Minna Craucher

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Minna Craucher at her salon.

Minna Craucher (23 August 1891 – 8 March 1932) was the false name of Maria Vilhelmiina Lindell, a Finnish socialite and spy. Her home was a noted salon for various writers and artists. She also did espionage, originally for the Cheka, the Soviet secret police,[citation needed] and was arrested three times for fraud. She also had connections to the right-wing Lapua Movement.[1] She became the subject of several books and stories. In 1932 she was murdered with a shot to the head.[2]

Biography

Early years

Maria Vilhelmiina Lindell, originally from Aalto, was born in poor conditions in

jail for unpaid fines.[3]

In 1913, Maria Lindell moved to

babysitter there.[4] Lindell served her third and final prison sentence convicted of thefts from 1920 to 1923. This prison period marked a frontier, after which Maria Lindell became "Madame Minna Craucher" with various phases.[3]

"Madame Craucher"

Madame Craucher (right) with her chauffeur Boris Wolkowski (left) in 1930s

Thanks to the "Madame Craucher" identity created with the help of her lively imagination and attraction, she probably appeared in the

Willys Knight convertible from Stockmann
for a down payment and a driver with a "Russian prince" in the background.

In 1925, Craucher met 12 years younger Olavi Paavolainen, whose mistress she would be for several years.[5] Together with journalist Ensio Svanberg, Craucher co-founded the "Entertainment and Travel Directory", a magazine that later became known as Seura (meaning "The Society") and was published in 1926–1929. The authors of the magazine included at least Kersti Bergroth, Pentti Haanpää, Martti Merenmaa, Elina Vaara, Väinö Nuorteva, and Mika Waltari. The editors-in-chief were Yrjö Rauanheimo, Lauri Viljanen and Waltari. Craucher was the acquirer and marketer of the magazine's advertising space.[3][4] As the magazine itself was not very attractive, Craucher even resorted to blackmail in obtaining advertising contracts.[6]

Craucher's salon was a popular gathering place for Tulenkantajat ("The Flame Bearers")[1] and other young writers of the time because of her generous service and her fascinating persona.[3] Of the authors who visited Craucher's salon, at least Joel Lehtonen, Martti Merenmaa and Mika Waltari have described the salon and its owner. The salon was located at Freesenkatu 4 A 3. The salon, or apartment Craucher, was bought by master builder K. E. Lund on 7 November 1924. The 47-square-meter apartment at that time was a modern type of apartment, a double apartment. The most striking part of it was the Turkish room. The colorful interior was softened by suitable lighting. The materials were stunning: oriental rugs all the way to the walls, brass tobacco tables and a large number of cushions to sit on.[7] From Freesenkatu, Craucher later moved to Mechelininkatu 23 A 20.[8]

In the Lapua Movement

When the Seura magazine ceased to be published in 1929, the focus of Craucher's activities shifted to officers and

Marshal Mannerheim, among others.[4]

Among other things, Craucher arranged and partially donated armbands for the participants of the

Finnish Security Police, defined Craucher's role in the Lapua Movement in September 1930 as follows:

“I have heard that the Lapua Movement dare to drive Craucher away because she already knows too much.”[9]

Death

The stairwell of Minna Craucher's death place on Mechelininkatu in the summer 2006

Craucher became unpopular with the Lapua Movement and began to be suspected of being a

Martti Wallenius, and Craucher.[3][4] Craucher can be said to have partially fulfilled the suspicions against her. However, the target was not the Communists but the Social Democrats. She told about the activities of the Lapua movement through Kalle Lehmus, the Suomen Sosialidemokraatti magazine.[3] She also implied that she was in possession of a secret organization chart of the movement.[4]

Possibly, Craucher's statement to Olavi Runolinna,

drunk Runolinna to shoot Craucher to death in her apartment on 8 March 1932;[3][8][10] initially, in a murder investigation conducted by the police, Martti Wallenius was considered the main suspect.[2][11] Craucher's murder has been interpreted as part of the follow-up to the Mäntsälä rebellion.[3][12] After her death, Esko Riekki wrote:

“She was just a ruthless blufferska and bonfångerska [bluffing woman and cheater] who enjoyed fiercely gaining fame: if the soul is immortal, C. now enjoys heavenly joy from this advertisement.”[4]

In popular culture

Fictional literature references related to Minna Craucher

  • Joel Lehtonen: Rakastunut rampa (1922); a character named Mimmi Byskata is based on Craucher.[13]
  • Martti Merenmaa: Nousuvesi (1926); a character named Mrs. Pomaré is based on Craucher.[5]
  • Mika Waltari: Suuri illusioni (1928); a character named Mrs. Spindel is based on Craucher.[14]
  • Hägring 38 (2013)[15]

See also

Further reading

  • Selén, Kari (1991). Madame: Minna Craucherin levoton elämä (in Finnish) (2nd, exp. (2010) ed.). Helsinki: Helsinki-kirjat.
    ISBN 978-952-5874-20-4
    .

References

  1. ^ a b c Blomstedt, Yrjö: ”Minna Craucher.” Suomen historia, volume 7, p. 198–199. Weilin + Göös 1987. (in Finnish)
  2. ^
    Time Magazine
    . 21 March 1932. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Venla Sainio: Craucher, Minna (1891–1932) – Kansallisbiografia (in Finnish)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Suomen eliitti hurahti mestarihuijarin pauloihin 1920-luvulla – Sitten Minna Craucher lähti narauttamaan Lapuan liikettä, mikä koitui hänen kuolemakseen. Tuomo Väliaho, Helsingin Sanomat 4 April 2020. (in Finnish)
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-951-0-40254-2
    .
  6. ^ Selén (1991), p. 62.
  7. ^ Selén (1991), p. 87.
  8. ^ a b Nousiainen, Anu (10 February 2017). "Tässä paikassa kauan sitten: Siivooja löysi ruumiin kirjoituspöydän luota Mechelininkadun kaksiosta". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  9. ^ Selén (1991), p. 149.
  10. ^ Heikura, Hannes: Kauan sitten tässä asunnossa: Katja leikkii murhapaikalla. Helsingin Sanomat, 13 November 1994. (in Finnish)
  11. ISBN 978-952-473-838-5
    .
  12. ^ Heikki Eskelinen (1966). Itsenäisyytemme vuosikymmenet (in Finnish). Helsinki. p. 100. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  13. ^ HS: Suomalainen köpenickiadi Historiantutkija teki nautittavan elämäkerran ilotytöstä, huijarista ja kiristäjästä Minna Craucherista (in Finnish)
  14. ^ YLE: Suuri illusioni näyttää 1920-luvun paheellisen dekadenssin 1980-luvun silmin (in Finnish)
  15. ^ Bokrecension: Kjell Westö – Hägring 38 (in Swedish)

External links

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