Anders Chydenius

Life & Legacy

Anders Chydenius (Finland Swedish: [ˈandærs tɕyˈdeːniʉs]; 26 February 1729 – 1 February 1803) was a Swedish-Finnish Lutheran priest, member of the Swedish Riksdag, and one of the most important champions of democratic development in 18th-century Sweden, known as the leading classical liberal of Nordic history. He championed free trade, freedom of the press, and the rights of servants, labourers and the rural poor.
Born in Sotkamo, Finland (then part of Sweden), Chydenius became a priest and Enlightenment philosopher. As a member of the Riksdag of the Estates in 1765–66, he played a decisive role in establishing Sweden's first Freedom of the Press Act. He was ultimately expelled from the Diet as punishment for his radical political activities.