- Mikael Agricola was born in Torsby, Pernaja, around 1507
- Began his schooling in Viborg in 1520
- He travelled to Turku in 1528 and became a clerk to Bishop Martin Skytte
- A student of Martin Luther at the University of Wittenberg in 1536
- Was awarded a Master’s degree in 1539
- Headmaster of Turku Cathedral School 1539–1548
- Published the first ABC book in Finnish in 1543
- The New Testament, translated into Finnish by Agricola, was published in 1548
- Agricola’s wife, Birgitta, gave birth to their son Kristian in 1550
- Bishop of Turku in 1554
- Agricola died on his return journey from peace negotiations in Moscow on 9 April 1557
- Mikael Agricola Day is celebrated annually on 9 April.
- The Agricola Society in Pernaja was founded in 2005 to preserve the memory of Agricola and to promote culture, local history and historical research
Information signs along the Agricola Trail in the parish of Pernaja
We recommend
Simo Heininen: Mikael Agricola – Elämä ja teokset (Edita 2007)
The biography traces the life of Pernaja’s son, from his school days in Viipuri and his studies at the University of Wittenberg to his roles as headmaster and bishop in Turku, as well as his final journey to Moscow as a member of the Swedish peace delegation. The book also presents Agricola’s literary works: nine works published in Finnish, ranging from *Aapinen* to the prophets of the Old Testament. Simo Heininen has been a professor of church history at the University of Helsinki. He is a leading scholar of Agricola and has published several
studies on the subject.
The book is also available to buy at the Agricola Museum.
Sture Enberg: Mikael Agricola. Pernåpojken som blev reformator (Litorale 2017)
Sture Enberg, a psychologist born in Pernaja, has studied his famous neighbour. In this book, he paints a portrait of a cultural figure whom everyone has heard of but few know much about.
