August Maximilian Myhrberg (24 July 1797 – 31 March 1867) was a Finnish-

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

military officer and revolutionary. After abandoning his studies at the Uppsala University, he pursued a military career by supporting the liberals in the Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis revolution, the Greeks in the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

and the Polish rebels in the

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...

. His adventures were mythologized in his native Sweden and his persona was idealized by late 19th century

Finnish nationalists Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

Early life

August Maximilian Myhrberg was born as Matts August Myhrberg on 24 July 1797 in Raahe, Kingdom of Sweden. His father Anders Gustaf Myhrberg was a Swedish-born merchant and Captain in the Swedish Army who later became a customs official. His mother Christina belonged to a Finnish bourgeois family from

Oulu Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...

. The family spoke Finnish at home. Following the Russian annexation of Finland in the aftermath of the Finnish War, the Myhrberg family moved to Karlshamn and later to Härnösand. Having completed primary school in Raahe, Myhrberg was sent to Uppsala to continue his studies at a boarding school. In June 1815, he enrolled into the Uppsala University, where he cultivated his interest in history and Greek mythology. In 1818, he became acquainted with visiting associate professor

Adolf Ivar Arwidsson Adolf Ivar Arwidsson (7 August 1791 – 21 June 1858) was a Finnish political journalist, writer and historian. His writing was critical of Finland's status at the time as a Grand Duchy under the Russian Tsars. Its sharpness cost him his job a ...

, frequenting opposition circles connected to him. In 1820, he abandoned his studies, to complete his military service. An admirer of

Napoléon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, Myhrberg aspired to participate in the revolutionary wave that swept Europe.

Military career

Upon his father's death in 1823, he travelled to Spain where he briefly fought in the liberal uprising against the absolutist rule of Ferdinand VII; before being taken prisoner by the French army. In 1825, he was among a group of volunteers recruited by Colonel

Charles Fabvier Charles Nicolas Fabvier ( el, Κάρολος Φαβιέρος, Karolos Favieros) (10 December 1782 – 15 September 1855) was an ambassador, general and French member of parliament who played a distinguished role in the Greek War of Independence. ...

in Marseille to fight in the

. He arrived in

Nauplion Nafplio ( ell, Ναύπλιο) is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece and it is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important touristic destination. Founded in antiquity, the city became an important seaport in the ...

in 1825, initially serving in Colonel Auguste Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély’s cavalry as a Trooper. Myhrberg took part in the fighting in Euboea in 1826, he then fought in an attempted relief of the Siege of the Acropolis where he was injured. In 1826, he was promoted to Lieutenant, later participating in the

Battle of Chaidari A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

where he was wounded again. He was wounded in action for the third time in the Battle of Cape Colias, being promoted to

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

after its conclusion. In January 1827, Myhrberg became Fabvier's aide-de-camp subsequently serving in the same role for Major General Thomas Gordon and Colonel

Carl Wilhelm von Heideck Carl Wilhelm von Heideck ( el, Κάρολος φον Χέυδεκ, born in Sarralbe, Moselle, on 6 December 1788 – died in Munich on 21 February 1861) was a Bavarian military officer, a philhellene and painter. Biography Von Heideck studied ...

. Myhrberg took part in the

Battle of Phaleron The Battle of Phaleron, or Battle of Analatos, took place on April 24 (6 May Gregorian ), 1827. The Greek rebel forces were being besieged inside the Acropolis of Athens by Ottoman forces under the command of Mehmed Reshid Pasha. Greek forces ...

and the

Chios expedition The Chios expedition (Greek: Εκστρατεία της Χίου) was an unsuccessful attempt of the regular Greek army and irregular military units for the recapture of Chios island during the final stages of the Greek War of Independence. Chi ...

where he distinguished himself. In 1829, Myhrberg was appointed Commandant of the Palamidi fortress by Ioannis Kapodistrias. Apprehensive to the growing influence of the

Russian Party The Russian Party ( el, Ρωσικό Κóμμα), presenting itself as the Napist Party ("Dell Party", el, κόμμα των Ναπαίων), one of the Early Greek parties, was an informal grouping of Greek political leaders that formed during t ...

, Myhrberg left Greece in 1831 in order to participate in the Polish

. Little is known about this period of his life, according to an anecdotal account by Anders Ramsay, Myhrberg fought at the Battle of Ostrołęka. He was captured by the Russians at some point during the war but managed to escape to neutral Prussia, later settling in France.

Later life

In 1834, he was awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of the Redeemer by King Otto of Greece. In 1836, he visited Thomas Gordon in Scotland. In 1840, he travelled to the Grand Duchy of Finland, visiting friends and relatives. In 1842, he decided to return to Sweden where he was suspected of being a radical revolutionary. Following an audience with King Charles XIV John he was allowed to settle in the country. The king was impressed by Myhrberg's military career, awarding him the title Knight of the Order of the Sword and the rank of

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. He went on to serve in the militia protecting the Swedish colony of Saint Barthélemy until 1848 when he returned to Sweden. He served as an advisor for King Oscar I regarding Finnish matters, warning him against intervening in the Crimean War. During the course of the

January Uprising The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...

, Myhrberg moved to Paris where he socialized with Polish political immigrants. He spent his final years in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

where he died on 31 March 1867; upon his death he was given a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

, with full military honours at the Johannes Church graveyard despite never holding office in Sweden. Myhrberg was greatly admired in Sweden's liberal and radical political circles. His adventures became the subject of numerous often conflicting, rumors and newspaper articles which idealized him as a person. Accounts of Myhrberg's life were written by poet

Johan Ludvig Runeberg Johan Ludvig Runeberg (; 5 February 1804 – 6 May 1877) was a Finnish priest, lyric and epic poet. He wrote exclusively in Swedish. He is considered a national poet of Finland. He is the author of the lyrics to (''Our Land'', ''Maamme'' in Fin ...

, philosopher Johan Vilhelm Snellman, poet Fredrik Cygnaeus and writer Zachris Topelius among others. He was elevated into a paragon by

during the late 19th century. A statue and a park dedicated to Myhrberg can be found in Raahe's old town.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Myhrberg, August People from Raahe Finnish people of Swedish descent Uppsala University alumni November Uprising participants Philhellenes in the Greek War of Independence Knights of the Order of the Sword 1797 births 1867 deaths Finnish expatriates in France Finnish expatriates in Greece Swedish people of Finnish descent