Gustaf Svanberg was born in Uppsala in 1819, the son of Gustaf (the 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 Riksdag.
The tombstone that adorns the Svanberg Burial site is one of the most eye-catching in the Old Cemetery. The allegorical female figure in bronze is called "Sorrow" and was made by sculptress Sigrid Blomberg. A similar sculpture adorns Carl Wijk's family grave at Östra Cemetery in Gothenburg.
Burial site: 0109-0461B
Image description: Portrait of Gustaf Svanberg, 1910 Photo: Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons. [The image is cropped] Click here for an uncropped image
Egmont Tornberg was born in 1891 in Rytterne and later in life became a second lieutenant in the navy in 1914, a lieutenant in 1917 and took up flying in 1918.
He joined 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 with a Heinkel with 500 kg load (equivalent to combat load). The record was duly approved by the International Federation and surpassed the previous record by 700 meters.
In 1928, Egmont was in charge of the Swedish rescue expedition of survivors from the Italian airship Italia north of Spitsbergen. He showed impressive leadership during two months of severe material and personal strain under very difficult and rapidly changing weather conditions with risky flying 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 in 1928.
Photo: From private collection.
Later in life Tornberg was commander of F 1, Jämtland Air Base F 4 and Norrbotten Air Base F 21.
In 1940 Tornberg became a colonel and eleven years later he died at the age of 59, the last of the naval aviators who had begun their flying careers in 1917.
Burial site: 0115-0811B
Image description: Portrait photograph of Egmont Tornberg, commander of the Western Air Base Area 1943-1946. Signed, framed photo. Photo: Unknown photographer / Air Force Museum. [The image is cropped] Click here for an uncropped image
Anders Strandberg came to Uppsala at the age of 13 and started working as a messenger.
In 1885, Strandberg started a haberdashery shop at Stora Torget. The shop was later moved to the corner building (built in 1905) on Drottninggatan in the so-called Strandbergska huset. The building was the first in the city with an elevator, central heating and electricity. In the same year, Strandberg, who was socially and technically interested, promoted an electricity plant for the city.
Stora torget in Uppsala 1901-1902, view towards Kungsängsgatan. At the time of the photograph, the building housed Anders Strandberg's haberdashery. The corner plot was owned and developed by Olof Rudbeck the Elder. It housed a post office until 1715. The houses were demolished in 1934. Photo: Alfred Dahlgren / UUB.
Stora torget with the Strandbergska house (built in 1905) to the right, April 29, 1911. On this occasion, the Swedish Week was celebrated as a manifestation to promote Swedish industry. Photo: Unknown photographer / UUB.
Strandberg was a member of the city council from 1899 to 1930, an executive member of the county council from 1916 to 1928, and also a county councillor and member of the hospital board at Uppsala University Hospital. He was also a member of the Civic Elders.
Asta Ödman was born in Gothenburg and was a sculptor and artist.
Ödman studied under Sten Teodorsson and during her studies she became friends with Inger Manne, with whom she painted for many years.
In the early 1960s, Ödman studied under Fritz Gahn and was a member of a group of artists who sculpted, drew and painted.
Ödman had a number of exhibitions of her own. She was also posthumously represented with several works in Norrköping Art Museum's collection exhibition "Women Artists" from 2013.
In Norrköping, there are also public works created by Asta Ödman, for example in the town hall and the De Geerhallen concert hall.
Image description: Asta Ödman with sculptures. Photo: Mikael Strand. The photo was first published in Norrköpings TidningarThe image is cropped]. Click here for an uncropped image
Adolf Noreen was born in Östra Ämtervik in Värmland and defended his thesis Fryksdalsmålets ljudlära in 1877. The thesis deals with the dialect from his homeland and was the first dialect description based on scientific principles.
Noreen published handbooks on language history, for example on Old Icelandic in Altisländische Grammatik (1884) and on Old Swedish in Altschwedische Grammatik (1904).
In his major work Vårt språk (1903-1924) he sets out his basic view of language and presents a blueprint for grammar. Noreen was also one of the driving forces behind the spelling reform of 1906.
