Reino Ala-Kulju (25 April 1898 – 5 August 1983) was a Finnish

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

clergyman, secondary school teacher and politician, born in

Kuortane Kuortane is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the South Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The neighboring municipalities of Kuortane are ...

. He was a member of the

Parliament of Finland The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral and Parliamentary sovereignty, supreme legislature of Finland, founded on 9 May 1906. In accordance with the Constitution of Finland, sovereignty belongs to the people, and that ...

, representing the

Patriotic People's Movement Patriotic People's Movement (, IKL, ) was a Finnish nationalist and anti-communist political party. IKL was the successor of the previously banned Lapua Movement. It existed from 1932 to 1944 and had an ideology similar to its predecessor, exce ...

(IKL) from 1933 to 1939 and the

National Coalition Party The National Coalition Party (NCP; , Kok; , Saml) is a liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative List of political parties in Finland, political party in Finland. It is the current governing political party of Finland. Founded in 1918, the ...

from 1952 to 1954 and from 1959 to 1966. Eveliina Ala-Kulju was his mother.

Civil war

Ala-Kulju participated in the disarmament of the

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

carried out by the Lapua Protectorate in January 1918. He participated in the

Finnish Civil War The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between Whites (Finland), White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) during the country's transition fr ...

in the ranks of the

Whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...

and was involved in the battles of Vilppula,

Ruovesi Ruovesi is a municipality in the Pirkanmaa region of Finland. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Neighbouring municipalities are Juupajoki, Mänttä-Vilppula, Orivesi, ...

Länkipohja Länkipohja () is a locality in Jämsä, Finland, located by the lake Längelmävesi. It was the administrative center of the municipality of Längelmäki, which was divided between Jämsä and Orivesi in 2007. History The village of Länkipohja ...

and Orivesi. Ala-Kulju served as a group leader in the capture of Tampere, Lahti, Kouvola and Vyborg. He was wounded on March 18, 1918 in Oripohja. Ala-Kulju participated in the

Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence, also known as the War of Freedom in Estonia, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Soviet Russian westward offensive of 1918–1919 and the ...

in 1919. He served as the head of Kuortanee's conservatorship and was also a member of the Independence Club Junkkarie 1917–1918. In his later years, Ala-Kulju participated in the activities of the Invalids of the War of Independence. Ala-Kulju participated in the work of the Protectorate as an education officer and a priest.

Education and career

Ala-Kulju’s academic journey commenced with his graduation from

Lapua Lapua (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Finland, town and municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland's South Ostrobothnia regions of Finland, region. It is located next to the Lapua River. The town has a population of () and cov ...

in 1918, a year marked by his enrollment at the

University of Helsinki The University of Helsinki (, ; UH) is a public university in Helsinki, Finland. The university was founded in Turku in 1640 as the Royal Academy of Åbo under the Swedish Empire, and moved to Helsinki in 1828 under the sponsorship of Alexander ...

. His scholarly pursuits culminated in a series of commendable achievements: an honorary degree in Theology (1925), a Bachelor of Philosophy (1931), and a Master’s degree (1932). His ordination as a priest coincided with his master’s graduation. During his tenure at the university, Ala-Kulju was actively involved in student governance, serving on the student union’s board from 1925 to 1926. He also contributed to the Academic Karelian Society, ascending to the role of vice-president in 1926. Ala-Kulju’s professional career began at Kristiina’s Finnish middle school in 1924. His educational path led him to Seinäjoki joint school in 1927, where he imparted knowledge in religion and philosophy. He advanced to become a senior lecturer at

Seinäjoki Seinäjoki (; "Wall River"; , formerly ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of South Ostrobothnia. Seinäjoki is located in the western interior of the country and along the Seinäjoki (river), River Seinäjoki. The population of Sein ...

co-ed high school (1930–1944), later assuming the positions of vice-principal (1930–1952) and principal (1952–1963) at the girls’ high school until his retirement. In addition to his educational roles, Ala-Kulju was ordained again in 1929 and served with distinction as a military chaplain during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. His service extended through 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 during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...

, where he held the position of enlightenment officer for the tribal warrior brigade and fulfilled pastoral duties in Eastern Karelia.

Political Career

Ala-Kulju’s political career was marked by three terms as a Member of Parliament. From 1933 to 1939, he represented the IKL, also serving as its general secretary from 1932 to 1936. He returned to parliament with the coalition from 1952 to 1954 and again from 1959 to 1966. Additionally, he was an elector in the presidential elections of 1950, 1956, and 1962. In 1964, he participated in a parliamentary inquiry initiated by Margit Borg-Sundman regarding Hannu Salama’s controversial novel “Midsummer Dances.” Ala-Kulju was a staunch advocate for educational reform, promoting specialization and the matriculation examination. He championed the integration of lyceums and underscored the significance of uninterrupted academic progression. He stood against the imposition of uniforms on schoolchildren and the influence of political youth organizations. From 1964 to 1967, Ala-Kulju held a position on the supervisory board of

Yleisradio Yleisradio Oy (; ), abbreviated as Yle () (formerly styled in all uppercase until 2012), translated into English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, founded in 1926. It is a joint-stock comp ...

, contributing to the oversight of Finland’s national public broadcasting company.

Hobbies and Cultural Engagement

Recognizing the cultural significance of radio, Ala-Kulju immersed himself in the medium. He led the program council of Seinäjoki regional radio from 1950 to 1956, and later held positions on the program council of Yleisradio from 1961 to 1962 and its supervisory board from 1963 to 1967. Ala-Kulju dedicated his efforts to nurturing domestic work and cultural activities. His contributions were acknowledged when he was named honorary chairman of the home region associations of Seinäjoki and Kuortane. His influence permeated through his involvement with the South Ostrobothnia museum association, Kotiseutliitto, Talonpoikaissäätiö, and the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s South Ostrobothnia fund. Ala-Kulju also explored

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

, further connecting with the region’s heritage.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ala-Kulju, Reino 1898 births 1983 deaths People from Kuortane People from Vaasa Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) 20th-century Finnish Lutheran clergy Patriotic People's Movement (Finland) politicians National Coalition Party politicians Members of the Parliament of Finland (1933–1936) Members of the Parliament of Finland (1936–1939) Members of the Parliament of Finland (1951–1954) Members of the Parliament of Finland (1958–1962) Members of the Parliament of Finland (1962–1966) Finnish military personnel of World War II University of Helsinki alumni