Helmi Arneberg-Pentti

Helmi Arneberg-Pentti (13 August 1889 - 22 January 1981) was the chairman of Lotta Svärd, the Finnish auxiliary organisation for women, from 1921 to 1922 and 1925 to 1929. She served the organisation until it was disbanded in 1944.

Early life and education Helmi Arneberg was born on 13 August 1889 in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway to Lydia Matilda Lagus and Jonas Lund-Arneberg, a lawyer. In 1893, she moved to Finland at the age of four with her mother, who was returning to her homeland after the breakdown of her marriage. She earned a Master of Philosophy degree in 1919.

Career From 1911 to 1916, Arneberg worked as an assistant in the library of the Student Union of the University of Helsinki. From 1917 she was a secretary of the State Household Committee, and then worked as a teacher of Finnish and Swedish in various schools. She taught Swedish at Helsinki V Yhteiskoulu school from 1933 and was also the school's head teacher from 1955 to 1957.

The disbandment of the Lotta Svärd led to public condemnation of the organisation but after Luukkonen's death, Arnberg-Pentti remained one of the few former leaders of the organisation who defended the honour of the Lottas.

Personal life She had four children with her husband S. J. Pentti. Their first child died young, six months before Finland became independent and fell into civil war in 1918.

Helmi Arnberg-Pentti died in Helsinki on 22 January 1981.

Lotta Svärd's reputation was restored ten years later.