Maanhankintalaki ja ruotsinkielisten ja kaksikielisten kuntien asutustoiminnan linjat 1945–1946

Authors

• Riku Kauhanen Turun yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37449/ennenjanyt.102559

Keywords:

internally displaced persons, post-war period, Swedish-speaking Finns, Land Acquisition Act, resettlement

Abstract

Land Acquisition Act, which was enacted in 1945 to settle evacuees and other groups of people, included the a language paragraph which restricted the amount of Finnish speaking internally displaced persons, which could be settled into Swedish speaking and bilingual municipalities. Paragraph and its meaning were debated in 1945–1946, especially when prime minister Paasikivi struggled for the paragraph.

This article studies the discussion surrounding the paragraph, the Settlement Plans made according to the paragraph and other phases of the paragraph. Article is based on previously less studied archive material. In closer inspection many relevant participants turn out to be more multifaceted and they also were able to predict future problems more than is believed.

Language paragraph and settlement plans made according to it were ambiguous, which lead to long debates and prolonging of actual settlementing. This phase is less known by historians. Interpretation of paragraphs unclear meaning was pivotal, as well as the followed discussion if the Finnish speaking population could increase by 2 % or 4 %. Debate also considered if the smaller dwelling sites were included into the amounts.  Because stricter 2 % was verified, approximately over 10 000 Finnish speaking evacuees had to be settled elsewhere.