The Order of the Lion of Finland ( fi, Suomen Leijonan ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Lejons orden) is one of three official orders in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

, along with the

Order of the Cross of Liberty The Order of the Cross of Liberty ( fi, Vapaudenristin ritarikunta; sv, Frihetskorsets orden) is one of three official state orders in Finland, along with the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland. Organisation ...

and the

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( fi, Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Vita Ros’ orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion 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

The Order of the Lion of Finland was established on September 11, 1942. At that time, Finland was waging the

Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...

. Wartime diplomacy included a heightened need to decorate particularly foreigners from aligned countries, chiefly Germany. The existing Finnish orders – the

and the

– 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, although the Order of the Lion of Finland can also be awarded to Finnish nationals. The new order also allowed for more flexible decorations, taking in account the rank and achievements of the recipients. In January 1998 President

Martti Ahtisaari Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari (; born 23 June 1937) is a Finnish politician, the tenth president of Finland (1994–2000), a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and a United Nations diplomat and mediator noted for his international peace work. Ahtisa ...

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 Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, and to

Sukanto Tanoto Sukanto Tanoto (; b. 25 December 1949) is an Indonesian businessman primarily involved in the lumber industry. After starting as a supplier of equipment and materials for the state-owned oil firm Pertamina, Tanoto moved into the forest industry ...

, 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 East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-west ...

. 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. Artist and author

Leena Krohn Leena Krohn (born February 28, 1947 in Helsinki) is a Finnish author. Her large and varied body of work includes novels, short stories, children's books, and essays. In her books she deals with topics that include man's relationship with himself a ...

returned their Pro Finlandia medals to protest the Indonesian decorations. Finnish Olympic and

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

medalists are awarded Knight or Knight, First Class, with clasps. Ambassadors accredited to Helsinki leaving their post are given the Grand Cross provided that their country also awards medals reciprocally.

Classes

The classes of the Order of the Lion of Finland are: * FIN Order of the Lion of Finland 1Class BAR

Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland * FIN Order of the Lion of Finland 2Class BAR

Commander, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland * FIN Order of the Lion of Finland 3Class BAR

Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland * FIN Order of the Lion of Finland Pro-Finlandia BAR

Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland (awarded to artists and writers) * FIN Order of the Lion of Finland 4Class BAR

Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland * FIN Order of the Lion of Finland 5Class BAR

Knight of the Order of the Lion of Finland * FIN Order of the Lion of Finland 5Class BAR

Cross of Merit of the Order of the Lion of Finland

Recipients

Grand Cross

Risto Ryti Risto Heikki Ryti (; 3 February 1889 – 25 October 1956) served as the fifth president of Finland from 1940 to 1944. Ryti started his career as a politician in the field of economics and as a political background figure during the interwar perio ...

(1942) *

Aimo Cajander Aimo Kaarlo Cajander (4 April 1879 – 21 January 1943) was the Prime Minister of Finland up to the Winter War. Cajander was born in Uusikaupunki, and became a botanist, a professor of forestry 1911–34; director-general for Finland's F ...

(1942) *

Harri Holma Harri Gustaf Holma (last name until 1906 ''Hellman''; April 14, 1886 – April 14, 1954) was a Finnish diplomat and assyriologist. Holma was born in Hämeenlinna. His parents were colleague Anders Victor Hellman and Anna Ida Charlotta af Enehje ...

(1942) * (1942) * Lauri Malmberg (1942) * Oskari Mantere (1942) *

Karl Ivan Westman Karl Ivan Westman (August 5, 1889 – April 24, 1970) was a Swedish diplomat who served as Sweden's Ambassador to Switzerland in Bern between 1928 and 1938 and at the League of Nations, in connection with the Continuation War Sweden's ambassador ...

(1942) * , with swords (1942) *

Herbert Backe Herbert Friedrich Wilhelm Backe (1 May 1896 – 6 April 1947) was a German politician and SS Senior group leader (SS-''Obergruppenführer'') in Nazi Germany who served as State Secretary and Minister in the Reich Ministry of Food and Agricult ...

(1942) * (1942) *

Noti Constantinide Noti may refer to: * Noti, Oregon, a settlement in the US * Notia Nótia ( el, Νότια, formerly Νώτια; ruq, Nânti or ) is a village in the Exaplatanos municipal unit of the Pella regional unit, Central Macedonia, Greece. Lying at an al ...

(1942) * Vincenzo Cicconardi (1942) *

Heikki Renvall Henrik Gabriel "Heikki" Renvall (January 19, 1872 in Turku – June 1, 1955 in Helsinki) was a Finnish lawyer, journalist and the Head of the Editorial Board at the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry from 1917–1918. He married opera singer Ai ...

