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    Order of the Lion of Finland

    From Wikipedia - Reading time: 9 min
    This article is about the Order of the Lion of Finland. For other uses, see Order of the Lion (disambiguation).

    Order of the Lion of Finland
    • Suomen Leijonan ritarikunta
    • Finlands Lejons orden
    The sash and the breast star of the order
    Awarded by Finland
    TypeState order
    EstablishedSeptember 11, 1942; 82 years ago (1942-09-11)
    CountryFinland
    SeatHouse of the Estates[1]
    RibbonRed
    EligibilityFinnish nationals and foreigners[2]
    CriteriaFor significant civilian or military merits[2]
    StatusCurrently constituted
    FounderRisto Ryti[3]
    Grand MasterAlexander Stubb[1]
    ChancellorTimo Laitinen [fi][1]
    Vice-ChancellorAnita Lehikoinen [fi][1]
    Classes
    • Grand Cross
    • First Class Commander
    • Commander
    • First Class Knight
    • Knight
    Websiteritarikunnat.fi/language/en
    Statistics
    First inductionSeptember 28, 1942[4]
    Precedence
    Next (higher)Order of the Cross of Liberty
    Next (lower)Cross of Merit for Finnish Physical Education and Sports

    Ribbon of the Order of the Lion of Finland

    The Order of the Lion of Finland (Finnish: Suomen Leijonan ritarikunta; Swedish: Finlands Lejons orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor, a vice-chancellor and at least four members. The orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland have a joint board. The President of Finland wears the Star of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

    History

    [edit]

    The Order of the Lion of Finland was established on September 11, 1942.[3] At that time, Finland was waging the Continuation War. Wartime diplomacy included a heightened need to decorate, particularly foreigners from aligned countries, chiefly Germany. The existing Finnish orders, the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland, could not keep up with the decorations and their highest grades were in danger to become inflated due to too many holders. The Order of the Lion of Finland was thus established to allow the continuation of decorating foreigners with high ranks in Finnish orders,[5] although the Order of the Lion of Finland can also be awarded to Finnish nationals.[6] The new order also allowed for more flexible decorations, taking in account the rank and achievements of the recipients.[7]

    In January 1998 President Martti Ahtisaari was criticized by some NGOs, politicians and notable cultural figures because he awarded Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland to Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo, the Forest Minister of Indonesia, and to Sukanto Tanoto, the main owner of the Indonesian RGM Company, a parent company of the April Company. The April Company was criticized by non-governmental organisations for destroying rainforests, and Indonesia itself was criticized heavily for human right violations, especially in East Timor. Ahtisaari's party chairman Erkki Tuomioja said that giving the medals was questionable, since he feared the act may tarnish the public image of Finnish human rights policy. Students of the arts had demonstrations in Helsinki against the decision to give medals.[8][9] Artist Marjatta Hanhijoki [fi] and author Leena Krohn returned their Pro Finlandia medals to protest the Indonesian decorations.[10]

    Finnish Olympic and Paralympic medalists are awarded Knight or Knight, First Class, with clasps.[11]

    Ambassadors accredited to Helsinki leaving their post are given the Grand Cross provided that their country also awards medals reciprocally.[12]

    Classes

    [edit]

    The classes of the Order of the Lion of Finland are:

    • Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland
    • Commander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland
    • Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland
    • Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland (awarded to artists and writers)
    • Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland
    • Knight of the Order of the Lion of Finland
    • Cross of Merit of the Order of the Lion of Finland

    Recipients

    [edit]

