Hedvig Raa-Winterhjelm
Encyclopedia
Hedvig Charlotta Raa-Winterhjelm, née Forssman, (20 November 1838 - 7 March 1907), was a Swedish actor active in Sweden
, Norway
and Finland
. She played a role of great importance in Finnish culture and theatre history as both a reformer of the Finnish theatre and also a pioneer in introducing Finnish as a stage language, becoming the first actor in Finland to speak her lines in the Finnish tongue. Though her importance in her own home country was small, she was to become one of the most important actors in Finnish history.
in Stockholm
in 1854-56, she was employed in the theatre Mindre teatern
in Stockholm 1860-63. She also toured with travelling theatre companies in both Sweden and Finland. In 1863, Mindre teatern was taken over by the Royal Dramatic Theatre
. Many of the actors was given a contract in the new theatre, but the competition with Sweden's leading lady Elise Jakobsson-Hwasser made Hedvig move to Finland, where she accepted a position at the Swedish Theatre
in Helsinki
. She was the lead actress within romantic tragedy in the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki between 1866 and 1872, becoming one of this newly founded theatre's first stars along with her husband Fritiof Raa. The theatre, the first real theatre of Helsinki, had been founded in 1860 but burned down in 1863 and opened again in 1866, and had become the national stage of Finland.
language on stage. In the 1860s, the Finnish language was not spoken on the official stages in Finland; Finland had been a part of Sweden until 1809, and Swedish
was the second language in Finland, the language of the upper classes, and the language spoken on stage. Most actors in Finland were also from Sweden, or from the Swedish speaking minority in Finland.
During this time, Finland was a part of Russia. During Russian rule, a wave of nationalism swept over Finland to preserve the Finnish cultural identity and independence and escape a complete incorporation with Russia, and Hedvig's initiative was a part of this cultural wave. Although she was from Sweden herself, she felt that it should be a theatre in the native Finnish language in Finland. This was not appreciated by the authorities, who reacted to her initiative by closing down the whole school in 1869. She answered by pronouncing her lines in the next play she participated in, Lea by Aleksis Kivi
, in the Finnish language. Thereby, she became historical as the first actor in Finland to say her lines in the Finnish language on a Finnish stage on an public theatre. She continued by becoming the first actor to play Ofelia and lady Macbeth
in the Finnish language.
Hedvig founded two stages in Finland; one Swedish stage in 1866, and one Finnish stage in 1872. After the last one was founded, however, the Finnish (Swedish-speaking and Russian ruled) theatre forbid her to take assignments in Finnish. After her first husband, a Norwegian alcoholic, died with large debts, she left Finland with a traveling company and arrived with it to Oslo
in Norway in 1872. It was now that she took the first-name Hedvig.
, Copenhagen
, Stockholm and Oslo.
Hedvig Raa-Winterhjelm was also active as a translator of plays, and she was also an instructor and a teacher of drama, both in private-tutoring and in Högre lärarinneseminariet in Stockholm, where she tutored until 1906.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. She played a role of great importance in Finnish culture and theatre history as both a reformer of the Finnish theatre and also a pioneer in introducing Finnish as a stage language, becoming the first actor in Finland to speak her lines in the Finnish tongue. Though her importance in her own home country was small, she was to become one of the most important actors in Finnish history.
Early career
Hedvig Raa-Winterhjelm was born in Sweden under the name Charlotte Forssman. After having been educated as a student at Dramatens elevskolaDramatens elevskola
Dramatens elevskola, i.e. Kungliga Dramatiska Teaterns Elevskola, or in Eng: The Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school, was the acting school of Sweden's national stage, The Royal Dramatic Theatre, and for many years seen as the foremost theatre school and drama education for Swedish stage actors...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1854-56, she was employed in the theatre Mindre teatern
Mindre teatern
Mindre teatern , Nya teatern , Lindeberska teatern , was a Swedish theatre at Kungsgatan in Stockholm, active 1842-1863...
in Stockholm 1860-63. She also toured with travelling theatre companies in both Sweden and Finland. In 1863, Mindre teatern was taken over by the Royal Dramatic Theatre
Royal Dramatic Theatre
The Royal Dramatic Theatre is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's eight running stages....
. Many of the actors was given a contract in the new theatre, but the competition with Sweden's leading lady Elise Jakobsson-Hwasser made Hedvig move to Finland, where she accepted a position at the Swedish Theatre
Swedish Theatre
The Swedish Theatre is a Swedish-speaking theatre in Helsinki, Finland and is located at the Erottaja square, at the end of Esplanadi . It was the first national stage of Finland.- History :...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. She was the lead actress within romantic tragedy in the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki between 1866 and 1872, becoming one of this newly founded theatre's first stars along with her husband Fritiof Raa. The theatre, the first real theatre of Helsinki, had been founded in 1860 but burned down in 1863 and opened again in 1866, and had become the national stage of Finland.
Reforms
In Helsinki, she was made instructor at the newly founded Finnish theatre school (1868), where she worked to introduce the FinnishFinnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
language on stage. In the 1860s, the Finnish language was not spoken on the official stages in Finland; Finland had been a part of Sweden until 1809, and Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
was the second language in Finland, the language of the upper classes, and the language spoken on stage. Most actors in Finland were also from Sweden, or from the Swedish speaking minority in Finland.
During this time, Finland was a part of Russia. During Russian rule, a wave of nationalism swept over Finland to preserve the Finnish cultural identity and independence and escape a complete incorporation with Russia, and Hedvig's initiative was a part of this cultural wave. Although she was from Sweden herself, she felt that it should be a theatre in the native Finnish language in Finland. This was not appreciated by the authorities, who reacted to her initiative by closing down the whole school in 1869. She answered by pronouncing her lines in the next play she participated in, Lea by Aleksis Kivi
Aleksis Kivi
Aleksis Kivi , born Alexis Stenvall, was a Finnish author who wrote the first significant novel in the Finnish language, Seven Brothers...
, in the Finnish language. Thereby, she became historical as the first actor in Finland to say her lines in the Finnish language on a Finnish stage on an public theatre. She continued by becoming the first actor to play Ofelia and lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth may refer to:*Lady Macbeth, from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth**Queen Gruoch of Scotland, the real-life Queen on whom Shakespeare based the character...
in the Finnish language.
Hedvig founded two stages in Finland; one Swedish stage in 1866, and one Finnish stage in 1872. After the last one was founded, however, the Finnish (Swedish-speaking and Russian ruled) theatre forbid her to take assignments in Finnish. After her first husband, a Norwegian alcoholic, died with large debts, she left Finland with a traveling company and arrived with it to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
in Norway in 1872. It was now that she took the first-name Hedvig.
Later career
In 1874, she remaried a Norwegian who forbid her to take any long-term assignments, and she continued her career as a ”guest-artist” and toured under this title in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, where she was particularly noted as an Ibsen-interpretor; she toured around Norway 1876-1878 and i 1883, she toured as Mrs Alving in Ibsens Gengångare in HelsingborgHelsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Stockholm and Oslo.
Hedvig Raa-Winterhjelm was also active as a translator of plays, and she was also an instructor and a teacher of drama, both in private-tutoring and in Högre lärarinneseminariet in Stockholm, where she tutored until 1906.