(1942) * Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen (1942) * Nicolas Petzeff (1943) * Alfréd Nickl (1943) * Antti Tulenheimo (1943) * , with swords (1943) * , with swords (1943) * Ilie Șteflea, with swords (1943) * Hubert Guerin (1943) * Gheorghe Davidescu (1943) * (1943) * Karl Fiehler (1943) * Hartmann Lauterbacher (1943) *

Artur Axmann Artur Axmann (18 February 1913 – 24 October 1996) was the German Nazi national leader (''Reichsjugendführer'') of the Hitler Youth (''Hitlerjugend'') from 1940 to 1945, when the war ended. He was the last living Nazi with a rank equivalent t ...

(1943) * Alexander von Dörnberg (1943) * Octav Ullea (1943) * Gösta Bagge (1943) * (1943) * Agâh Aksel (1943) *

Werner Lorenz Werner Lorenz (October 2, 1891 – March 13, 1974) was an SS functionary during the Nazi era. He was head of the ''Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle'' (VOMI) (Main Office for Ethnic Germans), an organization charged with resettling ethnic Germans in ...

(1943) * (1943) *

G. A. Gripenberg Georg Achates Gripenberg (18 May 1890 – 31 May 1975) was a Finnish diplomat. He served as an Envoy of Finland to London in 1933–1941 and in Stockholm from 1943 to 1956 and as Finland's first Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Na ...

(1943) * Onni Talas (1943) * Jenő Szinyei Merse (1944) * Ferenc Szombathelyi, with swords (1944) *

Lajos Csatay Vitéz Lajos Csatay de Csataj (born as ''Lajos Tutzentaller'' on 1 August 1886 – 16 October 1944) was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between June 1943 and October 1944. Life World War I and ...

, with swords (1944) * Gustaf Lindström (1944) *

Axel Rappe ''Friherre'' General Axel Emil Rappe (2October 1838 – 18December 1918) was a Swedish Army officer and Minister of War from 1892 and 1899. Early life Rappe was born on 2 October 1838 in Christinelund manor in Arby, Kalmar County, the ...

(1944) * Karl Weisenberger, with swords (1944) * Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, with swords (1944) *

Leo Ehrnrooth Leo Reinhold Ehrnrooth (10 March 1877 in Helsinki – 26 July 1951 in Sweden) was a Finnish politician from Swedish People's Party of Finland. He was a member of the Senate of Finland. He served as Minister of Trade and Industry in 1920, and ...

(1944) * Ernst von Born (1944) * Paavo Hynninen (1944) *

Gustaf Idman Karl Gustaf Idman (1 December 1885 in Tampere – 13 April 1961 in Helsinki) was a Finnish diplomat and a non-partisan Minister of Foreign Affairs in Antti Tulenheimo's cabinet in 1925. Idman completed a law doctorate in 1914 and worked in He ...

(1944) * , with swords (1945) *

Woldemar Hägglund Johan Woldemar Hägglund (August 10, 1893 – February 12, 1963) was a Finnish lieutenant general ( fi, kenraaliluutnantti, link=no) in the Finnish Army in the Second World War, and an early volunteer of the Jäger Movement. He participated in t ...

, with swords (1945) * , with swords (1945) *

Hugo Österman Hugo Viktor Österman (5 September 1892, Helsinki – 17 February 1975) was a Finnish lieutenant-general during World War II. He was commander of the Finnish Army The Finnish Army ( Finnish: ''Maavoimat'', Swedish: ''Armén'') is the land f ...

, with swords (1945) * (1945) * José de Palafox, 3rd Duke of Zaragoza (1945) *

Helge Söderbom Lieutenant General Johan ''Helge'' Fritiof Söderbom (21 May 1881 – 3 January 1975) was a senior Swedish Army officer. Söderbom served as head of the Quartermaster Staff from 1928 to 1935 and was Quartermaster-General and as commanding office ...

(1946) * (1946) * Max von Bonsdorff (1946) * (1946) *

Berndt Grönblom Berndt Gustaf Grönblom (20 December 1885 – 4 October 1970) was a Finnish industrialist and vuorineuvos.

(1946) * (1946) *

Juho Kusti Paasikivi Juho Kusti Paasikivi (; 27 November 1870 – 14 December 1956) was the seventh president of Finland (1946–1956). Representing the Finnish Party until its dissolution in 1918 and then the National Coalition Party, he also served as Prime Minister ...

(1946) * (1946) *

Eliel Saarinen Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1873 – July 1, 1950) was a Finnish-American architect known for his work with art nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century. He was also the father of famed architect Eero Saarinen. Lif ...

