Delving into the lives and travels of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century students, future lawyers, has been an interesting and challenging task. On my trips to various archives, I have been able to trace the footsteps of these students â enjoy the canals of Leiden and wonder at the town hall of Greifswald â as did the students some 300â400 years ago.
I would not have been able to write this book had it not been for the support and encouragement of many people. First, I extend my warmest thanks to the supervisor of my dissertation, Heikki Pihlajamäki, with whom I have discussed my research many times over the years and who has never failed to encourage me. I am also indebted to Jussi Nuorteva and Serge Dauchy, my former pre-examiner and opponent, for their comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this book. I especially want to thank Mia Korpiola for making important remarks and suggestions on an earlier version of the manuscript. Even more importantly, Mia has mentored me and encouraged me on my path as a researcher, and she is always ready to discuss questions of legal history, suggest materials, and comment on texts. I warmly thank Jukka Kekkonen for welcoming me to the community of legal historians at the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki many years ago and for his support ever since. Pia Letto-Vanamo kindly welcomed me to the REUNA network of Nordic legal historians and has always shown an interest in my research, thank you. I also want to thank André Swanström for commenting on the church history sections of this book, and Katja Tikka for commenting on an earlier version of the manuscript. Jussi Sallila has always generously suggested new materials and literature to me, for which I thank him. I have been fortunate to be able to write my book as a member of the wonderful community of legal historians at the University of Helsinki. Thank you Katja and Jussi, thank you Markus Kari, Johanna Kirjalainen, Ilja Kokkonen, Raija-Liisa Komulainen, Aura Kostiainen, Toomas Kotkas, Toni Malminen, Juhana Salojärvi, Jukka Siro, Pauno Soirila, Kaius Tuori, and Iisa Vepsä.
During my research, I had the privilege to spend some time as a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History in Frankfurt. I especially thank Thomas Duve for welcoming me there and Karl Härter for introducing me to the rich collection of legal dissertations at the Institute. At the very beginning of my research, Margreet Ahsmann kindly discussed my topic with me and gave advice regarding the Leiden archives, for which I warmly thank her. I also want to thank the helpful staff at all the archives and libraries I visited during
I owe many thanks to Christopher Goddard who efficiently revised the language of this book. Any remaining mistakes are naturally my own. Uta Liertz helped me with the translation of letters from Latin, for which I warmly thank her. Many thanks also to Miikka Hiltunen and Timo Vasara for their valuable help in compiling the index. Marcella Mulder at Brill has guided me through the process with great expertise, thank you. Of course, my research would not have been possible without the funding I received from different institutions. Apart from positions within legal history at the University of Helsinki and at the Graduate School Law in a Changing World, I received grants from the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the University of Helsinki Funds, the Finnish Lawyersâ Association, the Hilkka and Otto Brusiin Foundation, and the Emil Ãhmann Foundation, for which I express my gratitude.
Finally, I am indebted to my friends and family. Lisa Tirkkonen and Sofia Wagner have always been there for me, and my parents Gabriele Schrey-Vasara and Erkki Vasara, together with my brother Timo, have always supported me and lent a helping hand when needed. Last but not least, I am most grateful to my husband Sebastian who always believes in me and encourages me. Your support means the world to me. Our beautiful little son Topias brings sunshine to the rainiest of days, and makes everything worthwhile. Thank you both!
Marianne Vasara-Aaltonen
Helsinki, January 2020