Elli Stenberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elli Stenberg
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Stenberg (back row, centre) with other female SKDL MPs
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| Member of the Parliament of Finland | |
| In office 6 April 1945 – 4 April 1966 |
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| Constituency | Häme Province North |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ellen Aleksandra Stenberg
17 March 1903 Tampere, Russian Empire |
| Died | 6 July 1987 (aged 84) |
| Political party | Communist Party of Finland |
| Other political affiliations |
Finnish People's Democratic League |
| Alma mater | Communist University of the National Minorities of the West |
Elli Stenberg (born March 17, 1903, died July 6, 1987) was an important Finnish politician. She was a member of the Parliament of Finland, which is Finland's main law-making body. Elli was part of the Communist Party of Finland (SKP) and the Finnish People's Democratic League (SKDL). She represented the Häme Province North area from April 1945 to April 1966. Before becoming a politician, she was held in prison for twelve years because of her political beliefs.
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Early Life and Education
Elli Stenberg was born on March 17, 1903, in a city called Tampere. This city is in the southwest part of what was then the Grand Duchy of Finland. Her father, Frans Oskar Stenberg, was a coachman (someone who drives horse-drawn carriages). Her mother, Hilma Aleksandra Pataniitty, was a seamstress (someone who sews clothes).
Elli went to a folk school, which is a basic school for everyone. She also attended an evening vocational school from 1920 to 1922. Vocational schools teach skills for specific jobs. Later, from 1924 to 1928, she studied at the Communist University of the National Minorities of the West in Leningrad.
Elli started working when she was very young, in 1915. From 1917 to 1924, she worked in Tampere making hats (as a milliner) and working with furs. After her studies, she became a teacher in Gatchina, a city in the Soviet Union, from 1928 to 1929.
Political Journey and Challenges
As a child, Elli Stenberg joined a youth group called Ihanneliitto, which was linked to social democratic ideas. During the Finnish Civil War in 1918, she worked as a messenger for the group known as the Reds. In 1921, she joined the Communist Party of Finland (SKP). From 1929 to 1930, she helped organize women for the party in Helsinki.
In the 1930s, new laws were made against certain political groups in Finland. Because of these laws, Elli Stenberg and many other people with similar political views were held by the government. The Etsivä keskuspoliisi (EK), a government police group, was very strict.
On December 19, 1930, a court decided that Elli was preparing to act against the government. She was sentenced to six years in prison and lost her rights as a citizen for ten years. She was held in difficult conditions at Häme Castle with other women who were also held for political reasons. She was released early, under certain rules, on December 20, 1936.
After her release, Elli worked with furs in Helsinki from 1937 to 1939. However, on June 9, 1939, she was again found to be preparing to act against the government. She was sentenced to four more years in prison and lost her citizen rights for another ten years. She also got an extra six-month sentence for not following the rules of her earlier release.
In 1944, after a big war ended, the Communist Party of Finland became legal again. All political prisoners, including Elli, were released because of a peace agreement. Elli was set free in September 1944, and her rights as a citizen were given back to her.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
After her release, Elli Stenberg became an important member of the central committees for the Communist Party of Finland. She also led the Tampere branch of the party. She was a committee member of the Finnish Women's Democratic Union.
In 1945, Elli was elected to the Parliament of Finland. This was a big step in her political career. She was re-elected many times in later elections: in 1948, 1951, 1954, 1958, and 1962. This shows that people trusted her to represent them. She also took part in the presidential elections in 1950, 1956, and 1962, helping to choose the country's president.
Elli Stenberg passed away on July 6, 1987.
See also
- List of Finnish MPs imprisoned for political reasons
