Maria Henschen

1840–1927.

Governess, teacher.

Maria Henschen opened a private school for girls in her father's (Lars W. Henschen) farms which were located between Kyrkogårdsgatan, Åsgränd and Övre Slottsgatan.

She then became the first matron for "Magdeburg" (Uppsala higher grammar school for women), which she also owned.

 

Burial site: 0101-0023

Image description: Maria Henschen, Uppsala 1877. Photo: Heinrich Osti / UUB. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Ellen Hagen

1873–1967.

Figure in the women's rights movement, publisher and politician.

Ellen Hagen initiated the formation of uppsala women's suffrage association in 1902 and was its president until 1923. Hagen was one of the foremost in the work for voting rights for women in Sweden. She was married to Robert Hagen, governor of Gävleborg County from 1918 to 1922.

She was also one of the initiators of the country Association for the woman's political suffrage, as well as one of the founders of Liberal women 1914. Hagen was chairman of the Liberal Party Women's Association 1938 – 1946 and for the Swedish Women's Union of Citizens 1936–1963.

Ellen Hagen also participated in international peace and voice-law work and was a Swedish delegate at the Disarmament Conference in Paris in 1931.

 

Burial site: 0103-1967

Image description: Ellen Hagen, unknown year. Photo: Gävleborg County Museum. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Hildur Akselsson

1887–1944.

Private tutor for small school children.

In the age of eight, Hildur Akselsson suffered from child paralysis (polio) and as wheelchair bound she managed to acquire a good humanistic education. She had no formal teacher training but had the talent to teach children.

At the age of 19, she began a business in her parents home at Villa Vägen 3 (Villa Tomtebo) which would be known as "Aunt Hildur's School" and a well-known institution in Uppsala for 37 years.

In 1913 the family moved to the corner house at Skolatan 33 at Västra Strandgatan overlooking the creek and "Magdeburg". Her students included Dag Hammarskjöld and Gunnar Weman. About Hammarskjöld, Hildur Akselsson mentioned that he had easy to learn.

 

Burial site: 0131-1351

Image description : Hildur Akselsson, Uppsala 1901. Photo: Heinrich Osti/UUB. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Agnes Hamilton born Geijer

1824–1885.

Culture person, daughter of E.G. Geijer

Agnes Hamilton had a central position in Uppsala's cultural life in the mid-1800s. She was the daughter of Erik Gustaf Geijer and Anna Lisa Liljebjörn. Hamilton was also a close friend of Helena Nyblom.

Agnes Hamilton married Adolf Hamilton, who for a period was governor of Uppsala.

One of the children of the Hamiltons, Anna Hamilton Geete, became a writer and wrote the memoirs at Sunset (4 bands 1910-1914). In it, Erik Gustaf Geijer's last decade of life was portrayed.

 

Burial site: 0116-0842

Image description: Agnes Hamilton born Geijer, unknown year. Photo: From private collection. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Ester Bobeck

1889–1974.

Self-employed.

Ester Bobeck was called "The Tobacco Queen of Uppsala" and started tobacco trade first in 1908 at Östra Ågatan 27. Remarkably, Ester Bobeck did this at 18 years of age. Bobeck married in 1914 to the officer Otto Bobeck.

She had a aptitude for business and ran the first store alone, which became a meeting point for Uppsala's students. The students came to Bobecks shop to smoke cigar and discuss.

Four years later, on Östra Ågatan 59 in "Seven Hell's Openings", the second store was opened, which ran until 1935 when the house was demolished. The store was well placed because Flustret, the University Hospital and the regiments at Polacksbacken were nearby. Also, Uppsala Harbour was located next to. In connection with the demolition of the house, the tobacco shop was saved for some time in the so-called seventh opening.

Ester Bobecks (then Ericsson) first tobacco store at Östra Ågatan 27 in Uppsala. Photo: From private collection.

"Seventh opening" at Östra Ågatan 59 in Uppsala 1936. Photo: Gunnar Sund / Upplandsmuseet.

In 1964 a Tobacco Shop was established at Fyris Square in the Phoenix House. Then Carl Perschel Barowiaks tobacco shop was taken over.

During these years, shops were also opened at Dragarbrunnsgatan 26, Kungsängsgatan 8, Drottninggatan 8 and Skolgatan 8. Bobeck was also one of the first members of the Swedish Tobacco Dealers' Association and was awarded the association's gold medal in 1964.

 

Burial site: 0102-0136

Image description: Ester Bobeck in store, unknown year. Photo: From private collection. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Agnes Geijer

1898–1989.

Textile historian, teacher.

Agnes Geijer was born in October 1898 in an academic home in Uppsala. She later became an art teacher and textile history at the School of Home Economics from 1921 to 1927 and assistant professor at the Swedish National Museum of History and the National Museum. She was also the most leading researcher in Nordic textile history of her time.

She was the leader of Pieta's preservation Department in 1930 – 1949 and head of the Swedish National Heritage Board textile department.

