Wilhelm Wahlforss

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Emil Wilhelm Wahlforss (25 June 1891 – 20 June 1969) was a Finnish engineer, industrialist and vuorineuvos.

Early life Wahlforss was born in Helsinki, the capital of Grand Duchy of Finland. His father Henrik Alfred Wahlforss was an appreciated chemistry teacher in Polytechnical institute; his mother, Emilia Elisabeth née Långhjelm, was 24 years younger and originally from Ostrobothnia. The couple had four children: 1883 and 1885 born daughters Elisabeth and Henriette, and 1891 and 1895 born sons Wilhelm and Eric. While the father was doing significant research, his work, which was written in Swedish, remained without international attention. Another hindrance for his success was his drinking problem. He died in 1899 when Wilhelm was just eight years old. The family fell into poverty and moved often in the following years, however, staying in the same area, Oulunkylä.

In September 1911 Wahlforss signed up for mechanical engineering studies in his father's former workplace which had been in the meantime renamed University of Technology. His orientation was textile industry. His strong areas were mechanics, physics, inorganic chemistry and economics, but in such subjects which required practical skills, as laboratory exercises, his ratings were "satisfactory". He took part in student activities and was active in the students' union. Wahlforss had a hectic social life, as an organiser he was efficient and determined, and he is described as a self-confident and charming person. Already during his studies he decided to become a manager of some large company. At the end of his studies Wahlforss focussed on heavy machinery and industrial economy. He did his internship in De Förenade Yllefabrikerna AB in Helsinki, Finlayson repair workshop in Tampere and later in Helsinki at Hietalahti Shipyard and Engineering Works, and finally in State Railways' Engineering Works foundry. For his master's thesis he made a complete and detailed calculation about textile factory economics and gained excellent rating, graduating in March 1916.

Early career

Nobel and Turun Rautateollisuus Wahlforss started his working career as a draftsman at Nobel arms company in Saint Petersburg in February 1916, but he returned to Finland already in May. After Wahlforss got engaged with Siri Wrede, he became a workshop engineer in Turun Rautateollisuus in Turku which was then led by Siri's father Freiherr Carolus Wrede. The work was technical and intense, as the company order book was full of ammunition and other military equipment ordered by the Imperial Russian Army. He quit in early 1917, possibly to rejoin many of his old classmates who had enlisted in the Jäger Movement to fight against the Russian rule. Wahlforss had wanted to join the movement but was not accepted, because he was regarded as the provider for his mother and younger brother. Another possible reason for leaving might have been his manager and brother of his fiancé, Gustaf "Dutta" G.W. Wrede whom he mostly got along well with but found his sarcasm tiring at times. from 906 000 marks' loss to 147 000 marks' profit. Siri Wahlforss, who moved to Lehtoniemi in October 1921 together with Christel and three weeks old second daughter Susanna, did not like the too rural area. The period in Lehtoniemi helped the couple financially.