Fanni Luukkonen

Fanni Maria Luukkonen was a Finnish teacher and the longtime leader of Lotta Svärd, the Finnish voluntary auxiliary organisation for women. She served as its president from 1929 until its dissolution in 1944, during which time the organisation grew from around 60,000 to over 200,000 members, making it the largest women's organisation in Finnish history. In 1940 she became the first woman to receive the Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st Class with swords, and in 1943 she was the only non-German woman to be awarded the Order of the German Eagle with Star.