Sulo Arvi Pohjanpää (10 July 1887 – 21 December 1959) was a Finnish Olympic gymnast, judge and writer.

Gymnastics

He won the Finnish national championship in team gymnastics as a member of Ylioppilasvoimistelijat in 1909.

Law

He took his matriculation exam in Tampere real lycaeum in 1905. He graduated as a Master of Laws from the University of Helsinki in 1910. He received the title

varatuomari Varatuomari (lit. 'vice-judge' or 'reserve judge'; Swedish: ''vicehäradshövding''), or Master of Laws with court training, is a Finnish legal title for a qualified lawyer who has been trained on the bench and is equipped to appear before a court. ...

in 1913. Beginning in 1911, he worked various duties in the legal system. Eventually, he was a judge advocate general in the superior court martial in 1931–1952, and then a Judge of the Court of Appeal in the Helsinki Court of Appeal in 1952–1954. He sentenced Martta Koskinen, the last woman executed in Finland, to death as chief justice of the case. He was the chief justice in the case of

Hella Wuolijoki Hella Wuolijoki (née Ella Marie Murrik; 22 July 1886 – 2 February 1954), also known by the pen name Juhani Tervapää, was an Estonian-born Finnish writer known for her ''Niskavuori'' series.Wuolijoki, Hella. Eesti Entsüklopeedia 10. Estonian ...

and voted for death, although she received life imprisonment. He sentenced

Arndt Pekurinen Arndt Juho Pekurinen (29 August 1905 – 5 November 1941) 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 w ...

to prison for his refusal to fight in the Winter War.

Literature

He first published work was a short story collection ''Tuntureilta'' in 1913. His debut as a playwright, ''Vala'', was premiered by the

Finnish National Theatre The Finnish National Theatre ( fi, Suomen Kansallisteatteri), established in 1872, is a theatre located in central Helsinki on the northern side of the Helsinki Central Railway Station Square. The Finnish National Theatre is the oldest Finnish ...

in 1918. His play ''Jumalan käskynhaltija'' was adapted into film ''Jumalan tuomio'' in 1939. He was the secretary of the

Union of Finnish Writers The Union of Finnish Writers ( fi, Suomen Kirjailijaliitto r.y.) is an ideological and professional organization representing fiction authors writing in Finnish. The organization was founded in 1897 and now has around 770 members. It is led by an el ...

in 1919–1920. He used the pseudonym A.P:pää writing in newspapers.

Accolades

He received the following honorary awards: * Commemorative Medal of the Liberation war * Commander of the White Rose of Finland, 1937 * Commemorative Medal of the Winter War * Cross of Liberty, 3rd Class; 1940 * Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class; 1945 * Decoration for 40 years' faultless service, 1951

Family

His parents were master tailor Kaarle Henrik Pohjanpää and Ida Vilhelmina Kourlaa. His first wife was Lempi Vilma Ranttila (1892–1947), married in 1922. They had children: # Eila Helena Marjatta (1924–) # Anja Meri Kristiina (1926–) # Armi Elina Annikki (1933–1996), who married

Pentti Siimes Pentti Kalevi Siimes (10 September 1929 – 27 October 2016) was a Finnish actor. He appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1946 and 2008. Siimes starred in the film ''Miriam'', which was entered into the 8th Berlin In ...

His second wife was Aila Tellervo Heikinheimo (1919–), married in 1953. He finnicized his familyname from Nordqvist to Pohjanpää in 1906. Poet Lauri Pohjanpää was his brother. Olympic diver Laura Kivelä was his granddaughter.

Sources

References

1887 births 1959 deaths Writers from Helsinki People from Uusimaa Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Finnish male artistic gymnasts Gymnasts at the 1908 Summer Olympics Olympic gymnasts for Finland Olympic bronze medalists for Finland Olympic medalists in gymnastics Medalists at the 1908 Summer Olympics 20th-century Finnish people {{Finland-artistic-gymnastics-bio-stub