48

In his article first published in 1988, then translated, completed and updated by Pekka Leimu, Veikko Anttila (1929-1990) has drawn the historical course of development of Finnish ethnology. In Finland ethnology started in the second half of the 19th century by differentiating from Finno-Ugric linguistics and trying to find common cultural roots of the Finns and their kindred (Finnish) nations. Research concentrated first on the rural peasant culture and since the 1960s also included industrial and urban cultures. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the reopening of the eastern border research on Finnish peoples was continued, but without any aims to find common roots.