Mathilda Wrede
Encyclopedia
Matilda Wrede is known in Finland
as "Friend of the prisoners". She was an evangelist
, a baroness
, but she is most known for being a precursor in the rehabilitation of prisoners. Her father, Carl Gustaf Fabian Wrede, was the provincial governor
of the Vasa
province
. It was during this time she first came in contact with inmates, that were sent to the governors house to make repairs.
At the age of 19 she experienced a religious revival and started to work for those less fortunate. She felt that the curing of inmates souls was her calling. She visited prisons, discussed religious issues, arranged occasions to hold speeches and discuss the bible, distributed religious literature and was in direct correspondence with many of the inmates. This exceeded many of the social rules that was thought to be appropriate for a young woman of her stature. Matilda Wrede worked alone and in a way that differed a lot from the charity work done by other women in a position like hers.
In 1886 she founded Toivola, a farm for unemployed, newly released prisoners to work at. Henrik Wrede, her brother had earlier spent three years in Siberia, evangelicing the local people and Finnish criminals deported there.
Because of her social position she managed to get support for her work among Europes nobility.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
as "Friend of the prisoners". She was an evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, a baroness
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
, but she is most known for being a precursor in the rehabilitation of prisoners. Her father, Carl Gustaf Fabian Wrede, was the provincial governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the Vasa
Vasa
Vasa may refer to:* House of Vasa, a medieval Swedish noble family, the royal house of Sweden 1523–1654 and of Poland 1587–1668** Vasa , a Swedish warship that sank in 1628, since restored...
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
. It was during this time she first came in contact with inmates, that were sent to the governors house to make repairs.
At the age of 19 she experienced a religious revival and started to work for those less fortunate. She felt that the curing of inmates souls was her calling. She visited prisons, discussed religious issues, arranged occasions to hold speeches and discuss the bible, distributed religious literature and was in direct correspondence with many of the inmates. This exceeded many of the social rules that was thought to be appropriate for a young woman of her stature. Matilda Wrede worked alone and in a way that differed a lot from the charity work done by other women in a position like hers.
In 1886 she founded Toivola, a farm for unemployed, newly released prisoners to work at. Henrik Wrede, her brother had earlier spent three years in Siberia, evangelicing the local people and Finnish criminals deported there.
Because of her social position she managed to get support for her work among Europes nobility.