Overview
Closed questions are efficient and effective in getting information and allowing the questioner to keep control of the interaction. They are essential if you want to get basic facts and often do not require the questioner to use many words.
During the Finnish civil war there were several atrocities committed by both sides. One of these took place at Hennala Prisoner of War camp when Red prisoners, including several women were executed by their White captors. The task revolves around the use of closed questions in interviewing a witness.
E.3. Reading (Look at this before doing the tasks). The Tasks and Answer Key/Pointers/Sources are in Theme H in the drop-down menu at the top of this page.
Fellman Park, Lahti. Red prisoners of war held before being transported to Hennala, Finland.
Courtesy of: Military Museum of Finland / Finnish Defence Forces
Hennala POW Camp, Finland. Bullet holes still adorn the walls.
An unknown number of workers - women and men - were executed at this place in 1918. We honor their memory!
Lahti Labour Organisation, Finland.
Red Captive Monument, Fellman Park Lahti, Finland.
Crescendo Memorial to those who fell in 1918 behind the Olympic Stadium, Töölö, Helsinki. The plaque reads:
"In memory of the women and men who fell fighting on the side of the Reds in the civil war and perished in prison camps."
Materials Updates/News:
Periodically, materials will be updated, or there may be news items worthy of attention related to this Unit. They will be notified here. If you come across any news/resources, e.g. journal/newspaper articles relevant to the content of this website, please let me know. I can be contacted via the email address below.
Some interesting references:
Lintunen, T., and Elo, K. (2021). Networks of Revolutionary Workers – Socialist Red Women in Finland in 1918. International Review of Social History 64(2): 279-307.
Tepora, T., and Roselius, A. (2014). The Finnish Civil War 1918 – History, Memory, Legacy. Leiden: Brill.
Yle. 16.1.2018. Civil War still divides Finland after 100 years, poll suggests.