Rolf Nevanlinna - The Nevanlinna Family

The Nevanlinna Family

The Neovius-Nevanlinna family boasts mathematicians in at least five generations. Rolf Nevanlinna's grandfather Edavard Engelbert Neovius (1823–88), a major general in the Czar's army, taught mathematics in the Hamina Cadet School, Nevanlinnas father Otto Neovius-Nevanlinna (1867–1927) was a prominent mathematics teacher while one of his uncles was a mathematics professor and another a mathematics teacher. Rolf Nevanlinna's brother Frithiof Nevanlinna (1894–1977) was a mathematics professor, whose son and grandson are mathematics professors. A part of the family changed their name from Neovius to Nevanlinna in 1906, participating in the patriotic campaign to change Swedish and foreign surnames into Finnish ones. Rolf Nevanlinna's mother Margareta Romberg was German; she was the daughter of the German astronomer Herman Romberg. Margareta Romberg and Otto Neovius met at the Pulkovo observatory in St. Petersburg, where Otto made observations for his thesis on the spectral lines of nitrogen and oxygen.

Rolf Nevanlinna was married twice. He had four children, Kai, Harri, Arne and Sylvi with his first wife Mary Selin, and one, Kristiina, with his second wife Sinikka Kallio. Harri Nevanlinna (1922 – 94) was a prominent hematologist and director of The Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Arne Nevanlinna (born 1925) is an architect with a second career as a novelist. His first book was Isän maa (Father's Land), which gives a rather unflattering portrayal of his father.