Elsa Brändström (26 March 1888 – 4 March 1948) was a Swedish nurse and philanthropist. She was known as the "Angel of Siberia" (german: Engel von Sibirien).
Life and commitment
Elsa Brändström was born in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, Russia. She was the daughter of the Military Attaché at the Swedish Embassy, Edvard Brändström (1850–1921) and his wife Anna Wilhelmina Eschelsson (1855–1913). In 1891, when she was three years old, the family returned to Sweden. In 1906, Brändström, now a
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
, became the Swedish Ambassador at the court of
Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Polan ...
and returned to St Petersburg.
Elsa spent her childhood in
Linköping
Linköping () is a city in southern Sweden, with around 105,000 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Church ...
in Sweden. From 1906 to 1908, she studied at Anna Sandström Teachers Training College (''Anna Sandströms högre lärarinneseminarium'') 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 ...
but returned to St. Petersburg in 1908. Her mother died in 1913. Elsa was in St. Petersburg at the outbreak of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and volunteered for a position as a nurse in the
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
.
World War I
In 1915, Brändström went to Siberia together with her friend and nurse
Ethel von Heidenstam (1881–1970) for the Swedish
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
, to introduce basic medical treatment for the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
and
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
POW
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...
s. Up to 80 percent of the POWs died of cold, hunger and diseases. As Brändström visited the first camp and witnessed the inhumane situation, she decided to dedicate her life to these soldiers. For the dedication with which she looked after men from Germany and Austria, many close to death with
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
, she became known as the ''Angel of Siberia''.
Back in St. Petersburg, she founded a Swedish Aid organisation but her work was severely hindered by the outbreak of the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...
in 1917. In 1918, the Russian authorities withdrew her work permit, but she did not give up and made several trips to Siberia until being arrested in
Omsk
Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...
in 1920. Accused of being a spy, Brändström was initially sentenced to be executed by the Soviet authorities. The sentence was eventually revoked and she was interned in 1920. After her release, she returned to Sweden via
Stettin
Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin language, Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Po ...
on the ship ''MS Lisboa'', where the German government gave her an official public reception. Upon returning to Sweden Brändström organised fund-raising for former POWs and their families. Afterwards she emigrated to Germany.
Peacetime
In 1922 her book was published. It was later translated and published as ''Among prisoners of war in Russia & Siberia'' (London: Hutchinson. 1929). From then onwards she looked after former POWs in a rehabilitation sanatorium for homecoming German soldiers at Marienborn-Schmeckwitz in Saxony. She bought a mill named Schreibermühle close to
Lychen
Lychen (), also known as ''Flößerstadt'' (raftsman city), is a town in the Uckermark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated southeast of Neustrelitz, and east of Fürstenberg/Havel. This is the town where the thumbtack was created.
...
in
Uckermark
The Uckermark () is a historical region in northeastern Germany, straddles the Uckermark (district), Uckermark District of Brandenburg and the Vorpommern-Greifswald District of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Its traditional capital is Prenzlau.
Geogra ...
and used it as re-socialization centre for former POWs. Schreibermühle had extensive lands including fields, forest and meadows on which potatoes and other crops could be grown. This was most useful at that time because the
German Mark
The Deutsche Mark (; English: ''German mark''), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later the unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it was ...
was an unstable currency and lost value from day to day.
In 1923, she undertook a six-month tour in the United States, giving lectures to raise money for a new home for children of deceased and traumatised German and Austrian POWs. On her trip she raised US$100,000 and traveled to 65 towns. At a stop at
Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota. It was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans led by Eric Norelius and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gustavus gets its nam ...
in
St. Peter, Minnesota
St. Peter is a city in Nicollet County, Minnesota, United States. It is 10 miles north of the Mankato – North Mankato metropolitan area. The population was 12,066 at the 2020 census. St. Peter is the county seat of Nicollet County and home ...
, Brändström wore clothing of the Swedish Red Cross and "spoke about her thrilling experiences in Russia and Siberia during and after the war."
In January 1924, she founded a children's home, Neusorge, in
Mittweida
Mittweida () is a town in Saxony, Germany, in the Mittelsachsen district.
