Johan Fridolf Hagfors

In 1883 he became publicist of the small Åbo paper Turun Lehti which was published in Finnish but at the same time Svecoman; it became the only newspaper with that combination to reach a wide readership.

Modersmålets sång was first performed in 1989 and is today considered an unofficial hymn for the Swedish-speaking population of Finland.

[2] Ålänningens sång, for which he composed the melody, was first performed during the song festival in Mariehamn in 1922 and is today the regional hymn for Åland.

[1] Due to stiff competition, Turun Lehti ceased publication in 1919.

[1] Hagfors subsequently moved to Stockholm and obtained Swedish citizenship.