Jacob Steffensson in 1984 in Vallentuna Sweden

Jakob Steffensson (28 July 1924 Ruhnu – 2 May 2011 Stockholm), recorder of life of Ruhnu Swedes, musician, silversmith, boat builder and sealer.

He was born and lived in Ruhnu, where he worked as a farm boy and sealer, during the German occupation he was a postman and in Ruhnu military service. On 2 August 1944, he left with his family for Sweden. In Sweden he was active in collecting and documenting the life and cultural heritage of the lost island’s nation. Based on his research and memories, he wrote a volume of books about the onetime society of Ruhnu, collected thousands of historical photos and composed a travelling exhibition, which introduced the archaic Ruhnu society to the Swedes. Steffensson’s writing is a priceless source in valuing the culture of Ruhnu.

After the restoration of Estonian independence, he dealt with bringing his Ruhnu-theme exhibition, antiquity and national costume collection to Ruhnu island and establishing a museum in the former East-Steffens farm. The plan materialized in 2014, when an exhipition „Ruhnu – the Lost World” arrived to Estonia.

Jacob Steffensson’s father Hans Steffens was several times the village elder of Ruhnu and forest ranger during the 1920s until the 1930s. Grandfather Matts Steffens was also a village elder. Matts and his wife Maria are buried to Ruhnu churchyard.

Works

• Runöborna och deras invandring till Sverige (1972; in Swedish)
• Livet på Runö (1976; in Swedish. In Estonian 1994)
• Runöborna och deras invandring till Sverige (1993; in Swedish)
• Så dansade vi på Runö – svenskön i Rigaviken. Lidingö-Täby (1981; in Swedish)
• Båtar på Runö. Föreningen Allmoge Båter (1987; in Swedish)
• Run – Runö. Svenskön i Rigaviken – Rigavikens Pärla (2003; in Swedish)
• Meie, ruhnlased (2005; in Estonian)

Created in 2014