Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg

Carl Johan Ståhlberg (Known as "K.J. Ståhlberg")

First President of the Republic of Finland (1919–1925), Jurist, Father of the Constitution

Born Jan 28, 1865

Suomussalmi, Finland

Passed Away Sep 22, 1952 Helsinki, Finland

Lifespan 87 years old

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"The law must stand supreme and equal above all passions, parties, and power."

Archival Overview

Foundational jurist and statesman who drafted the 1919 Constitution of Finland, served as the inaugural President of the Republic (1919–1925), and healed civil war divisions through strict constitutional democracy and pardons.

Biographical Record

Carl Johan Ståhlberg was born in Suomussalmi on January 28, 1865. Earning his doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of Helsinki, Ståhlberg was an incorruptible legal scholar who led passive resistance against tsarist Russification policies.

Following the bitter Finnish Civil War of 1918, Ståhlberg drafted the 1919 Form of Government Act that established Finland as a democratic republic, defeating monarchist plans. Elected the first President in July 1919, he issued pardons to thousands of Red prisoners, reconciled a fractured nation, and entrenched the rule of law. Kidnapped in 1930 by far-right Lapua extremists, his calm moral courage dismantled authoritarianism.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Hietaniemi Cemetery (Hietaniemen hautausmaa)
Helsinki, Finland

                         GPS: 60.1700, 24.9150                    

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