 | This articledoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved. Find sources: "Alfred Kordelin" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Alfred Kordelin (6 November 1868,Rauma – 7 November 1917,Mommila,Hausjärvi) was aFinnishindustrialist,businessman, entrepreneur, and a major philanthropist. Kordelin was one of the richest Finnish entrepreneurs of his time.
Kordelin had little formal education. He was the son of a poor seaman from Rauma. Kordelin invested wisely in the fields of weaving, shipbuilding and metalworking, becoming one of Finland's richest men.Risto Ryti, who later becamePresident of Finland, was Alfred Kordelin's legal advisor and close friend. Kordelin owned theMommila andJokioinen manor houses and asteammill inReposaari. He invested a large amount of money in different companies. He built a summerhouse inNaantali, calledKultaranta. Kultaranta is currently owned by theGovernment of Finland, and used as the President's summer residence. Kordelin himself spent only one summer at Kultaranta. On 7 November 1917, Kordelin was kidnapped by a group ofRed Guards and was murdered by a Russian sailor in the so-called Mommila skirmish that followed.
Kordelin never married and was childless. Upon his death he bequeathed all his property to a Finnish cultural foundation in his will. With this money theAlfred Kordelin Foundation was later founded. The foundation gives out several million euros annually in grants and awards to promote literature, science, art, and public education in Finland.
He was buried in Rauma on a chapel which was drawn by Finnish architectLars Sonck.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
  | This Finnish biographical article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