In 1938 Geijer received her doctorate with a dissertation on ancient textiles from the excavations at Björkö (Birka) and made a groundbreaking contribution to textile research. The textiles found at Birka were of different materials and produced differently, sometimes with unknown techniques. Geijer's work with the findings at Birka showed that Viking-age costumes could be reconstructed and that their origin could be determined.

Agnes Geijer published several writings, such as medieval textiles of Swedish manufacturing, textile treasures in Uppsala Cathedral and from the history of textile art that has been translated into English, which has given her international recognition.

To strengthen the Nordic textile research, she set up the foundation Agnes Geijer's Fund for Nordic Textile Research and the foundation has been active since 1988.

Agnes Geijer (to the right). at a preserved Polish banner from the 1600 of the Swedish State Trophy collection. Photo: Statens Trofésamling 1959.

Agnes Geijer (to the right) on Pietas textile preservation. Photo: Svenska Journalen 1942.

 

Burial site: 0129-2152

Image description: Agnes Geijer, 1968. Photo: Ingrid Bergman. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Bernhard von Helvig

1809–1816.

Son of Amalia von Helvig

Bernhard and his mother Amalia von Helvig belonged to the circle around Geijer, Atterbom and Malla Silfverstolpe. Amalia von Helvig originally came from Germany, settled in Sweden and became known in cultural circles.

She fell in love with Geijer who was already engaged. Geijer harbored deep feelings for von Helvig but never broke his engagement.

Bernhard von Helvig lived in the spring of 1816 with the mother of Malla Silfverstolpe where he incurred scarlet fever and died hastily.

His Burial site cared for many years by Geijer and Atterbom who used to read poems at the grave.

 

Burial site: 0101-0009

Image description: Bernhard von Helvigs gravestone. Photo: Henrik Zetterberg. [No portrait found when page was made]

 

 

Eva Edling

1872–1964.

Artist, portrait painter.

Eva Edling studied at the Academy of Fine Arts during the years 1900–1905 and also made study trips to Germany and Italy.

She was active in the Swedish Women Artists Association and participated in exhibitions with the association in Stockholm, Lund, Uppsala and Gothenburg.

Edling was a resident of Gropgränd 2, together with her mother and later by herself.

Not far from Gropgränd, lived her brother Nils, in the "Edlingian house" on St. Olof Street 2. There, a number of artists and writers have had their student residences.

 

Burial site: 0121-1068

Image description: Self-portrait painted by Eva Edling in 1902. Photo: From private collection. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Olof Eneroth

1825–1881.

Author, pomologist.

Olof Eneroth is regarded as groundbreaking in Swedish horticulture and has been called "the father of Swedish Pomology".

Eneroth devoted himself in his horticulture for the study of various apple. As director of the Swedish Garden association School and its gardens between 1858–1863 worked for the development of garden art and for gardening to be introduced as subject at elementary schools, seminars and agricultural schools.

Between 1864–1866 Eneroth published Handbook in Swedish Pomology.

He also worked for a good education in elementary school and in the work about elementary schools in Sweden (1863 – 1869), he developed his ideas.

Eneroth bequeathed a significant amount of money to Stockholm University for the establishment of a professorship in pedagogy.

 

Burial site: 0115-0818

Image description: Olof Eneroth, woodcut. Photo: Swedish Biographical Dictionary / National Archives. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Pontus Wikner

1837–1888.

Philosopher, writer.

Pontus Wikner was born in a poor homestead in Valbo-Ryrs parish in Dalsland.

He came to Uppsala in 1856 and took a lasting impression of the neo-evanglism and of Rydberg and Geijer.

As a disciple of philosopher Christopher Jacob Boström, Wikner developed at first Boström's ideas, to later expose them to religious philosophical and epistemological criticism. Against the philosophy of Boström, which was derived from God as the absolute sense, Wikner's conception a God as marked by sacred will and religion as a me-you relationship.

Between 1863–1884, Wikner was Associate Professor in theoretical philosophy in Uppsala and became lecturer in theology and Hebrew at higher general grammar school in Uppsala 1873, and professor of philosophy and aesthetics in Kristiania (Oslo) in 1884.

In the most read work thoughts and questions before the Son of man (1872) Wikner took personal position in the Christologian battles of the present time. He wanted to reconcile a biblically inspired revival of piety with a culture of open humanism and was beheld in Christian circles, mainly within the young ecclesiastical and the Covenant of Christian Humanism.

When Pontus Wikner died in Oslo after a life of sickness and personal crises, his remains was brought to Uppsala through the student union. A large number of students followed the remains to the grave.

More than 80 years (1971) after Wikner's death, his notes were published, in which he describes his homosexual orientation and the suffering it caused him.

Wikner also became an inspiration when the modern gay movement emerged in Sweden in the 1970s; a movement that has evolved and today can be referred to as the LGBTQI movement.

 

Burial site: 0121-1085

Image description: Pontus Wikner , ca 1850-1888. Photo: Unknown photographer / UUB. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image