Eleonora Wilhelmina Palmstierna, generally known as Ellen Palmstierna, (1869–1941) was a Swedish activist. She was active in the women's suffrage and peace movements. In 1915, she was one of the Swedish delegates at the

International Congress of Women The International Congress of Women was created so that groups of existing women's suffrage movements could come together with other women's groups around the world. It served as a way for women organizations across the nation to establish formal m ...

held in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a list of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's ad ...

, after which she travelled to St Petersburg for discussions and met the Russian foreign minister. She was one of the founders of the Internationella Kvinnokommittén för varaktig fred which became the Swedish branch of the

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a non-profit non-governmental organization working "to bring together women of different political views and philosophical and religious backgrounds determined to study and make kno ...

. In 1919, Palmstiera founded and subsequently chaired Rädda Barnen, the Swedish chapter of

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...

, also collaborating at the international level.

Early life

Born in Stockholm on 7 April 1869, Eleonora Wilhelmina Palmstierna was the daughter of the nobleman and his wife Sofia Charlotta Wilhelmina née Blomstedt. She was one of the family's five children. In 1896, she married Baron and moved with him to

Jönköping Jönköping (, ) is a city in southern Sweden with 112,766 inhabitants (2022). Jönköping is situated on the southern shore of Sweden's second largest lake, Vättern, in the province of Småland. The city is the seat of Jönköping Munici ...

. The marriage was dissolved in 1911.

Career

After her divorce in 1911, Palmstierna moved back to Stockholm where she was active as secretary of the Swedish Association for Women's Suffrage (LKPR). She also worked as a librarian for the social welfare association Centralförbundet för Socialt Arbete. As a result of her contacts with

Elin Wägner Elin Matilda Elisabet Wägner (16 May 1882 – 7 January 1949) was a Swedish writer, journalist, feminist, teacher, ecologist and pacifist. She was a member of the Swedish Academy from 1944. Biography Elin Wägner was born in Lund, Sweden as t ...

, Palmstierna became actively involved in the peace movement. In 1915, she was one of the Swedish delegates at the 1915 Women's Peace Congress in The Hague. After the congress, she served as secretary of the Swedish women's peace organization, later known as the Swedish branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. After the congress in The Hague, she travelled to St Petersburg with

Jane Addams Laura Jane Addams (September 6, 1860 May 21, 1935) was an American settlement activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, and author. She was an important leader in the history of social work and women's suffrage i ...

and

Emily Greene Balch Emily Greene Balch (January 8, 1867 – January 9, 1961) was an American economist, sociologist and pacifist. Balch combined an academic career at Wellesley College with a long-standing interest in social issues such as poverty, child labor, a ...

, presenting the outcome of the congress and entering into discussions with the foreign minister

Sergey Sazonov Sergei Dmitryevich Sazonov GCB (Russian: Сергей Дмитриевич Сазонов; 10 August 1860 in Ryazan Governorate 11 December 1927) was a Russian statesman and diplomat who served as Foreign Minister from November 1910 to July 1916 ...

. In 1919, Palmstiera was one of the founders of Rädda Barnen, the Swedish chapter of Save the Children. Serving as chair of the Swedish organization, she also collaborated at the international level, travelling to Berlin, Vienna and Budapest to monitor the need for assistance. She reported on her findings in the Swedish journal ''Rädda Barnen'' and her 1920 book ''Några intryck av nöden i Österrike och Ungern'' (Impressions of Requirements in Austria and Hungary). She served the Swedish organization until 1932. For her services, she was awarded the Illis quorum medal. Ellen Palmstierna died on 2 December 1941 in Stockholm and was buried in

Solna Solna Municipality ( sv, Solna kommun or , ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in Sweden, located just north of Stockholm City Centre. Its seat is located in the town of Solna, which is a part of the Stockholm urban area. Solna is one of ...

Norra begravningsplatsen Norra begravningsplatsen, literally "The Northern Cemetery" in Swedish, is a major cemetery of the Stockholm urban area, located in Solna Municipality. Inaugurated on 9 June 1827, it is the burial site for a number of Swedish notables. Notabl ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palstierna, Ellen 1868 births 1941 deaths People from Stockholm Swedish suffragists Swedish anti-war activists Swedish women's rights activists Pacifist feminists Swedish pacifists Recipients of the Illis quorum

Early life

Career

See also

References