Juho Rikard Merinen (20 October 1873 – 20 April 1918) was a Finnish trade unionist, politician and member of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. A member of the Social Democratic Party, he represented Turku Province North between May 1907 and July 1908.[1] He was executed by the White Guard during the Finnish Civil War.

Jussi Merinen
Member of the Parliament of Finland
In office
22 May 1907 – 31 July 1908
ConstituencyTurku Province North
Personal details
Born
Juho Rikard Mustelin

(1873-10-20)20 October 1873
Tyrvää, Russian Empire
Died20 April 1918(1918-04-20) (aged 44)
Tyrvää, Finland
Political partySocial Democratic Party of Finland
OccupationCarpenter

Early life

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Merinen was born on 20[a] October 1873 in Tyrvää.[1][3] He was educated at folk school and Satakunta Agricultural Society's sculpture school.[1][4] He worked as a carpenter and a farmhand in Tyrvää.[1][5]

Trade unionism, politics and death

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The Stormi Workers' Association (Stormin työväenyhdistystä) was founded in May 1906.[6] Merinen, together with his brother August Merinen and Kalle Tyrvää from Laukula, were the key figures behind the association and Jussi was its first chairman.[6] Merinen was a speaker at the first general crofters meeting (Ensimmäinen yleinen torpparikokous) organised by the Social Democratic Party in 1906.[1][5] He was elected to the Parliament of Finland at the 1907 parliamentary election.[7][8] He also contested the 1908, 1913 and 1917 parliamentary elections.[9][10][11]

Following the outbreak of the Finnish Civil War, the local branch of the social democrats took over the function of the local municipal council.[6] None of the members of the Stormi Workers' Association met with the local Red delegation nor were they appointed to the institutions set up by delegation.[6] Stormi Workers' Association members weren't Red Guard officers either.[6] Later, the Red Guards established a regional council in Stormi, primarily for civil administration purposes, which included members of the Stormi Workers' Association.[6]

After their victory in the Battle of Karkku in April 1918, most of the leaders of the Stormi Workers' Association were killed by the White Guard.[6] Merinen was executed by the White Guard on 20 April 1918 in Tyrvää.[1][3] He was buried at Tyrvää Church.[12] In September 2018 a new monument to 527 Reds killed in the civil war, including Merinen, was inaugurated at Tyrvää Church.[13][14]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Other sources give Merinen's date of birth as 29 October 1873.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Kansanedustajat: Jussi Merinen" (in Finnish). Helsinki, Finland: Parliament of Finland. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Juho (Jussi) Merinen (e. Mustelin) (29.10.1873 - 20.04.1918), SDP:n kansanedustaja 22.05.1907 - 31.07.1908, palstatilallinen". Finna. National Library of Finland. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Person: Merinen, Juho Rikard". War Victims of Finland 1914–1922. Helsinki, Finland: National Archives of Finland. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Satakunnan Maanviljelysseuran veistokoulu". Satakunta (in Finnish). No. 113. Pori, Finland. 6 October 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 23 July 2023 – via National Library of Finland.
  5. ^ a b Punaset 1: Sosialidemokratisten edustajien kuvat ja elämäkerrat 1907-1909 (in Finnish). Helsinki, Finland: Työväen Kirjapaino. 1909. p. 44. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2023 – via Helsinki University Library.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Tyrvään Sosialidemokraatit 100 vuotta". Alueviesti (in Finnish). No. 49. Sastamala, Finland. 7 December 2006. p. 19. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  7. ^ Toiset Valtiopäivät v. 1907: Pöytäkirjat I - Valtiopäivien alusta kesäkuun 8 päivään (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki, Finland: Parliament of Finland. 1907. p. 2. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Suomen Sosialidemokratisen puolueen kansanedustajat vuosina 1907–1909". Punanen Viesti (in Finnish). No. XV. Turku, Finland. Spring 1922. p. 11. Retrieved 23 July 2023 – via National Library of Finland.
  9. ^ "Kuulutus". Satakunta (in Finnish). No. 80. Pori, Finland. 23 July 1908. p. 1. Retrieved 23 July 2023 – via National Library of Finland.
  10. ^ "Kuulutus". Kansan Lehti (in Finnish). No. 191. Tampere, Finland. 22 August 1913. p. 1. Retrieved 23 July 2023 – via National Library of Finland.
  11. ^ "Kuulutus". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish). No. 3900. Turku, Finland. 18 October 1917. p. 1. Retrieved 23 July 2023 – via National Library of Finland.
  12. ^ "Tyrwään Kirkollisia ilmoituksia". Tyrvään Sanomat (in Finnish). No. 8. Sastamala, Finland. 30 May 1918. p. 1. Retrieved 23 July 2023 – via National Library of Finland.
  13. ^ Starkman, Virpi (26 January 2018). "Vuoden 1918 sodassa kuolleiden punaisten nimet kaiverretaan muistomerkkeihin – Työryhmä pyytää yleisön apua – Katso nimilistat tästä". Tyrvään Sanomat (in Finnish). Sastamala, Finland. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  14. ^ Starkman, Virpi (10 August 2018). "Yli 500 nimeä punaisten muistomerkkeihin – "Rikas ja raskas vuosi"". Tyrvään Sanomat (in Finnish). Sastamala, Finland. Retrieved 23 July 2023.