Last month, Managing Director Rémi Praud and Project Manager Emme Johnson from the LRE Foundation visited Finland for a multi-day programme organised by local members. The trip was part of the Foundation’s ongoing effort to expand its network in Northern Europe and highlight lesser-known but important aspects of Europe’s Second World War history.
The visit focused on key museums and historical sites across eastern and southern Finland, offering both valuable insights into the country’s wartime past and opportunities for future collaboration.
“It left a strong impression, both for the richness of its WWII history and its cultural sites with strong educational potential” said Emme Johnson, Project Manager. “It’s not a country that immediately comes to mind in the WWII landscape, but that’s exactly what makes it so interesting.”
Highlights from the Visit
Mikkeli, the starting point of the tour, was the location of Marshal Mannerheim’s wartime headquarters. The visit included:
- A guided tour of the Muisti Centre of War and Peace, a modern museum housed in the original HQ building that focuses on the human impact of war. Muisti became a member of the LRE Foundation in 2023.
- A visit to Mannerheim’s saloon car, used during the war and the site of a 1942 meeting with Adolf Hitler, for which the only known recording of Hitler’s conversational voice exists.
- A guided tour of the Infantry Museum, with particular attention to its Winter War exhibition.
Later, the group travelled east to Ilomantsi, near the Russian border, to explore the Battlegrounds Trail. The area marks the site of Finland’s last major land victory in 1944 and features preserved trench systems and outdoor interpretation.
The tour also included visits to the Salpa Line Museum and the Bunker Museum, which preserve key sections of Finland’s WWII fortifications built to resist Soviet advances. These are located in Miehikkälä municipality which became a member of the LREF at the start of 2025.
The programme concluded at the Lotta Museum, dedicated to the wartime work of the Lotta Svärd organisation, Finland’s women’s auxiliary corps. Discussions with the museum’s staff explored possibilities for future cooperation within the LREF network.
Strengthening the Network
The visit was part of the LRE Foundation’s broader effort to connect with heritage institutions across Europe, especially in regions whose histories are underrepresented in the mainstream WWII narrative.
“Finland’s experience during the war was unique and deserves greater attention within our network,” said the Managing Director. “We’re grateful to our Finnish members and partners for their openness and hospitality, and we look forward to deepening our cooperation in the future.”
The LRE Foundation will continue working with local institutions to explore joint initiatives, educational opportunities, and ways to integrate Finnish history more prominently into the wider European remembrance landscape.
