Erik Ofvandahl
1848-1949.
Pastry chef, pectoralist poet.
Erik Ofvandahl was orphaned at an early age and came to the village of Ovandal in Stora Tuna as a pauper. As an adult, Ofvandahl took his name from the village.
As a journeyman sugar baker, Ofvandahl came to Uppsala and started his own confectionery in 1885 at Östra Ågatan 31. Two years later, the confectionery was located at Sysslomansgatan 5, where it still is. In 1901 he changed his surname and the legendary Ofvandahls soon became a meeting place for students and literary gatherings.
In the 1880s, Ofvandahl often attended the meetings of the radical student association Verdandi, which were often held at the patisserie. At these meetings, Ofvandahl became known for his witty lines and debates in verse.
He was a renowned confectioner, but his fame stems mainly from his literary work in the pecoral genre. Part of the production was paid for by Ofvandahl himself.
Ulf Peder Olrog paid tribute to his baking skills with the following lines: "At Ofvandahl's patisserie among cakes, you and I, my friend, have both got our chins".
Despite the fact that Ofvandahl was sometimes subjected to ridicule by the students, the contemporary reviews of him were unanimously positive. Erik Ofvandahl is described as a person who dared to live out his individuality and that he was a pleasant companion who liked to play his violin. The author Birger Sjöberg writes:
"In the clear hall of heaven
where good thoughts bloom
me and pastry chef Ofvandahl
may rest among the pious".
Burial site: 0130-1293
Image description: Erik Ofvandahl, unknown year, unknown photographer. Image from: Ofvandahl, Erik "Blick och tanke". Uppsala, 1902, Almqvist & Wiksells Boktryckeri AB. Photo: Henrik Zetterberg. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image
