Library
The largest special library on religion in the Nordic countries
The Donner Library opened as long ago as 1957 and is today the largest specialist library on religion in the Nordic countries. The library’s collection is stored in Åbo Akademi Library’s remote storage facility, Rix, and the collection is accessible via the Alma-Finna database. Ordered books can be picked up from ÅAB’s premises in Arken (Tehtaankatu 2), open Monday–Friday from 10:00 to 18:00. Our primary customers are students and researchers of religion, but our library is also open to the general public.
Our collection comprises approximately 90 000 volumes pertaining to research on religion in a broad perspective. The central journals within the field are available in printed form in the library and we can help you to find your way among the e-publications as well.
Book of the month
Birgitta Birgersdotter (1303–1373), better known as Saint Birgitta, was a noblewoman with an unusually great influence on the spiritual and political culture of late medieval Europe. Her heavenly visions contained not only spiritual guidance but also critical comments on papal authority and the secular rulers of her time. The monastic order she founded, the Birgittine Order, became well established throughout Europe, with two monasteries in Sweden: Vadstena and Nådendal (Fin. Naantali). Saint Birgitta and her order have left a rich cultural heritage in Finland, which is the focus of the book Pyhä Birgitta ja birgittalaisuus myöhäiskeskiajan Suomessa (Saint Birgitta and Birgittine Spirituality in Late Medieval Finland).
The book guides contemporary readers into the lived religion, thought, and experiences of the Middle Ages. It shows that the Birgittine spirituality was not only established at Nådendal monastery but also widely spread throughout medieval Finland. The chapters are written by historians, art historians, musicologists, and philologists, each highlighting different aspects of Birgittine influence. They address themes concerning the material, spiritual, and social dimensions of Birgittine impact on culture and society. The book covers a wide range of topics, including Nådendal’s extensive relic collection, the creation of Birgitta’s monastic rule, sculptures of Saint Birgitta in Finland, the use of Birgittine music and liturgy outside Nådendal, sermons by Birgittine brothers as communication channels, the castle stewards of Tavastehus as Birgittine influencers, the literary works of the Birgittine brother Jöns Budde, and the culture of remembrance in Nådendal. The book demonstrates that research on Birgittine spirituality is a vibrant field contributing to our understanding of late medieval society.
The book is published online as Open Access but can also be ordered in print at a discounted price (€24.90, regular price €32) until January 31, 2026, from the SKS webshop. Enter the code BIRGITTA26 in the order form.
The book will also be translated into Swedish and published by the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland in 2027.