Ragni Kjellberg

1901-1992.

Rector.

Ragni Kjellberg was the director of "Magdeburg" (Elementary School for Girls) and its principal from 1942 to 1969. She was also chairman of Fyrisgården and the Professional Women's Association.

In Kjellberg's memory, a memorial fund was established in her name for students with artistic talent.

 

Burial site: 0155-0236

Image description: Ragni Kjellberg, third from left, Uppsala 1934 at the 17th general girls' school meeting in Uppsala. Published in Upsala Nya Tidning. From left: headmaster Josef Lundén, Miss Karin Winroth and Mrs. Ragni Kjellberg, headmaster Sven Graners, headmaster Karin Akselsson, headmasters Martha Grönvall and Thyra Kullgren, and education councilors Nils Hänninger and August Johansson. Photo: Paul Sandberg / Upplandsmuseet. [The image is cropped]
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Sven Lilja

1887-1951.

Music teacher, conductor, singing leader.

Through Hugo Alfvén's mediation, Sven Lilja was accepted at the Stockholm Conservatory of Music and studied there from 1912-1917.

After a few years as an actor, he worked as a singing and music teacher in Sundsvall, music teacher at Stockholm folk high schools, cantor in Sofia parish and conductor for the Stockholm Workers' Singing Association and the Stockholm Singers' Association. Sven Lilja introduced modern singing and turned it into a popular movement.

He led a sing-along movement in the countryside and on the radio, but above all at Skansen, where he led the movement for the first time in 1935. In the following years, the sing-along evenings at Skansen became a permanent institution.

Sven Lilja also plays himself in the movie 'Love and Singing' from 1944.

 

Burial site: 0132-1384

Image description: Sven Lilja wearing the classic singing costume, year unknown. Photo: From private collectionThe image is cropped].
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Maria Henschen

1840-1927.

Governor, teacher.

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

She then became the first headmistress of the 'Magdeburg' (Uppsala Higher Elementary School for Women), which she also owned.

 

Burial site: 0101-0023

Image description: Maria Henschen, Uppsala 1877. Photo: Heinrich Osti / UUBThe image is cropped]
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Barbro Holmdahl

1925-1998.

Nurse, author, teacher.

Barbro Holmdahl was a teacher at Vårdhögskolan and a trained nurse at Uppsala sjuksköterskehems sjuksköterskola. In 1990, she received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Uppsala University. Before that, Holmdahl had trained as a psychologist.

Her books include Boken om Henrik (1986), which describes the illness and death of her own son. Other books she has published include Tusen år i det svenska barnets historia (2000) and Sjuksköterskans historia (1994).

One of the many ways she educated her students was to take them on a tour of Uppsala and tell them about the medical institutions and poorhouses of the time. She also taught crisis management.

 

Burial site: 0101-0018

Image description: Barbro Holmdahl, year unknown. Photo: From private collectionThe image is cropped].
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Hildur Akselsson

1887-1944.

Private teacher for primary school children.

At the age of eight, Hildur Akselsson suffered from polio and, as a wheelchair user, she managed to get a good humanities education. She had no formal teacher training but had a talent for teaching children.

At the age of 19, she started a business in her parents' home at Villavägen 3 (Villa Tomtebo) that would become 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 Skolgatan 33 on western Strandgatan overlooking the river and "Magdeburg". Her pupils included Dag Hammarskjöld and Gunnar Weman. About Hammarskjöld, Hildur Akselsson mentioned that he had an easy time learning.

 

Burial site: 0131-1351

Image description: Hildur Akselsson, Uppsala 1901. Photo: Heinrich Osti / UUBThe image is cropped]
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Hildur Ottelin

1866-1927.

Housing inspector, municipal politician, physical education teacher.

After graduating from the Gymnastics Institute in Stockholm in 1893, Hildur Ottelin moved to Skolgatan 10 in Uppsala and lived there for a time with her brother. For several years she worked as a physical education teacher and physiotherapist at Lindska skolan and Anna Wikström's trade school for blind women.

In 1903, Ottelin invested in two farms at Stamgatan (today's Geijersgatan) 7 and 10 with the intention of renting out housing and settled herself in number 10. A year later, she bought land from vicar Otto Myrberg in Rickomberga, which was later sold cheaply to working-class families, and together they formed a housing association, Rickomberga Egna Hem, of which she was managing director from 1904 to 1923.

Later, Ottelin became a housing inspector under the Board of Health and in 1912 she became the first woman to become a member of the City Council when she was elected for the Social Democrats. Similarly, Ottelin also became the first woman in the county council chamber.

As a politician, she became known for her many controversial proposals and her involvement in housing and elderly issues. Hildur Ottelin continued to be involved in municipal affairs until her death.

Since 1950, a street in Uppsala, in the Rickomberga area, bears her name.

 

Burial site: 0148-1933

Image description: Hildur Ottelin, ca 1916- ca 1927 Photo: Klara Hacksell / UUBThe image is cropped]
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Ida Norrby

1869-1934.

Home economics teacher.

As a child, Ida Norrby was placed with her uncle, Professor Carl Norrby, and his wife, the educationalist Jane Miller Thengberg in Uppsala.

Apart from a few short stays in her native Kalmar, she spent her childhood and youth in Uppsala. After training as a primary school teacher, Norrby studied home economics, chemistry, physiology and health in Edinburgh.

Back in Uppsala in 1894, she was employed at the Department of Home Economics at Uppsala Enskilda Läroverk, where J. A. Lundell was headmaster. The following year, the School of Home Economics was established, where Norrby was director until 1933.

School of Home Economics, Trädgårdsgatan 14, Uppsala 1938. Photo: Paul Sandberg / Upplandsmuseet.

Graduate of the School of Home Economics, year unknown. Photo: Gunnar Sundgren / Upplandsmuseet.

In 1903, Norrby published Hemmets kokbok, which went through 50 editions (1994), and she was also responsible for the preparation of Lilla kokboken (1926), Skolans kokbok (1925) and Stora kokboken (1926).

She was one of the founders of the Swedish Association of Housewives and was its chairman from 1919 to 1926 and chairman of both the Swedish School Kitchen Teachers' Association from 1913 to 1926 and the Swedish Craft Teachers' Association from 1919 to 1929.

Ida Norrby was also a member of Uppsala City Council from 1919 to 1930 and received an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University in 1927.

 

Burial site: 0134-2143

Image description: Ida Norrby ca 1920-1930. Photo: Ellen Claeson / UUBThe image is cropped]
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