 An early advocate of Finnish independence, Gummerus was imprisoned for this in 1904, spending time in Peter and Paul Fortress.He went on to edit the journal "Framtid" and before forming the anti-Russification Wetterhof Bureau (later Finnish Bureau) in Germany in 1915.After independence had been achieved Gummerus was appointed to posts in Stockholm and Kiev, where he had extended his anti-Russian activity and where he helped set up a legation during Ukraine's brief independence.