    Grand Cross

    [edit]
    • Finland Risto Ryti (1942)[13]
    • Finland Aimo Cajander (1942)[13]
    • Finland Harri Holma (1942)[13]
    • Finland Gustaf Ignatius [fi] (1942)[13]
    • Finland Lauri Malmberg (1942)[13]
    • Finland Oskari Mantere (1942)[13]
    • Sweden Karl Ivan Westman (1942)[14]
    • Hungary Alajos Béldy [hu], with swords (1942)[14]
    • Germany Herbert Backe (1942)[14]
    • Germany Georg Ahrens [de] (1942)[14]
    • Romania Noti Constantinide (1942)[15]
    • Italy Vincenzo Cicconardi (1942)[15]
    • Finland Heikki Renvall (1942)[13]
    • Finland Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen (1942)[13]
    • Bulgaria Nicolas Petzeff (1943)[15]
    • Hungary Alfréd Nickl (1943)[15]
    • Finland Antti Tulenheimo (1943)[13]
    • Romania Constantin Pantazi, with swords (1943)[14]
    • Romania Gheorghe Dobre [ro], with swords (1943)[14]
    • Romania Ilie Șteflea, with swords (1943)[14]
    • France Hubert Guerin (1943)[15]
    • Romania Gheorghe Davidescu (1943)[15]
    • Romania Alexandru Marcu [ro] (1943)[15]
    • Germany Karl Fiehler (1943)[15]
    • Germany Hartmann Lauterbacher (1943)[15]
    • Germany Artur Axmann (1943)[15]
    • Germany Alexander von Dörnberg (1943)[15]
    • Romania Octav Ullea (1943)[15]
    • Sweden Gösta Bagge (1943)[15]
    • Germany Emil Wiehl (1943)[15]
    • Turkey Agâh Aksel (1943)[15]
    • Germany Werner Lorenz (1943)[15]
    • Hungary Antal Ullein-Reviczky [hu] (1943)[15]
    • Finland G. A. Gripenberg (1943)[13]
    • Finland Onni Talas (1943)[13]
    • Hungary Jenő Szinyei Merse (1944)[15]
    • Hungary Ferenc Szombathelyi, with swords (1944)[14]
    • Hungary Lajos Csatay, with swords (1944)[14]
    • Sweden Gustaf Lindström [sv] (1944)[15]
    • Sweden Axel Rappe (1944)[15]
    • Germany Karl Weisenberger, with swords (1944)[14]
    • Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, with swords (1944)[13]
    • Finland Leo Ehrnrooth (1944)[13]
    • Finland Ernst von Born (1944)[13]
    • Finland Paavo Hynninen (1944)[13]
    • Finland Gustaf Idman (1944)[13]
    • Finland Leonard Grandell [fi], with swords (1945)[13]
    • Finland Woldemar Hägglund, with swords (1945)[13]
    • Finland Eino Suolahti [fi], with swords (1945)[13]
    • Finland Hugo Österman, with swords (1945)[13]
    • Sweden Vilhelm Assarsson (1945)[16]
    • Spain José de Palafox, 3rd Duke of Zaragoza (1945)[17]
    • Sweden Helge Söderbom (1946)[18]
    • Finland Ilmari Bonsdorff [fi] (1946)[13]
    • Finland Max von Bonsdorff (1946)[19]
    • Finland Walter Gräsbeck [fi] (1946)[19]
    • Finland Berndt Grönblom (1946)[19]
    • Finland Wilho Kyttä [fi] (1946)[19]
    • Finland Juho Kusti Paasikivi (1946)[19]
    • Finland Eero Mäkinen [fi] (1946)[19]
    • Finland Eliel Saarinen (1946)[19]
    • Finland Eero Rydman (1946)[19]
    • Finland Ernst Fabian Wrede [fi] (1946)[19]
    • Finland Matti Aura [fi] (1946)[19]
    • Finland Albert von Hellens (1946)[19]
    • Finland Wäinö Robert Kannel [fi] (1946)[19]
    • Finland John Grundström [fi] (1947)[19]
