Johannes Öhquist

Johannes Wilhelm Öhquist (December 6, 1861 in Venjoki, Ingermanland - October 15, 1949 in Wolfach, Baden, Germany) was a Finnish civil servant, language teacher, art historian and politically active writer.

The parents of Johannes Öhquist were Provost Kristoffer Öhqvist and Olga Maria Avenarius, who had served as priest of Venjoki and later as pastor of St. Mary's Parish in St. Petersburg.

[2] During the years of oppression, Öhquist supported the activities of Finnish constitutionalists by, among other things, writing anti-Russian propaganda in foreign newspapers under pseudonyms.

By 1918, he had published, edited, or translated about 20 German-language books on the Finnish question, some of them under the pseudonyms Wilhelm Habermann, Wilho Suomalainen, and Richard Schreiber.

In addition, Öhquist published hundreds of articles on the subject and participated in the publication of Finnländische Rundschau between 1901 and 1902.

As archivist at the Office of the Governor-General, Öhquist was also able to read secret police reports and was able to warn in advance those threatened with arrests or house searches.

[3] During the First World War, Öhquist was a supporter of the Jäger Movement and from 1916 to 1918 worked for the Berlin office of Finnish activists (“ Finnländisches Büro”).

[2] He was involved in the activities of the Finnish Association, founded by Finns living in Berlin in the winter of 1944–1945.

Fenix-Kustannus has published a memoir From St. Petersburg to the Third Reich (2006), translated by Matti Liinamaa and based on Öhquist's manuscript.