Kristian Jaak Peterson (1801–1822), whose original name was Christian Jacob, was a patriotic poet. He apparently never graduated from the university of Tartu, as he was considered too radical a representative of popular nationalism. It is said that by the age of 16 he already knew 16 different languages. At first he studied theology, but later it seems he changed fields after receiving a scholarship to study philology. Only a small part of his work has survived: a few dozen poems written in Estonian, a partial philosophical diary, and three poems in German. He left for Riga due to major disagreements caused by his radical thinking. There he lived in poverty, contracted tuberculosis, and died young.
(Book - not a direct quoting: Millenry tartu, The city of Youth and good ideas. Malle Salupere 2006, 2013)
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