Gerda Ryti

Gerda Ryti ( Serlachius; 11 October 1886 – 8 September 1984) was the wife of Finland's fifth president, Risto Ryti, serving as the First Lady of Finland from 1940 until 1944.

Gerda Paula Serlachius was born as the second child to Senator and Justice Counselor (Oikeusneuvos) and Paula Söderhjelm. Her elder brother was , who became a lawyer and, later, Minister of Justice.

She received her primary and secondary education in her native Swedish. She went on to study German language, literature and history of art at a university in Dresden, Germany, and later English language in London. She was known as a hardworking First Lady, who supported her husband during his wartime premiership and presidency, and the war's difficult aftermath.

Her personal interests included parapsychology, which she had studied while in the UK, as well as spiritualism.