    • Finland Sigurd Mattsson [fi] (1947)[19]
    • Finland K. A. Paloheimo [fi] (1947)[19]
    • Finland Axel Gylling [fi] (1947)[19]
    • Poland Zygmunt Modzelewski (1948)[20]
    • Poland Hilary Minc (1948)[21]
    • Finland Aleksis Ekholm [fi] (1948)[19]
    • Finland Otto Laurila [fi] (1948)[19]
    • Finland Iivari Toivanen (1948)[19]
    • Czechoslovakia Josef Pavlovský (1949)[22]
    • France Alfred Jules-Julien [fr] (1949)[23]
    • Poland Jan Wasilewski (1949)[24]
    • Finland Rainer von Fieandt (1949)[19]
    • Denmark Hans Fuglsang-Damgaard (1949)[25]
    • Sweden Armas Järnefelt (1949)[26]
    • Sweden Gustaf Nobel (1949)[27]
    • Finland Emil Aaltonen (1949)[19]
    • Finland E. J. Ahla [fi] (1949)[19]
    • Finland Hjalmar Granfelt (1949)[19]
    • Finland Oskari Wilho Louhivuori (1949)[19]
    • Argentina Hipólito Jesús Paz [es] (1949)[20]
    • France François Coulet (1950)[28]
    • Finland Archbishop Herman (1950)[19]
    • Finland Arvo Manner [fi] (1950)[19]
    • Finland Aarne Saarialho [fi] (1950)[19]
    • Soviet Union Grigori Savonenkov [ru] (1951)[29]
    • Finland Wilhelm Wahlforss (1951)[19]
    • Finland Matti Piipponen [fi] (1951)[19]
    • Finland Oskari Adolf Autio [fi] (1952)[19]
    • Finland Bror Gräsbeck [fi] (1952)[19]
    • Finland Erik von Frenckell (1952)[19]
    • Finland Vilho Ebeling (1952)[19]
    • Finland Artturi Ikkala [fi] (1952)[19]
    • Finland Carl Gustaf Möller [fi] (1952)[19]
    • Finland Kyösti Haataja (1953)[19]
    • Norway Torbjörn Seippel (1953)[19][30]
    • Finland Lauri Helenius [fi] (1953)[19]
    • Finland Mikko Louhivaara (1953)[19]
    • Finland Pekka Myrberg (1953)[19]
    • Finland Juho Niukkanen (1953)[19]
    • Finland Artturi Ilmari Virtanen (1953)[19]
    • Finland Aarne Wuorimaa (1953)[19]
    • Finland Bruno Kivikoski (1954)[19]
    • Sweden Marcus Wallenberg Jr. (1954)[31]
    • Finland Yrjö Hakulinen [fi] (1954)[19]
    • Finland Kaarlo Heiskanen (1954)[19]
    • Finland Olavi Honka [fi] (1954)[19]
    • Finland Paavo Kekomäki [fi] (1954)[19]
    • Finland Arno Solin [fi] (1954)[19]
    • Finland Alonzo Sundmann [fi] (1954)[32]
    • Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slavko Zore [sl] (1955)[33]
    • France Jacques Lecompte-Boinet [fr] (1955)[34]
    • Sweden Svante Påhlson [sv] (1955)[35]
    • Italy Arturo Toscanini (1955)[26]
    • Finland Rudolf Beckman [fi] (1955)[32]
    • Finland Martti Jaakkola [fi] (1955)[32]
    • Finland Urho Kekkonen (1956)[32]
    • Sweden Leif Belfrage [sv] (1956)[36]
    • Sweden Torsten Friis (1956)[36]
    • Sweden Carl Beck-Friis [sv] (1956)[36]
    • Sweden Hugo Cederschiöld (1956)[36]
    • Sweden Georg Andrén [sv] (1956)[36]
    • Sweden Gustaf Dyrssen (1956)[36]
    • Finland Onni Okkonen (1956)[32]
    • Finland Veikko Antero Koskenniemi (1956)[32]
    • Czechoslovakia Gerard Langer [cs] (1957)[37]
    • Finland Karl-Erik Ekholm [fi] (1957)[32]
    • Finland Eduard Palin (1957)[32]
    • United States Christopher G. Cavoli (2025)

