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When did Finnish gain official equality with Swedish in Finland?

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Finnish literature Franzén, oil painting by J.G. Sandberg, 1828; in Gripsholm Castle, Sweden

The path to linguistic equality in Finland was a gradual process that spanned several decades. While a decree issued by Alexander II in 1863 initiated the process by placing Finnish on an equal footing with Swedish in administration and law courts regarding public relations, Swedish remained the primary language of internal administration for many years.1

It was not until 1902 that Finnish and Swedish were officially placed on an equal footing as administrative languages. Following Finland's independence, the constitution of 1919 formally established both Finnish and Swedish as the national languages of the country. This commitment to bilingualism continues today, with the constitution of 2000 further guaranteeing equal status for both languages in serving the needs of the population.1234