Association of Finnish Culture and Identity

Association of Finnish Culture and Identity
Formation 12 May 1906 (1906-05-12)
Headquarters Helsinki, Finland
Chairman
 Sampo Terho
Website suomalaisuudenliitto.fi

The Association of Finnish Culture and Identity (Finnish: Suomalaisuuden Liitto) was established 100 years after Johan Vilhelm Snellman's birth.[1] Johannes Linnankoski was the first chairman. The Association was founded for preserving Finnish culture and language. Its founding members represented different parties. Due to its activities many Finns changed their family name from the Swedish surname to a Finnish one. Also before 1906 this had happened among those persons, who wanted to show their support for the national idea of making Finland independent.

In the 1930s Suomalaisuuden Liitto took part in the language strifes in the University of Helsinki. The future President of Finland Urho Kekkonen became a member of Suomalaisuuden Liitto in 1926. Another President, Risto Ryti, joined the very same year. The language question became the dominant issue for the second time in 1988 when Suomalaisuuden Liitto adopted a new programme. In June 2001, chairman Pentti Huttunen wrote an article in the magazine Suomen Mieli, that giving family names by the Swedish authorities before 20th century was unjust and "the free Finn does not accept unjust actions, he acts like Lalli and kills his oppressor" ("Vapaa suomalainen ei alisty vääryyksiin; hän tekee niin kuin Lalli eli surmaa sortajansa"). Because of the article an MP, Christina Gestrin as well as four other MPs in the parliamentary group of the Swedish People's Party made a written parliamentary question to the Minister of Justice asking, in what sense the minister considers, that the article did not mean, incitement to ethnic group (i.e. Swedish-speakers in Finland) according to the criminal codex of Finland, 11th chapter, 8 paragraph. Also the Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen commented the matter encouraging Suomalaisuuden Liitto to check its policies. The next year the state subsidies for consultation on the use of the flag of Finland for Suomalaisuuden Liitto were abolished as they did not serve in Swedish language, instead directing the inquiries to the Ministry of the Interior.

Current board

Jussi Niinistö, Matti Ahdeoja, Antti Huhtala, Kalevi Hiltunen, Teemu Lahtinen, Aki Härkönen, Jarmo Mero, Hannu Lakee

Chairmen

The founder of the Association of Finnish Culture and Identity, writer Johannes Linnankoski.
Chairmen
Johannes Linnankoski 1906
Kaarle Krohn 1907
J. J. Mikkola 1907–1909
Väinö Voionmaa 1915–1916
A. A. Koskenjaakko 1917–1918
Väinö Salminen 1919
Rafael Engelberg 1920–1924
J. R. Koskimies 1925–1926
Yrjö Ruutu 1928
Elpiö Kaila 1929
Urho Kekkonen 1930–1932
Veikko Heiskanen 1933–1947
Niilo Kallio 1948–1954
Veikko Heiskanen 1955–1956
Erkki Salonen 1957–1968
Kauko Sipponen 1968–1970
Kari Tarasti 1970–1974
Jouko Hulkko 1974–1978
Veikko Löyttyniemi 1978–1986
Martti Häikiö 1986–1988
Erkki Pihkala 1988–1996
Seppo Heikinheimo 1996–1997
Pentti Huttunen 1998–2003
Heikki Tala 2003–2009
Sampo Terho 2009–

References

  1. ↑ Facta (encyclopedia)

See also

External links

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