    See also

    [edit]
    • Orders, decorations, and medals of Finland

    References

    [edit]
    1. ^ a b c d "Ritarikuntien organisaatio". Ritarikunnat - Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ja Suomen Leijonan ritarikunnat (in Finnish). Retrieved March 20, 2025.
    2. ^ a b "Asetus Suomen Leijonan ritarikunnan perustamisesta" (PDF). Ritarikunnat - Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ja Suomen Leijonan ritarikunnat (in Finnish). Retrieved September 22, 2022.
    3. ^ a b Matikkala 2017a, p. 166.
    4. ^ Matikkala 2017a, p. 169.
    5. ^ Matikkala 2017b, pp. 229–230.
    6. ^ Verkkola, Tuija (December 6, 2003). "Kolmen ritarikunnan vuoropuhelu". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved August 26, 2021.
    7. ^ Matikkala, Antti (2018). "Ritarikunnat isänmaan palveluksessa". Kylkirauta (in Finnish). Retrieved August 31, 2021.
    8. ^ Kjellberg, Helena (January 15, 1998). "Mielenosoitus: Kunniamerkit takaisin Indonesiasta". Kotimaa. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). p. 1. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
    9. ^ Iivonen, Jyrki (March 21, 2000). "Ahtisaari saanee vastaehdokkaan UPM:n hallitus- vaaliin". Talous. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). p. 3. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
    10. ^ Kjellberg, Helena (January 16, 1998). "Ahtisaari: Kunniamerkkien myöntäminen Indonesiaan perusteltua". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved August 26, 2021.
    11. ^ Mattila, Pasi (December 6, 2018). "Melkein 4 000 suomalaista saa itsenäisyyspäivänä kunniamerkin – keräsimme kuvakatalogin merkeistä, joita voi nähdä linnan juhlien vieraiden rintapielissä". Aamulehti (in Finnish). Retrieved August 31, 2021.
    12. ^ Matikkala 2017a, p. 175.
    13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Matikkala 2017a, p. 491.
    14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Matikkala 2017b, p. 517.
    15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Matikkala 2017b, p. 518.
    16. ^ Matikkala 2017a, p. 245.
    17. ^ Matikkala 2017a, p. 204.
    18. ^ Matikkala 2017a, p. 215.
    19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw Matikkala 2017a, p. 492.
    20. ^ a b Matikkala 2017a, p. 247.
    21. ^ "Messuvaltuuskunta Poznanista palannut" (in Finnish). April 30, 1948. p. 12.
    22. ^ "Tshekkoslovakian lähettiläs Suomessa vaihtuu". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). January 10, 1949. p. 1.
    23. ^ "Aikakauslehdentoimittajat ministeri Helon kutsuilla". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). April 30, 1949. p. 4.
    24. ^ "Puolan lähettilään jäähyväiset". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). May 14, 1949. p. 6.
    25. ^ Matikkala 2017b, p. 483.
    26. ^ a b Matikkala 2017a, p. 253.
    27. ^ Matikkala 2017a, p. 246.
    28. ^ "Ministeri Coulet'n jäähyväisaudienssi". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). April 6, 1950. p. 6.
    29. ^ Matikkala 2017a, p. 254.
    30. ^ "Suomen Leijonan suurristi ministeri Seippelille". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). July 2, 1953. p. 6.
    31. ^ Matikkala 2017a, p. 256.
    32. ^ a b c d e f g h Matikkala 2017a, p. 493.
    33. ^ "Ministeri Zore jäähyväisaudienssilla tasavallan presidentin luona". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). January 12, 1955. p. 7.
    34. ^ "Suomen Leijonan suurristi Ranskan lähettiläälle". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). July 17, 1955. p. 9.
    35. ^ Matikkala 2017a, p. 258.
    36. ^ a b c d e f "Kunniamerkkejä". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). October 4, 1956. pp. 19–20.
    37. ^ "Suomen Leijonan suurristi ministeri Langerille". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). February 23, 1957. p. 7.

    Works cited

    [edit]
    • Matikkala, Antti (2017a). Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ja Suomen Leijonan ritarikunnat (in Finnish). Helsinki: Edita. ISBN 978-951-37-7005-1.
    • Matikkala, Antti (2017b). Kunnian ruletti: Korkeimmat ulkomaalaisille 1941-1944 annetut suomalaiset kunniamerkit (in Finnish). Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. ISBN 978-952-222-847-5.

    Further reading

    [edit]
    [edit]
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