Victor Hartwall

Early life and family

Victor Hartwall was born in 1800 as the son of a merchant and industrialist in Åbo. The family originates from the Tavastehus region. The surname Hartwall was first used by Victor's grandfather Erik Hartwall, a regimental clerk, in the mid-18th century. Victor's father Erik Hartwall was a burgher in Åbo who for a time owned the Old Shipyard, and later managed Metsämäki manor in the parish of St. Marie.

Victor was the only child in the family to reach adulthood. From an early age he was interested in experiments of all kinds, which led him naturally towards a scientific career.

Scientific career

Hartwall studied chemistry and wrote a master's thesis, Periculum chemico-mineralogicum de Wernerito, becoming a docent in 1824 and adjunct in 1825 at the Royal Academy of Åbo. He continued his studies in Uppsala under professor Jöns Jacob Berzelius, and pursued his scientific career at the University of Helsinki until 1833, by which time he had published five books — one in Swedish and three in French, in addition to his Latin thesis. He was a member of the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, the Societas pro Fauna et Flora Fennica and the Finnish Medical Society.

Civil service career

The precarious financial situation of a scientist was incompatible with starting a family, and Hartwall abandoned his scientific career when he married Carolina Fredrika af Stenhof in 1830. In 1833 he was appointed head of the assay office, responsible for examining metal content in gold, silver and tin objects. The following year he was appointed mining commissioner at the Finnish Mining Board. In 1844 he was granted the dignity of mining master and appointed a member of the Manufactures Board.