Nordic Enlightenment pioneer who created the world's first freedom of information law in 1766 Sweden-Finland

Anders Chydenius: The Forgotten Father of Liberty

This Finnish-Swedish priest-politician (1729-1803) authored groundbreaking legislation that became the blueprint for modern transparency. His 1766 His Majesty's Gracious Ordinance Relating to Freedom of Writing and of the Press preceded the US First Amendment by 25 years.

Economic Visionary

In The National Gain (1765), Chydenius formulated free market principles before Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. He advocated for:

• Unrestricted immigration
• Free trade
• Currency deregulation

Social Reforms

As a clergyman in rural Ostrobothnia, he established Finland's first public pharmacy (1755) and smallpox vaccination program. His 1778 Memorial on the Natural Rights of Servants and Peasants laid groundwork for Scandinavia's egalitarian social model.

Chydenius's ideas about press freedom resurfaced during Finland's 1917 independence movement. Today, his statue stands outside the Finnish Parliament as a symbol of open governance.