Geography
Mittweida is situated on the river Zschopau, 18 km north of Chemnitz, and 54 km west of Dresden. Embedded within the steep hills and valleys of the riv ...
, which had room for more than 200 orphans and children in need. In Siberia she had promised many
German soldiers, who were dying, that she would care for their children.
In 1929 she married her great love Heinrich Gottlob Robert Ulich, a German professor of
Pedagogy
Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken as ...
. Afterwards, she moved together with him to
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
. In 1931, she sold the Schreibermühle and donated her other home, ''Neusorge'', to the Welfare Centre in
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
. She founded the Elsa Brändström Foundation for Women, which awarded scholarships to children from Neusorge. On 3 January 1932, her daughter Brita was born in
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
.
In 1933, Robert Ulich accepted a lectureship at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
and in consequence the family moved to the United States. Here Brandström gave aid to newly arrived German and Austrian refugees. In 1939, she opened the Window-Shop, a restaurant which gave work opportunities for refugees in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
.
World War II
At the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, she started to raise funds for starving and shelterless women and children in need in Germany through the organisations
CARE International
CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, formerly Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) is a major international humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects. Founded i ...
(Co-operative for American Relief in Europe) and
CRALOG
The Council of Relief Agencies Licensed to Operate in Germany (CRALOG) was a nongovernmental organization created in 1946 by the American Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign Service and included 11 major relief agencies such as the Intern ...
(Council of Relief Agencies Licensed for Operation in Germany). Sizable funds were collected from Americans and especially from
German American
German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...
s, who accounted for >25% of the American population. She undertook a final lecture tour in Europe on behalf of the "Save the Children Fund".
Death
Brändström could not undertake her last planned journey to Germany because of illness. She died in 1948 of bone cancer in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the age of 59. While her daughter Brita stayed with her husband and children in the U.S, her husband Robert returned to Germany, where he died in 1977 at
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
.
Honours and memory
Because of her commitment to
POW
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...
s, Brändström became famous as a "patron saint" for soldiers. In Germany and Austria, many streets, schools and institutions are named after her.
:''"The war has brought about many heroines in various nations, but in my opinion, never again someone, who is more worthy of being honoured than Elsa Brändström."'' – General
Alfred Knox
Major-General Sir Alfred William Fortescue Knox (30 October 1870 – 9 March 1964) was a career British military officer and later a Conservative Party politician.
Military career
Born in Ulster, Knox joined the British Army when he attended th ...
, British Military Attaché in Russia.
Among countless medals, awards and honours, Brändström was awarded the ''Silber Badge of the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
'' (german: Silberplakette des Deutschen Reiches) and the Golden
Seraphim Medal
The Seraphim Medal ( sv, Serafimermedaljen) is a royal medal of Sweden. Established in 1748, it is awarded by the King of Sweden for service that benefits society or service of a humanitarian nature.
Appearance
The Seraphim Medal is a gold medal ...
( sv, Serafimermedaljen). She was awarded the
Illis quorum
''Illis quorum'' (''Illis quorum meruere labores'') (English: "For Those Whose Labors Have Deserved It"), is a gold medal awarded for outstanding contributions to Swedish culture, science or society.
The award was introduced in 1784 by King Gust ...
in 1920. Brändström was also nominated for the
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
"Heroine of Peace" five times: in 1922, twice in 1923, 1928 and 1929.
In memory of Brändström
A ceremony at Arne-Karlsson-Park in Vienna on 16 September 1965 preceded the official opening of the XXth International Conference of the Red Cross. In the presence of Austrian civilian and military authorities, members of the Swedish colony, leaders of the Austrian Red Cross and many conference delegates, a monument to Elsa Brändström was unveiled. This monument, by the sculptor
Robert Ullmann
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
, stands as a testimony of gratitude to the famous Swedish nurse's work for
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
-
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
prisoners during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Work
*Elsa Brändström: ''Bland Krigsfångar i Ryssland och Sibirien 1914–1920'', Norstedt, Stockholm (1921).
