Hjalmar Procopé

Hjalmar Johan Fredrik Procopé (born 9 August 1889 in Helsinki, died 8 March 1954)^[1] was a Finnish politician and a diplomat from the Swedish People's Party. Procopé was a minister in several cabinets in the 1920s and 1930s.

Procopé worked as a lawyer in Helsinki 1915-1922. He also worked in the Finnish embassy in Berlin from spring 1918 to the end of 1918. Procopé was a member Swedish People's Party and was elected to the parliament 1919-1922 and 1924-1926.

He served as a minister on several occasions: Minister of Trade and Industry from 1920-1921 in the Erich cabinet, Minister of Trade and Industry 1924 in the second Cajander cabinet, Minister of Foreign Affairs 1924-1925 in the second Ingman cabinet and Minister of Foreign Affairs 1927-1931 in four consecutive cabinets.

Procopé returned to the Foreign Ministry as Finnish ambassador in Warsaw 1924-1926. After the career in the foreign ministry, he served as the CEO of Finnish Paper Mills Association from 1931 to 1939.

The war years 1939-1944 he served as the ambassador in Washington. According to Kauko Rumpunen, a Finnish National Archives researcher, Franklin Roosevelt warned Procopé about the 28 August 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and its contents agreed between Nazi Germany and Soviet Union. Roosevelt's warning, however, arrived in Finland until months later as a part of routine reports, and it was not taken entirely seriously, partly because Roosevelt did not reveal the original source of the hint, a subordinate of Joachim von Ribbentrop. Procopé used the sympathy of Americans during the Winter War to benefit the interests of Finland. The political situation changed in late summer 1944 when Finland and Nazi Germany became enemies. Hjalmar Procopé was put into disponibility and he resigned from the service of Foreign Ministry in November 1945.

Procopé was the defense counsel of President Risto Ryti during the War-responsibility trials 1945-1946 and at the same time the defense leader of all defendants of the trials.

During his last years Hjalmar Procopé participated in NGO activities, particularly to anti-communist activities in Finland.

Procopé was awarded with the special title Minister in 1931. He was ordained at the University of Rochester awarded an honorary doctorate of law.

Poet Hjalmar Procopé was a cousin of the diplomat Hjalmar Procopé. Victor Procopé, a member of the parliament, was his son.

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