Kalle Kasemaa

Kalle Kasemaa (born 30 December 1942) is an Estonian theologian, Lutheran pastor, and literary translator. He was a professor of Old Testament and Semitic studies at the University of Tartu and served as the first dean of the university’s re-opened Faculty of Theology after Estonia regained independence.

Kasemaa has been widely recognised for his translation work and cultural contributions, including Estonia’s state lifetime achievement award for culture (2017) and the University of Tartu’s national identity award (Rahvusmõtte award, 2018).

Early life and education Kasemaa was born in Pärnu on 30 December 1942. In a peer-reviewed overview of biblical scholarship in Estonia, he is identified as one of the essential figures of the late Soviet and post-independence period and is credited with key institutional work during the re-establishment of theology at Tartu.

Scholarly and cultural discussion of Kasemaa’s work includes overviews and interviews in Estonian cultural and church media, and his role in biblical studies has been discussed in international academic literature.

Honours and awards Order of the White Star, 3rd Class (2000). Honorary doctorate: University of Haifa (1996).

Selected translations (English titles where available) Nikos Kavvadias, Vahikord (The Watch) (Estonian translation; award recognised, 2006). Amos Oz, My Michael (Estonian translation). David Grossman, To the End of the Land (Estonian translation). Farid ud-Din Attar, The Conference of the Birds (Estonian translation).