Kasten Antell

Per Kasten Samuel Antell (12 May 1845, Helsinki – 20 November 1906

Early life and family Antell was born into an influential political family as the eldest son of senator Samuel Henrik Antell and Fanny Alexandra Helena Wallenius.

In 1872 he married Baroness Emilia Sofia de la Chapelle (1853–1919), thereby uniting two prominent Senate dynasties and their considerable fortunes.

Political career Diet and municipal service Elected by right of birth to represent the nobility, Antell sat in every session of the Diet of Finland from 1877–1878 to 1905–1906 and served as deputy lord marshal (varamaamarsalkka) in 1900.

In Helsinki he was a city councillor in 1890–1892 and 1898–1903, acting as council chairman from 1900 to 1903.

National offices Antell chaired the Board of the Finnish House of Nobility (Ritarihuone) from 1897 to 1906 and was appointed to two state commissions: the Dandeville committee on military affairs (1898) and the Tagantsev committee on legal codification (1904–1905).

Following the general strike of 1905 he entered the reform-minded Mechelin Senate as chief of the Finance Department, playing a key role in stabilising public finances during the transition to constitutional government.