Between 1887-1919 Adolf Noreen was professor of Nordic languages, was elected member of the Academy of Sciences in 1902, member of the Academy of Sciences in 1917 and became member of the Swedish Academy in 1919.
Together with Johan August Lundell, he founded Upsala Enskilda Läroverk (now Lundellska Skolan) in 1892. Adolf Noreen was a very popular teacher and worked in a time that can be considered a golden age of linguistics.
Victor Clifton Martyn, known as Topper Martyn, was born in England and was a juggler and illusionist. In the 1960s Martyn settled in Uppsala with his wife.
Topper Martyn made his stage debut in 1938 as a juggler and had a mixed program of juggling, comedy and magic. Martyn received several honors and awards for his artistry. In 1970 he became world champion in comic magic in Amsterdam.
In 1996 Martyn was honored with the English Carlton Comedy Prize. He has received the French Mandrake d'or award and a gold medal from Asahi Television (Japan).
In addition to performing in 30 different countries, he played the role of the magician in the children's musical Alfons och trollkarlen, based on Gunilla Bergström's book Hokus Pokus Alfons Åberg. Topper Martyn also appeared in TV productions, such as SVT's Christmas calendar from 1984 - Julstrul med Staffan & Bengt.
Burial site: 0406-0001 (Memorial grove in the Old Cemetery)
Image description: Topper Martyn, year unknown. Photo: Swedish Magic Archive. [The image is cropped] Click here for an uncropped image
August Haglund became a citizen in 1862 and opened his own business in Lodénska huset at Stora torget.
When Uplandsbanken was founded, he became its first bookkeeper and was then bank cashier until his retirement. Haglund wrote poems for family celebrations and was a musician in the Skarpskyttekårens orchestra.
He is best known for his donation of SEK 50,000 in 1901 for a new bridge over Fyrisån at Skolgatan. The bridge is also known today as "Haglund's bridge" and replaced the previous bridge built on the site in 1889.
The former bridge was moved north (to Odensgatan) and named "Eddaspången" after the Edda neighborhood. The rafting on last April usually starts just north of Haglund's bridge.
Lars Erstrand was one of the great names in Swedish jazz in the 20th century. He became "Mister Swing" with the jazz public and was a big name in both Swedish and international jazz.
He started playing piano but switched to vibraphone after being influenced by vibraphonist Lionel Hampton's playing in Benny Goodman's orchestra.
From the 1960s onwards, Erstrand worked with clarinettist Ove Lind.
His international breakthrough came in the 1970s when he played with Benny Goodman and later with clarinetists Bob Wilber and 'Peanuts' Hucko.
Lars Erstrand also performed with Sven Asmussen and Alice Babs, and from the 1990s played with Arne Domnerus and in the quartet Swedish Swing Society.
Åke Holm was born in Norrtälje and later in life became Sweden's foremost arachnologist (spider researcher) and he is considered the creator of modern spider embryonology.
He published a number of important works on embryology and taxonomy and led research trips to Abisko and the Torneträsk area, East Africa, Spitsbergen, Greenland and Malaysia. Holm's spider research focused in particular on the Swedish mountain fauna and on the fauna of the Arctic and East Africa. One of the results was that new species were discovered.
Åke Holm with participants on one of the research trips to East Africa. Photo: The Museum of Evolution in Uppsala.
Olle Hedberg who participated in one of the research trips to East Africa. Photo: The Museum of Evolution in Uppsala.
Åke Holm was curator at the Department of Zoology 1947-1975 and as curator at the Zoological Museum he was in charge of the collections dating from the time of Linnaeus and Thunberg.
Louise Stiernstedt was born in Uppsala and was a cartoonist and graphic artist.
After studying at the Technical School in 1895-1896 and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm in 1897-1893, Stiernstedt continued his education at various schools in Italy and Munich.
Stiernstedt was a skilled woodcut and linocut artist and her art consists of portraits, landscapes and still lifes. She is represented at the National Museum.
Image description: Louise Stiernstedt, Landscape School at the Academy of Fine Arts, 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 / UUBThe image is cropped]. Click here for an uncropped image
