Gustaf Svanberg the Younger

1839-1909.

Lawyer, politician.

Gustaf Svanberg was born in Uppsala in 1819, the son of Gustaf (an astronomer) and Fredrika Svanberg. Later in life he became mayor and active in municipal politics in Gothenburg. Svanberg was also elected as a member of the second chamber of the Swedish Parliament.

The tomb that adorns Svanberg's Burial site is one of the most striking in the Old Cemetery. The allegorical female figure in bronze is called "Sorgen" and was made by the sculptress Sigrid Blomberg. A similar sculpture adorns the family grave of Carl Wijk in the Östra cemetery in Gothenburg.

 

Burial site: 0109-0461B

Image description: Portrait of Gustaf Svanberg, 1910. Photo: Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons. [The image is cropped]
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Gustaf Svanberg the Elder

1802-1882.

Astronomer.

Gustaf Svanberg was born in Botilsäter in Värmland and graduated from Uppsala in 1819. He first studied classical languages, but switched to mathematics and astronomy and was professor of astronomy from 1842 to 1875.

Between 1833-1835, Svanberg studied terrestrial magnetism in Germany. As a member of parliament, Svanberg succeeded in obtaining funding for a modern observatory in Uppsala, which was built in the area between Rackarbacken and the old fjärdingstullen, the area now known as Observatorieparken.

The observatory c. 1860 and the avenue.
Photo: Artist Eric Österlund (1812-1907) / UUB.

The Observatory block before 1890, view from the north.
Photo: Henri Osti / UUB.

The observatory was completed and inaugurated in 1853 and received its first main instrument, a 24 cm refractor from Steinheil in Munich. It was replaced in 1893 by the double refractor (36/33 cm) which is still in the main dome of the observatory.

Gustaf Svanberg organized regular meteorological observations from 1865. The Meteorology Department moved to the Ångström Laboratory in 2000, but the "Old Observatory" as it is called, is still used by amateur astronomers and for public tours.

 

Burial site: 0109-0461B

Image descriptionPortrait of Gustaf Svanberg, circa 1870-1880. Photo: Henri Osti / UUB [The image is cropped].
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Egmont Tornberg

1891-1951.

Colonel, aviation pioneer.

Egmont Tornberg was born in 1891 in Rytterne and later became a lieutenant in the Navy in 1914, lieutenant in 1917 and began flying in 1918.

He transferred to the air force when it was formed in 1926 and in the same year, as a captain, he set an altitude record for seaplanes. The altitude record was set at 5731 meters in a Heinkel with a 500 kg load (equivalent to a combat load). The record was duly approved by the International Federation and exceeded the previous record by 700 meters.

In 1928 Egmont headed the Swedish rescue expedition of survivors from the Italian airship Italia north of Spitsbergen. He showed an impressive leadership during two months of hard material and personal strain under very difficult and rapidly changing weather conditions with risky flight over the Arctic Ocean, ice drift and dense fog.

Part of the rescue team with Tornberg in the middle.
Photo: from private collection.

From the Italia action of 1928.
Photo: from private collection.

Later in life, Tornberg was head of F 1, Jämtland Air Force F 4 and Norrbotten Air Base Corps F 21.

In 1940, Tornberg became colonel and eleven years later he died at the age of 59, being the last of the marine pilots to start his flying career in 1917.

 

Burial site: 0115-0811B

Image description: Portrait photograph by Egmont Tornberg, Head of the Western Air Base Area 1943-1946. Signed, framed photo. Photo: Unknown Photographer / Air Force Museum. [The image is cropped]
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Anders Strandberg

1862–1930.

Trader, entrepreneur.

Anders Strandberg came to Uppsala at the age of 13 and started working as a store clerk.

In 1885 Strandberg started a manufakturaffär at Stora Torget. The store was later housed in the corner house (built in 1905) at Drottninggatan in the so-called Strandberg ska huset. The house was the first in the city with elevator, central heating and electricity. In the same year Strandberg, as a social and technical interest, developed an electricity plant for the city.

