Mathilda Wrede

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Mathilda Wrede (March 8, 1864 - December 25, 1928) is known in Finland as "Friend of the inmates". She was an evangelist, a baroness, but she is most known for being a precursor in the rehabilitation of prisoners. Her father, Carl Gustaf Fabian Wrede, was the provincial governor of the Vaasa province. It was during this time she first came in contact with inmates, that were sent to the governors house to make repairs.

At the age of 19 she experienced a religious revival and started to work for those less fortunate. She felt that the curing of inmates souls was her calling. She visited prisons, discussed religious issues, arranged occasions to hold speeches and discuss the bible, distributed religious literature and was in direct correspondence with many of the inmates. This exceeded many of the social rules that was thought to be appropriate for a young woman of her stature. Mathilda Wrede worked alone and in a way that differed a lot from the charity work done by other women in a position like hers.

In 1886 she and her brother Henrik Wrede founded Toivola, a safehouse for unemployed, newly released prisoners. Henrik Wrede had earlier spent tree years in Siberia, evangelicing the local people and Finnish criminals deported there.

Because of her social position she managed to get support for her work among Europes nobility.