No formality on Gösta Serlachius’s 150th birthday

Susanna Yläjärvi, Information OfficerIt’s hard to say what Gösta Serlachius himself would have thought about his 150th birthday celebrations at Serlachius Headquarters on 26 April. He did like parties, but perhaps a little more dignified. There was no unnecessary formality at these celebrations. Instead, those attending enjoyed coffee, cake and exhibitions, and heard fascinating details about the life of the industrialist.

There was free admission to Serlachius all day. The main venue of the celebrations, Serlachius Headquarters, was visited by nearly 460 visitors throughout the day, and Serlachius Manor by nearly 200 visitors.

Free guided tours focusing on the life and work of Gösta Serlachius (1876–1942) as an art patron attracted so many participants that several additional tours were arranged on the spot. Oula Silvennoinen (PhD), the researcher who wrote Gösta Serlachius’s official biography Paperisydän (Paper Heart), filled the auditorium with listeners.

Public day the best way to celebrate

Kirsi Lepoaho and Kimmo Ström from Keuruu were at Serlachius for the first time. They were also intending to visit Serlachius Manor to view the exhibitions there. In their opinion, Gösta Serlachius, the forward-looking business leader and art collector, deserved to be celebrated.

“I think an open-doors day is the best way to celebrate. Some people are still a bit wary of art exhibitions and visiting museums. An event like this, with a low barrier to entry, is the best way to convey the message that people really can come here,” said Kirsi.

Kimmo also considered the informal open-doors day to be much more enjoyable than long speeches delivered by people in suits and ties. “Serlachius Headquarters is certainly a magnificent building and the exhibitions surprised us with their diversity. This is a very positive experience,” he said.

Determined and tough

According to Oula Silvennoinen, in introducing Gösta Serlachius, historians writing today no longer speak of great men. This expression could be used about Gösta, however, because he also had a large physique.Furthermore, the industrialist’s significance as a builder of Finnish society and in determining its direction during the interwar period is undeniable.

“Gösta Serlachius was a tough and determined business leader with a strong drive for power and success.All of his actions were guided by the interests of Finland’s export industry, i.e. the wood processing sector,” said Silvennoinen.

“Today, he would be called a crisis manager or corporate restructuring specialist. He turned potentially bankrupt companies into profitable ones. He did this by studying the companies’ financial data and sales figures, and by concentrating production on those products for which there was a market. There were no negotiations with the workers.”

Gösta Serlachius’s policy was above all labour market policy. The Finnish independence project, supporting the White Army in the Civil War, and building a conservative White Finland were his attempts to prevent socialism and the labour movement from taking root in Finland. The goal was to create a conservative workforce loyal to the company in the spirit of 19th-century factory paternalism. He pursued this goal in every way possible – now and then also by rather questionable means.

Carefully constructed public image

After his introduction, Oula Silvennoinen was interviewed by the Director of the Serlachius Museums, Pauli Sivonen, and the audience also had the opportunity to ask questions. Today, particular interest is focused on Gösta’s personal life, which was marked by, among other things, his divorce from his first wife, Sissi Serlachius, and his pitiless treatment of her after the breakup.

As a person, Gösta Serlachius remains an enigma, even to researchers. Historical research based strictly on source material does not provide much indication of what the industrialist was like as a private individual. He carefully built and maintained his public image. Gösta did, it’s true, have a wide circle of acquaintances, and he enjoyed parties and social life. Even so, researchers cannot say whether he had any real close friends, for example.

Gösta’s sensibility was mainly evident in relation to art, and he amassed his art collection from a young age.He was not interested in music or literature; he only appreciated beauty visible to the eye. Art and architecture were his true interests, alongside business. Silvennoinen also stated that the whole of Mänttä is a monument to Gösta Serlachius’s lifework.