*Elsa Brändström: ''Unter Kriegsgefangenen in Rußland und Sibirien – 1914–1920'', Leipzig, Koehler & Amelang (1927)
*Hanna Lieker-Wentzlau (ed.) and Elsa Brändström:'' Elsa Brändström-Dank – Das Ehrenbuch nordischer und deutscher Schwesternhilfe für die Kriegsgefangenen in Sibirien'', Becker/Säeman/Heliand
References
Further reading
* C. Mabel Rickmers: ''Among prisoners of war in Russia and Siberia'' (with a preface by Nathan Soderblom), Mutchinson and Co. Ltd. (1926), ASIN B000WQLF8I
* Panke-Kochinke & Schaidhammer-Placke: ''Frontschwestern und Friedensengel: Kriegskrankenpflege im Ersten und Zweiten Weltkrieg. Ein Quellen- und Fotoband'', Mabuse (2002),
* Norgard Kohlhagen: ''Elsa Brändström. Die Frau, die man Engel nannte. Eine Biographie'', Quell, Stuttgart (1992),
* Magdalena Padberg: ''Das Leben der Elsa Brändström: ein Hilfswerk in drei Erdteilen'', Herder, Freiburg (1989),
* Margareta Schickedanz: ''Deutsche Frau und deutsche Not im Weltkrieg'', B.G. Teubner (1938)
* Leopold Ehrenstein: ''Der Fall der Festung Przemysl. Der sibirische Engel Elsa Brandström. Bearbeitet von Emil Portisch'', Bratislava 1937.
* Elfriede von Plugk-Hartung: ''Frontschwestern Ein deutsches Ehrenbuch'', Bernard & Graefe (1936)
* Charlotte von Hadeln: ''Deutsche Frauen - Deutsche Treue 1914-1933'', Traditions-Verlag Kolk & Co. (1935)
* Elsa Björkman-Goldschmidt: ''Elsa Brändström'', 1933 (Language:
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 ...
)
* Anne -Marie. Wenzel: ''Deutsche Kraft in Fesseln. Fünf Jahre deutscher Schwesterndienst in Sibirien (1916-1927)'', Ernte-Verlag (1931)
* Gräfin Anna Revertera: ''Als österreichische Rotekreuzschwester in Rußland: Tagebuch'', Süddeutsche Monatshefte (1923)
* Magdalene von Walsleben (Freifrau von Steinaecker): ''Die deutsche Schwester in Sibirien: Aufzeichnungen von einer Reise durch die sibirischen Gefangenenlager vom Ural bis Wladiwostok'', Furche, Berlin (1919)
[Magdalene Philippine Caroline Auguste Erika Wilhelmine Freifrau von Steinaecker (geborene von Walsleben; 1880–?)]Digital reading* Alexander von Schlieben: ''Heldinnen vom Roten Kreuz: Lazaretterzählungen'', Ellersiek (1916)
* Ludwig Detter: ''Eine Deutsche Heldin: Erlebnisse Einer Roten Kreuz Schwester – Nach Aufzeichnungen von Hertha Immensee'', P. List (1916)
* Ilse Franke: ''Deutsche Treue: Kriegslieder einer deutschen Frau – Unsern deutschen und österreichischen Helden gewidmet'' Hesse & Becker, 191
Digital reading* Rudolf Voemel: ''Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue! Ein Wort des Trostes an unsere deutschen Frauen und Jungfrauen'', Verlag des Westdeutschen Jünglingsbundes (1914
Digital reading* Jost Meyen: "Elsa Brändström und die Kriegsgefangenen. Die sibirische Tragödie 1914 - 1921", Neuenburg 2021. ISBN 9783754320907
*
External links
*
Nachrufin ''
Die Zeit
''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles.
History
The ...
'', 11/1948
* Lena Radauer
Brändström, Elsa in
*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20101216234832/http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=375&C=16 Wonderful tribute to Elsa Brandström by Protestant theologian Paul TillichThe tribute appears in Chapter 3, "The Power of Love," of Paul Tillich's book "The New Being." Professor Tillich was a chaplain in the German army during World War I. "The New Being" was published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1955.
''Elsa Brändström'' (Television movie, Germany 1971)*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brandstrom, Elsa
1888 births
1948 deaths
Swedish nurses
Swedish women in World War I
Female nurses in World War I
20th-century Swedish women writers
Recipients of the Illis quorum