March 12, 1898) was a Finnish journalist, historian and author who wrote Finnish historical novels in Swedish.
Together with the composerFriedrichPacius he wrote the libretto (in the style of Romantic nationalism) to the first Finnish opera: Kung Karls jakt.
Topelius initially thought of writing a trivial entertainment, but having heard extracts from the opera project at a concert in 1851, he realized that Pacius was writing a grand opera on the theme of salvation, following the early Romantic style of Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz (1821) and Oberon (1826).
From 1835, the outstanding figure in Helsinki’s musical life was Fredrik (originally Friedrich) Pacius.
Pacius was a German-born composer, who had received a solid musical education in Kassel under Ludwig Spohr and Moritz Hauptmann.
After playing violin for a few years at the Stockholm Court Orchestra, he was appointed to the post of music teacher at the University of Helsinki in 1835.
