History
Maritime Counselor Antti Wihuri and his wife Jenny Wihuri established the foundation bearing their name in 1942 to promote “intellectual and economic Finnish culture.” Over its 80-year history, the foundation has distributed approximately €466 million to support the fundamental pillars of a thriving society.
The founders
Antti Wihuri was born on October 9, 1883, in the Kustavi archipelago. He first went to sea as a cabin boy at the age of 12, earning a monthly salary of six marks. Over the next 15 years, he worked his way through various maritime roles, eventually earning his sea captain’s license in 1908. After sailing for several years on steamships, he decided to leave life at sea. He then worked as a stevedoring company manager and a shipbroker. His deep understanding of the maritime industry proved invaluable when he ventured into business. In 1916, he established his own shipping company.
By the time of World War II, Antti Wihuri had built a fleet of 60,000 deadweight tons. After the war, he founded a new shipping company, which by 1962 owned seven vessels, including both dry cargo ships and tankers.
Although his early success came from the shipping industry, Antti Wihuri began expanding into new business sectors in the 1940s. He led his companies with a firm hand, seizing opportunities whenever he recognized a favorable situation.
In 1920, Antti Wihuri married Jenny Mäkelä, who had worked in two general stores before founding her own business, Raahen Talouskauppa, with her sister in 1914. With a natural instinct for business and strong entrepreneurial skills, she built a successful retail enterprise. However, after marrying Antti Wihuri, she decided to step away from her business pursuits.
Antti Wihuri on a sailboat
Antti Wihuri rose from humble beginnings to become a successful entrepreneur. To him, earning money was never an end in itself — he believed that when one had significant capital, it should be used in a way that “the beneficial financial boost is both visible and tangible.”
Antti Wihuri’s birthplace and childhood home in the archipelago parish of Kustavi
Establishing the foundation
Shortly after the outbreak of war in 1939, Antti Wihuri made two significant financial donations totaling 20 million marks to support Finland’s national defense. This moment marked a turning point in his life. Before long, he was ready to make one of the most significant decisions of his life—establishing a foundation. This act was a clear testament to the genuine commitment of Antti and Jenny Wihuri to advancing Finnish culture.
The Wihuris had long believed that material success comes with responsibilities. Even during wartime, they strongly felt that the nation’s cultural resources must be mobilized to build a better future. They saw this as a way to lay the foundation for the nation’s well-being in the years to come.
In 1942, the Wihuris decided to contribute to culture in a lasting way. On May 2, 1942, at their home in Kulosaari, Maritime Counselor Antti Wihuri and his wife Jenny Wihuri signed the charter establishing the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation—joining the ranks of Finland’s great philanthropists. The foundation’s public-benefit statutes were officially confirmed by the Ministry of Justice on May 6, 1942.
Antti Wihuri served as chairman of both the foundation’s board and its financial committee from the very beginning, with Jenny Wihuri also actively participating as a board member. However, less than a year after the foundation’s establishment, Jenny Wihuri passed away in 1943. She had been her husband’s closest advisor and supporter throughout their shared journey.
In 1945, Antti Wihuri remarried Rakel Aarnio (née Hellberg). A successful businesswoman in her own right, Rakel Wihuri was often referred to as “one of the most powerful women in the republic.”
Both of Antti Wihuri’s wives had a significant impact on the foundation: Jenny Wihuri played a crucial role in the foundation’s creation, launch, and early development. Rakel Wihuri was instrumental in strengthening and expanding the foundation’s work over the course of 42 years.
Antti Wihuri passed away in Helsinki in 1962, and Rakel Wihuri in 1987.
80 Years of Philantrophy
When Jenny and Antti Wihuri established their foundation in 1942, they defined its purpose as the “advancement of Finnish intellectual and economic cultivation.” Their vision also included assisting in Finland’s post-war reconstruction and strengthening national defense morale. This wording reflected the cultural and societal context of the time—Finland was a poor country in the midst of the Continuation War, facing severe shortages in many areas.
Despite its historical origins, this concise yet broad mission remains relevant today. In modern terms, the Wihuri Foundation works to build the fundamental conditions for a thriving society by supporting science, arts, and social initiatives. This support ranges from experimental art performances to traditional institutions, covering the full spectrum of scientific, artistic, and social endeavors over the foundation’s 80-year history.
Among the foundation’s most enduring contributions are The Wihuri Research Institute, which conducts biomedical research, and The Jenny and Antti Wihuri Collection at the Rovaniemi Art Museum, ensuring a lasting impact on Finnish cultural life. Both of these initiatives continue to this day, reflecting Jenny and Antti Wihuri’s long-term vision.
The first annual meeting of the Jenny ja Antti Wihuri Foundation in 1942.