Eino Into Parmanen

Born in Kristinestad on February 2, 1879, and later dying in Helsinki on July 16, 1943, he was a Finnish author who also worked as a district sheriff and as a department head in the Etsivä keskuspoliisi, Finland’s early security police. That mix of literary and public-service work gives his career an unusual shape.

He is especially remembered for the multi-volume Taistelujen kirja, published between 1936 and 1941, a large historical work describing resistance during Finland’s years of oppression under Russian rule. Library and catalog records also show a wider range to his writing, including fiction such as Merkillisiä tapahtumia, Haukkavuoren aarre, Kommunismin lumoissa, and the play Valoon, vapauteen!

His books suggest an author drawn to dramatic events, national struggle, and big political themes. For listeners interested in older Finnish literature with strong ties to history, his work offers a window into how the early twentieth century was remembered and retold in print.