Stora torget (Main Square) in Uppsala 1901-1902, view towards Kungsängsgatan. At the time of the photography, Anders Strandberg's sewing shop was housed in the building. The corner plot was owned and built by Olof Rudbeck the Elder. The houses were demolished in 1934. Photo: Alfred Dahlgren / UUB.

The main square with the Strandberg house (built in 1905) on the right, 29 April 1911. At the time, Svenska veckan was celebrated as a manifestation to benefit Swedish industry. Photo: Unknown Photographer/UUB.

Strandberg was a member of the City Council from 1899 to 1930, executive member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1916 to 1928, and also a county councillor and member of the Hospital Board at Akademiska sjukhuset. He was also a member of the Elders of the Burghers.

 

Burial site: 0102-0123

Image description: Anders Strandberg, Uppsala, 1897. Photo: Heinrich Osti / UUB [The image is cropped]. Public domain
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Adolf Noreen

1854–1925.

Linguist.

Adolf Noreen was born in Östra Ämtervik in Värmland and wrote a thesis on the Frykdal dialect. The thesis deals with the dialect of his home town and was the first dialect description based on scientific principles.

Noreen published language history manuals, for example about Fornisländska in Altisländische Grammar (1884) and about Ancient Swedish in Altschwedische Grammar (1904).

In his great work Vårt språk (Our language)(1903–1924) he presents his ethos of language and presents a basic plan for grammar. Noreen was also an advocate for the spelling reform in 1906.

Between 1887 and 1919, Adolf Noreen was professor of Nordic languages, was elected a member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities in 1902, as a member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1917 and became a member of the Swedish Academy in 1919.

Together with Johan August Lundell he founded the school Upsala Enskilda Läroverk (now Lundellska) in 1892.

 

Burial site: 0115-0823

Image description: Adolf Noreen, Uppsala circa 1880– ca 1890. Photo: Heinrich Osti / UUB. [The image is cropped]
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Robert Fredrik von Kræmer

1791–1880.

Governor, Member of Parliament.

Robert Fredrik von Kræmer came from Tavastland in Finland and participated as an officer in the campaign to Germany in 1813 and to Norway in 1814.

He was the governor of Uppsala from 1830 to 1862 and was as county manager an undisputed central figure and took a number of important initiatives. Communications improved through road construction, bridge construction, dredging of sail joints, and the formation of steamboat companies.

Kræmer also took the initiative for the founding of Ultuna Agricultural Institute and to the start of Sweden's first cooperative trade in Örsundsbro in 1850.

Kræmer also played a significant role in the development of the city of Uppsala. The city park, the walk at Flustret and Västgötaspången was created during his participation and he was known for his tree plantings, which were mentioned in Gunnar Wennerberg's Gluntarne:

"Cross what that Kræmer is good for the city. He builds bridges and plants wood."

 

Burial site: 0156-0249

Image description: Robert Fredrik von Kræmer, Stockholm, circa 1870. Photo: W.A Eurenius & P.L Quist / UUB. [The image is cropped]
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Cristopher Jacob Boström

1797–1866.

Philosopher.

Christopher Jacob Boström was born in Piteå and became a student in Uppsala in 1815.

From 1842 to 1863 he was professor of practical philosophy in Uppsala and was Sweden's most influential philosopher during the 19th century. He constructed a metaphysical system with roots in German and Swedish idealism. Boström was a convincing lecturer and excelled in speeches.

Boström's so-called rational idealism with its strong emphasis on the individual's duties in a moral and rational society came to exert a profound influence on mindsets in Sweden in the late half of the 19th century.

Boströmianism, named after its author, was the only original philosophical system that arose in Sweden in the 19th century and came through Boström's disciples to dominate Swedish university philosophy throughout the late 19th century.

His disciples included Sigurd Ribbing, Yngve Sahlin and Axel Nyblaeus. Boström's niece is Ebba Boström, founder of the Samaritans home. She is also buried in the Old Cemetery.

