a public research university in Würzburg, Germany. Founded in 1402, it is one of the ol ...
, in 1879 with
Emil Fischer
Hermann Emil Louis Fischer (; 9 October 1852 – 15 July 1919) was a German chemist and List of Nobel laureates in Chemistry, 1902 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He discovered the Fischer esterification. He also developed the Fisch ...
,
Emil Erlenmeyer
Richard August Carl Emil Erlenmeyer (28 June 1825 – 22 January 1909), known simply as Emil Erlenmeyer, was a German chemist known for contributing to the early development of the theory of chemical structure and formulating the Erlenmeyer rul ...
and
Adolf von Baeyer
Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer (; 31 October 1835 – 20 August 1917) was a German chemist who synthesised indigo dye, indigo and developed a Von Baeyer nomenclature, nomenclature for cyclic compounds (that was subsequently extended a ...
at the
University of Munich
The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public university, public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke ...
. After returning to Helsinki he received his Ph.D, but Hjelt needed a second thesis to become a university professor. After another research stay in Germany at the
University of Strassburg, working with
Rudolph Fittig he prepared that second thesis and became professor for organic chemistry at the University of Helsinki.
University rector
Hjelt served as vice rector of the University of Helsinki from 1896 till 1899 and as rector from 1899 till 1917. The political turmoil after the announcement of the
February Manifesto of 1899 by Russian Emperor
Nicholas II, which was meant to start a Russification of Finland and tie the Grand Duchy of Finland closer to the Russian empire, induced student demonstrations. The Russian authorities, especially the
Finnish Minister Secretary of State Vyacheslav von Plehve and the
Governor-General of Finland
The governor-general of Finland was the military commander and the highest administrator of Finland sporadically Finland under Swedish rule, under Swedish rule in the 17th and 18th centuries and continuously in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finl ...
Nikolay Bobrikov, had to deal with the reactions of the people. Hjelt was able to reduce the pressure on the students and the university and also to stop aggressive reaction of the students to the oppression. With a short relieve after the defeat in the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...
the oppression continued.
Political career
With the start of the First World War Hjeld saw a chance to gain independence from Russia after a defeat of Russia by Germany. Germany on the other hand would benefit from troop withdrawal from the frontline to deal with a Finnish uprising. His good relations with Germany allowed Hjelt to get in contact with leading military personnel to negotiate a German support for Finland. A small group of Finnish volunteers reached Germany via Sweden in 1915. Their training started in autumn 1915; at the end, the group of 2,000 men formed the
27th Jäger Battalion. This unit was the core of the
Finnish White Guard during the
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between Whites (Finland), White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) during the country's transition fr ...
(January to May 1918). On November 26, 1917 Hjelt, together with
Adolf von Bonsdorff, met with General
Erich Ludendorff
Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff (; 9 April 1865 – 20 December 1937) was a German general and politician. He achieved fame during World War I (1914–1918) for his central role in the German victories at Battle of Liège, Liège and Battle ...
and Marshal
Paul von Hindenburg
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German military and political leader who led the Imperial German Army during the First World War and later became President of Germany (1919� ...
at the German army headquarters at Kreuznach to get more help for the coming civil war. Six German battalions landed in
Hanko and helped the Finnish army to drive the
Red Guards
The Red Guards () were a mass, student-led, paramilitary social movement mobilized by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 until their abolition in 1968, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes
According to a ...
from most of their strongholds.
Hjelt signed a
peace treaty between Germany and Finland in Berlin on 7 March 1918. After the end of the civil war he signed a
peace treaty with Austria-Hungary. He also searched for a king in the new, planned monarchy of Finland. His first suggestion was
Adolf Friedrich, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, but after Prussian opposition
Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse was chosen to become the King of Finland. After the victory of the Allied powers the idea of a monarchy was dropped and
Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg became first president of Finland.
Laying out of the State Council in the chapel of the in Lübeck.
Hjelt's strong connections to Germany and his animosity against
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, made him no longer suitable as diplomat after the First World War, in which Germany lost most of its influence to France, the United States and Great Britain.
Works
* ''Geschichte der organischen Chemie von der ältesten Zeit bis zur Gegenwart : mit 3 Figuren'' . Vieweg, Braunschweig 191
Digital editionby the
University and State Library Düsseldorf
The University and State Library Düsseldorf (, abbreviated ULB Düsseldorf) is a central service institution of Heinrich Heine University. Along with Bonn and Münster, it is also one of the three State Libraries of North Rhine-Westphalia.
...
Publications
* Nils Nilson Idman, en finsk språk- och fornforskare under förra seklet (1882)
* Erik Lencqvist, en finsk präst och häfdeforskare i föregående århundradet (1886)
* Sveriges ställning till utlandet närmast efter 1772 års statshvälfning (1887)
* Yleisen valtiotiedon opas kansalaisille (1889)
* Nystads jernvägsfråga (1891)
* Sjuk-, begrafnings- och pensionskassor för arbetare och handtverkare i Finland (1891)
* Tapaturmat työssä Suonien eri ammateissa ynnä vertailuja Ruotsin, Norjan ja Saksan tapaturmaoloihin (1892)
* Die Arbeiter-Versicherung in Finnland (1899)
* De första officiela relationerna om svenska tabellverket åren 1749-1757 (1900)
* Det svenska tabellverkets uppkomst, organisation och tidigare verksamhet (1900)
* Rösträtten i Bondeståndet och inkomstförhållandena på landsbygden (1902)
* Rösträttsförhållandena i Borgareståndet och deras reformering (1902)
* Släkten Hjelt(1903)
* Den kommunala inkomstbeskattningen och inkomstförhållandena i Finland (1904-1905)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hjelt, Edvard
1855 births
1921 deaths
People from Vihti
People from Uusimaa Province (Grand Duchy of Finland)
Scientists from the Grand Duchy of Finland
Chemists from the Russian Empire
Young Finnish Party politicians
National Coalition Party politicians
Finnish senators
Finnish chemists
People of the Finnish Civil War (White side)
University of Helsinki alumni
Academic staff of the University of Helsinki
Rectors of the University of Helsinki