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]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Carl David af Wirsén

1842–1912.

Author, literary critic, poet.

Carl David af Wirsén was born in Vallentuna and became associate Professor in literary history in 1868 and lecturer in Swedish and Latin at the higher grammar school in Uppsala in 1870.

Wirsén published "Dikter" (1876) and later six more volumes of traditional idyllic poetry and several collections of religious poems.

The cemetery in Uppsala was given a poem and Wirsén wrote the text for the hymn "En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt" (Svenska Psalmboken, Psalm 201).

Wirsén was elected as a member of the Swedish Academy in 1879 and became its permanent secretary in 1884. As a member of the Academy,  he came with his conservatism to take on a contemporary literature-repellent stance.

As a literary reviewer in Post- och Inrikes Tidningar and in Vårt Land, Wirsén could for many years express a reactionary literature view. A selection of his reviews can be found in Kritiker (1901).

 

Burial site: 0140-1606

Image description: Carl David af Wirsén, Stockholm ca 1880-ca 1890. Photo: Johannes Jaeger / UUB [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Otto von Friesen

1870–1942.

Language researcher, runologist.

Otto von Friesen was born in Kulltorps Parish, Jönköping County and his most important scientific work deals with the runic script.

1897 became von Friesen docent at the Nordic languages at Uppsala University.

He published about the descent of the Runic script (1906) and the Smoke Stone (1920) in which he claimed that the enigmatic stone is about a conflict between Östgötar and Frisian merchants.

During the years 1905–1936 was von Friesen professor of Swedish language, became a member of the Academy of Sciences in 1928 and elected to the Swedish Academy in 1929.

 

Burial site: 0106-0332

Image description: Otto von Friesen, Uppsala 1940's. Photo: Gunnar Sundgren / UUB. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Hans Järta

1774–1847.

Official, politician, author.

Hans Järta (originally Baron Hans Hierta) became a student in Uppsala at the age of 13, an official in the Cabinet of foreign correspondence as an 18-year-old and secretary at the Justice department four years later.

As eighteen, Järta socialized with the men in the conspiracy against king Gustavus III. Järta was present in 1792 when the shot against Gustavus III was fired. Afterward, Järta gave partial misleading information about the shooting but whether or not he was involved in the murder plan itself, there is only circumstantial evidence. He was never accused of involvement in the assassination.

Järta recalled both nobility and his member of parliament at the Riksdag in 1800 in protest against king Gustav IV Adolf and the monarchical autocracy and took the name Järta (the family name was Hierta).

Järta was one of the men behind the coup d'état of 1809 and belonged, after the king's abdication, on of the leaders at the Riksdag the same year. He was secretary of the Constitutional Committee in the drafting of 1809 years of government.

Järta was also governor of Kopparbergs County 1812 – 1822, member of the Swedish Academy 1819 and moved to Uppsala 1825 where he served as a writer. In Uppsala, Järta held a literary salon, which competed with the Malla Silfverstolpes salon.

Later, Järta became head of the Swedish National Archives from 1837–1844.

The high gravestone that adorns the burial ground refers to his son with the same name, which as a young student died in 1825.

 

Burial site: 0112-0588

Image description: Hans Järta. Photo: From Emil Hildebrand,  Sveriges historia intill tjugonde seklet, vol 9 (1910) / Wikimedia Commons. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom

1790–1855.

Author, literary historian, philosopher.

Already at the age of 17, Atterbom became one of the leaders in the company Musis Amici (later Aurora Federation) who wanted to reform the Swedish literature in a romantic spirit.

The literary revolution that Atterbom wanted to lead began in 1810 with the critical and satirical journal Polyfem. Together with V.F. Palmblad, he started the journal Phosforus, which claimed the poetry as a spiritual power with the ability to transform life.

With the friends Geijer, Palmblad and Törneros, Atterbom had a lovely and soulful family company, and in Malla Silfverstolpes salons, Atterbom and other romantics for decades were intimately at ease.

Atterbom became professor of theoretical philosophy 1828, professor of aesthetics and modern literature 1835 and was also a member of the Swedish Academy from 1839.

Among his works are Bird Blue (1814), Happiness Island (1824–1827) and the Collected Poems (1837 – 1838). In Swedish seers and Poets (1841–1845) he portrayed Swedenborg, Ehrensvärd and Thorild. It also depicts Stiernhielm, Dahlin, Kellgren and Bellman.

 

Burial site: 0152-0060

Image description: Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom, painting by Johan Gustaf Sandberg 1831. Photo: Nationalmuseum / Wikimedia Commons. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Erik Gustaf Geijer

1783–1847.

Historian, philosopher, author and composer.

Erik Gustaf Geijer, one of Uppsala's most important cultural personalities, was born at Ransäter in Värmland and came as a student to Uppsala in 1799. As a tutor he resided in 1809–1810 in England, where he attentively observed social and cultural life.

Geijer's understanding of the intellectuals' criticism increased during a trip to Germany in 1825 and against the fantasies of romance he began to take a more realistic stance. This he expressed in memories (1834).

Geijer recognized the importance of the middle class in society and the legitimacy of its requirements for freedom, and as a result of the changed social analysis, a political reorientation was removed from conservatism. This "waste" he announced in 1838.

Geijer's ability to see and formulate essential contexts in his contemporaries made him a strong voice in formation of opinion. His most important works include Svea Rikes Hävder (1825), which portrays Sweden's oldest history and the history of the Swedish folkets historia (1832–1836).

Geijer was a full-gloss lecturer, in-depth scientist and one of the leaders in the literary circles in Uppsala in the 1830s. He was also the center of Music life, and composed songs, piano sonatas, string quartets and other instrumental music.

Erik Gustaf Geijer was professor of history in 1817–1847 and became a member of the Swedish Academy in 1824. He lived on Svartbäcksgatan 17 and then moved to the Övre Slottsgatan 2. In 1846 Geijer moved to Stockholm.

The following is taken from the poem "Night sky" from the Collected Writings, vol. 1-13 1849–1855.

Alone I proceed forth on my path,
Longer and longer stretches the path;
Ah, in the distance, my goal is hidden.
The day itself lowers. Space becomes nocturnal.
Soon only the eternal stars I see.

But I do not complain the fleeing day,
Not me the night terrifies;
For of the love that goes through the world,
Fell also a streak into my soul.

 

Burial site: 0104-0248

Image description: Erik Gustaf Geijer, lithography from the 1840's. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Dag Hammarskjöld

1905–1961.

Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Dag Hammarskjöld grew up in Uppsala where the father, Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, was governor. During the years 1936–1945, Hammarskjöld was secretary of State in the Ministry of Finance and transferred 1946 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

From 1947 to 1948 he was a Swedish delegate to the OEEC negotiations, cabinet secretary from 1949 to 1951 and consultative government minister from 1951 to 1953. Hammarskjöld was elected unsecretary-general in 1953 and the following year, he succeeded his father as a member of the Swedish Academy.

Hammarskjölds leadership skills were necessary to streamline the complex UN organization and with his personal integrity, diplomatic prowess and striving to realize the UN idea, he was given authority to the mission as Secretary-general.

Dag Hammarskjöld died in 1961 in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize the same year.

His diary entries entitled Road Signs were published in 1963. In the chapel of peace in Uppsala Cathedral there is a memorial stone with the inscription:

 

Not me without God in Me Dag Hammarskjöld 1905–1961.

 

Burial site: 0116-0834C

Image description: Dag Hammarskjöld, 1959 New York, USA. Photo: United Nations [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image