Ebbe Harald Lieberath, (June 25, 1871 in Malmö November 1, 1937 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 ...

), was a Swedish military officer, writer and pioneer of

Swedish Scouting Scouting and Guiding in Sweden is represented by one organisation Scouterna as a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It was formed in 2012 as the successor to Svenska Scoutrå ...

Background

Lieberath was a physical education teacher in

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, when he during a boat trip he found a copy of ''

Scouting for Boys ''Scouting for Boys: A handbook for instruction in good citizenship'' is a book on Boy Scout training, published in various editions since 1908. Early editions were written and illustrated by Robert Baden-Powell with later editions being extensi ...

'' by Robert Baden-Powell. There are divided opinions about how Lieberath came in contact with the book. One version claims that it lay on a table in the lounge on board, Lieberath sat down and started to read the book and was thus inspired to try Scouting in Sweden. The second version claims that he had been sleeping on the boat, and the book fell into his lap. Lieberath translated Scouting for Boys to Swedish in 1909. p. 26, 27, 46 He formed the first organized Scout group in Sweden, ''Riddarpojkarna'' in Gothenburg. At the same time Lieberath started a magazine of the Swedish Scout Movement. The magazine survived only six months. Thanks to his translation of the book and personal boosting, Scouting ideas spread in Sweden. Lieberath co-founded the

Swedish Guide and Scout Association 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 ...

in the Crown Prince Hotel in Stockholm in 1912. The union was not the first Scout association in Sweden, (the YMCA's Scout association was first), but it was the first organization of free association. Lieberath was Scouting director of the Swedish Guide and Scout Association for many years. In 1920 he was awarded the first Silver Wolf Award, Swedish Scouting's highest award. Lieberath wrote some thirty books for young people, such as ''Klämmiga pojkar'' (Spirited Boys) (1924). Ebbe Lieberathsgatan neighborhood in Gothenburg was named in 1946 in memory of Lieberath, who spent his childhood in the district. His nephew, the then 13-year-old Allan Evers, received the Scout Movement's finest award Gold Cross in January 1915, for having saved people from drowning three times, at the risk of his own life.

References

Scouting and Guiding in Sweden 1871 births 1937 deaths {{Sweden-bio-stub