 

Burial site: 0119-0995

Image description: Christopher Jacob Boström, 1865. Photo: Litografiskt allehanda, femte årgången. Sigrid Flodins förlag. / Wikimedia Commons. [The image is cropped]
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August Haglund

1837–1914.

Bank cashier, donor.

August Haglund became established in 1862 and opened his own trade shop in the Lodénian house at the Main square.

When Uplandsbanken (the Upland bank) was founded, he became its first bookkeeper and was then a bank treasurer until his retirement. Haglund wrote poems for family celebrations and was a musician in the Orchestra of the Sharpshooter Corps.

He is best known for his donation in 1901 of 50,000 SEK to a new bridge across Fyrisån (the Fyris creek) at Skolgatan. The bridge is also today called "Haglund's bridge" and in 1889 it replaced the former bridge built on the site.

The former bridge was moved north (to Odensgatan) and was named "Eddaspången" after the block Edda. The rafting on last 30th of April usually starts just north of Haglund's bridge.

 

Burial site: 0129-2151

Image description: August Haglund, Uppsala 1902. Photo: Alfred Dahlgren / UUB. [The image is cropped]
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Frithiof Holmgren

1831–1897.

Doctor.

Frithiof Holmgren established Sweden's first physiological laboratory in 1862 and became the country's first professor of physiology at the age of 33. He was also a most prominent teacher at Uppsala University.

As a scientist, he became internationally known with the discovery of the retinal current in the eye.

The studies of color blindness made Holmgren internationally famous and in 1874 he described his method of using different colored "sefir yarn dolls", the so-called wool yarn sample, to demonstrate color blindness.

The method was of great practical importance for people in signalling services, such as railway personnel and seafarers. A train accident in Lagerlunda in 1875 was suspected of a train driver not being able to distinguish between red and green. No one had thought that the colour vision could have an impact on railway staff.

The equipment used by Holmgren in the discovery of the retina lattural stream, i.e. the retina's electrical response to light impressions. The equipment consists of a mirror galvanometer and a light catcher with a clockwork that drives the mirror. Photo: Museum of Medicine in Uppsala.

Sefirgarn dolls for carrying out the test of colour vision developed by Holmgren and which became mandatory for all those who would be employed in rail and sea traffic. Photo: Museum of Medicine in Uppsala.

A more macabre study that Holmgren undertook focused on whether beheading was a painless method of execution. Holmgren was therefore present at four beheadings to investigate the method from a physiological point of view.

According to Holmgren, the case studies showed that beheading as a method met the requirements for a painless way of execution.

Holmgren also participated in the debates in Verdandi, and his radical stance appeared in his dictation to the protocol of the consistorio:

"I consider the freedom of thought as one of man's most precious privileges, and the university where the tenet of thought is not primarily, does not, in my view, fulfil its task. To educate the studying youth to thinking men, should, according to my understanding, be one of the university's main tasks.".

Frithiof Holmgren also emphasized the importance of physical education and formed the Students' Sharp Shooting Association, the Students' Gymnastics Association and was chairman of the folk dance association Philochoros and promoter in Uppsala swimming society. 

 

Burial site: 0125-1141

Image description: Frithiof Holmgren, unknown year. Photo: Unknown photographer / UUB. [The image is cropped]
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Louise Stiernstedt

1878–1940.

Drawer.

Louise Stiernstedt was born in Uppsala and was a drawer and graphic artist.

After studying at the Technical School from 1895 to 1896 and at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm from 1897 to 1893, Stiernstedt continued her training at various schools in Italy and Munich.

Stiernstedt was a skilled wood and linoleum cuter and her art consists of portraits, landscape motifs and still lifes. She's represented at the National Museum.

 

Burial site: 0155-0220

Image description: Louise Stiernstedt, Landskapsskolan vid Konstakademin, Stockholm, 1898. Back row: Helene Herslow, Astrid Kjellberg, Esther Salmson, Louise Stiernstedt, Mathilde Wigert, John Österlund, Manne Hallengren, Seth Nilsson. Front row: Herman Österlund, Professor Per Daniel Holm, Hildur Hult.Photo: Unknown photographer / UUB. [The image is cropped]
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