Ragna Ahlbäck (1914 – 2002) was a Finnish
ethnographer
Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...
and
archivist
An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist can cons ...
.
Early life
Ragna Ulrica Ahlbäck (née Nikander) was born on 17 July 1914 in
Porvoo
Porvoo (; ; ) is a city in Finland. It is located on the south coast of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Porvoo lies in the eastern part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Porvoo is approximately , while the Porvoo sub-region, sub-re ...
. She grew up in
Turku
Turku ( ; ; , ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Southwest Finland. It is located on the southwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the Aura River (Finland), River Aura. The population of Turku is approximately , while t ...
where her father, cultural historian and professor
Gabriel Nikander, taught at
Ã…bo Akademi
Turku ( ; ; , ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Southwest Finland. It is located on the southwestern coast of the country at the mouth of the River Aura. The population of Turku is approximately , while the metropolitan area ...
University. Niklander completed her doctoral dissertation in 1955. "Kökar: näringslivet och dess organisation i en utskärssocken" established her as a pioneer in the area of Nordic studies.
Family life
Ragna married the linguist :fi:Olav Ahlbäck, Olav Ahlback. The couple had a son, :sv:Tore Ahlbäck, Tore, who became a Theology, theologian and librarian.
Career
Ahlbäck served over 44 years as archivist for :sv:Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, Svenska Litteratursällskapet Finland, the Swedish Literature Society's folklore archive in Finland. She began her professional work in 1937, which included field work throughout Finland, and later, Sweden.
In 1965 she moved to Malax where she founded th
Kvarken Boat Museumwith her husband.
Later life
Alback died in Pargas on 6 September 2002. Her extensive research archives, including a number of films from the 1950s and 1960s featuring traditional farming and fishing practices, are held at the Swedish Literature Society archives.
Bibliography
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References
External links
News article featuring women who contributed to the Swedish Literature SocietyShort feature on YouTube
*:sv:Ragna Ahlbäck, Ragna Ahlback (in Swedish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahlback, Ragna
Women archivists
Finnish ethnographers
1914 births
2002 deaths