1899, issued in 13 different countries
Pro Finlandia petition
Location of Original: The National Archives of Finland
About the Document
The Great Petition was a document produced in Finland in 1899, during the first period of that country’s Russification.
The Russification of Finland was an attempt by the Russian Empire to limit the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Finland and curtail its cultural uniqueness during the periods 1899–1905 and 1908–1917. It was part of the larger Russification policies of the late 19th–early 20th century which tried to assimilate the national and ethnic minorities of the Russian empire.
A petition was started against the February Manifesto of Tsar Nicholas II from 1899, which abolished language rights and Finnish autonomy. More than half a million signatures (20% of the Finnish population) were collected within eleven days. After the Tsar refused to accept the petition a second petition, called Pro Finlandia, was drawn up. It consists of over 1000 signatures from prominent cultural figures across 12 European countries, including Émile Zola, Frédéric Passy, Rudolf Virchow, Florence Nightingale, Loránd Eötvös, Fridtjof Nansen, Henrik Ibsen and A. E. Nordenskiöld.
This petition stands as a prime example of the willingness across Europe to defend common values during this time of crisis.