Arndt Pekurinen
Male, Deceased Person
1905 – 1941
Who was Arndt Pekurinen?
Arndt Juho Pekurinen was a Finnish pacifist and conscientious objector.
In 1926, Pekurinen repeatedly refused mandatory conscription, leading to his imprisonment between 1929 and 1931. He refused to either wear a uniform or take arms. While Pekurinen was deeply religious, his motives were not based on his faith. While his contemporaries suggested he was Communist, he was not interested in politics. Because of his pacifist conviction, in the atmosphere of the Militaristic thirties he was deemed as guilty of high treason, and the Lapua movement harassed him relentlessly. In 1930, an international petition on his behalf was sent to the Finnish defense minister Juho Niukkanen, which included the signatures of sixty British MPs and notables such as Albert Einstein, Henri Barbusse and H. G. Wells. On 14 April 1931, the Lex Pekurinen, Finland's first alternative to military service, was passed. However, its provisions extended only as far as peacetime.
When the Winter War broke out in 1939, therefore, Pekurinen once again found himself imprisoned.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- Aug 29, 1905
Juva - Died
- Nov 5, 1941
Kalevalsky District - Resting place
- Malmi Cemetery
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Arndt Pekurinen." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/arndt_pekurinen>.
Discuss this Arndt Pekurinen biography with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In