Väinö Voionmaa

Born in Jyväskylä in 1869, Väinö Voionmaa was a Finnish historian, professor, diplomat, and politician. He taught Nordic history, wrote on Finnish history and society, and was known as a strong advocate of public education and the temperance movement.

After the Finnish Civil War, he became active in the Social Democratic Party and rose to an important place in national politics. He served as a member of parliament and held ministerial posts including Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Trade and Industry.

Voionmaa is remembered as one of the influential political figures of early independent Finland, especially in questions of foreign policy. He died in Helsinki in 1947.