(1946) * (1946) * (1946) * (1946) * (1946) * (1946) * (1947) * (1947) * (1947) * (1947) * Zygmunt Modzelewski (1948) *

Hilary Minc Hilary Minc (24 August 1905, Kazimierz Dolny – 26 November 1974, Warsaw) was a Polish economist and communist politician prominent in Stalinist Poland. Minc was born into a middle class Jewish family; his parents were Oskar Minc and Stefa ...

(1948) * (1948) * (1948) * Iivari Toivanen (1948) * Josef Pavlovský (1949) * (1949) * Jan Wasilewski (1949) *

Rainer von Fieandt Berndt Rainer von Fieandt (26 December 1890 – 28 April 1972) was a Finnish banker and official without party affiliation. He was appointed as the Governor of the Bank of Finland in 1955 before being appointed by the President to form a cabinet ...

(1949) * Hans Fuglsang-Damgaard (1949) *

Armas Järnefelt Edvard Armas Järnefelt (14 August 1869 – 23 June 1958), was a Finnish conductor and composer, who achieved some minor success with his orchestral works ''Berceuse'' and ''Praeludium''. He spent much of his conducting career at the Royal Sw ...

(1949) * Gustaf Nobel (1949) *

Emil Aaltonen Emil Aaltonen ( Widell until 1890; b. 29 August 1869 — d. 16 December 1949) was a prominent Finnish industrialist and philanthropist, who went from humble beginnings to own and run the largest shoe manufacturing business of its time in the ...

(1949) * (1949) * Hjalmar Granfelt (1949) *

Oskari Wilho Louhivuori Oskari Wilho Louhivuori (18 September 1884 – 1 July 1953) was a Finnish politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, rejec ...

(1949) * (1949) * (1950) * Archbishop Herman (1950) * (1950) * (1950) * (1951) *

Wilhelm Wahlforss Emil Wilhelm Wahlforss (25 June 1891 – 20 June 1969) was a Finnish engineer, industrialist and vuorineuvos. Early life Wahlforss was born in Helsinki, the capital of Grand Duchy of Finland. His father Henrik Alfred Wahlforss was an apprecia ...

(1951) * (1951) * (1952) * (1952) *

Erik von Frenckell Erik von Frenckell (18 November 1887 – 13 September 1977) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish nobleman, member of the Parliament of Finland, member of the International Olympic Committee and a vice president of the International Football Associati ...

(1952) * Vilho Ebeling (1952) * (1952) * (1952) * Kyösti Haataja (1953) * Torbjörn Seippel (1953) * (1953) * Mikko Louhivaara (1953) * Pekka Myrberg (1953) * Juho Niukkanen (1953) *

Artturi Ilmari Virtanen Artturi Ilmari Virtanen (; 15 January 1895 – 11 November 1973) was a Finland, Finnish chemist and recipient of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his research and inventions in agricultural and nutrition chemistry, especially for his fodde ...

(1953) * Aarne Wuorimaa (1953) * Bruno Kivikoski (1954) * Marcus Wallenberg Jr. (1954) * (1954) * Kaarlo Heiskanen (1954) * (1954) * (1954) * (1954) * (1954) * (1955) * (1955) * (1955) * Arturo Toscanini (1955) * (1955) * (1955) *

Urho Kekkonen Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as prime minister ...

(1956) * (1956) *

Torsten Friis Lieutenant General Torsten Friis (1 August 1882 – 21 April 1967) was a Swedish Air Force officer. Friis was initially a fortification officer and was commanding officer of the Field Telegraph Corps from 1928 to 1932 and chief of the Military ...

(1956) * (1956) * Hugo Cederschiöld (1956) * (1956) *

Gustaf Dyrssen Lieutenant General Gustaf Peder Wilhelm Dyrssen (24 November 1891 – 13 May 1981) was a Swedish Army officer and Olympic modern pentathlete. Early life Dyrssen was born on 24 November 1891 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of admiral Wi ...

(1956) * Onni Okkonen (1956) *

Veikko Antero Koskenniemi Veikko Antero Koskenniemi (8 July 1885 – 4 August 1962) was a Finnish poet born in Oulu. From 1921 to 1948, Koskenniemi served as Professor of Literary History at the University of Turku. He was the university's rector from 1924 to 1932. ...

(1956) * (1957) * (1957) * Eduard Palin (1957)

References

Works cited

* *

External links

*{{Official website
11.9.1942/747 Decree. On the establishment of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Finlex.
ritarikunnat.fiThe Office of the President of the Republic of Finland (Decorations)
Lion of Finland, Order of Awards established in 1942 1942 establishments in Finland