Hedvig Strömfelt (
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 ...
11 October 1723 -
Kersö), 22 May 1766), was a Swedish baroness and
psalm writer. She occupied an important place in the
Moravian Church Stockholm congregation in 18th-century Sweden. She composed the psalms number 46, 59 and 63 in
Sions Sånger (Songs of Sion) of 1743, and likely 72, 78, 85, 86, 105 and 108 in
Sions Nya Sånger (New Songs of Sion) of 1748.
Life
Hedvig Strömfelt was the daughter of baron Otto Reinhold Strömfelt, president of
Svea Hovrätt Svea may refer to:
Name
* Svea (name), Swedish female given name meaning "Swede"
* Mother Svea, personification of Sweden
* Svea (singer) (Svea Virginia Kågemark, born 1999), a Swedish singer
Places
* United States
** Svea, Florida, unincorpor ...
, and Anna Magdalena Taube af Odenkat. Her parents, previously followers of the
pietism, became followers of the Moravian Church after a visit to
Livonia in 1738. Upon their return, the home of the Strömfelt family became a haven for the Moravian Church in Stockholm and Sweden, were the Moravian faith was introduced by mission of Thore Odhelius, who was referred to as the Moravian court chaplain of her father. Many Moravians were given employment and refuge in the Strömfelt home. Hedvig Strömfelt also became a leading member of the Moravian congregation and with her sisters Ottiliana, Christina and Ulrika referred to as the Strömfelt Sisters, and they acted as missionaries and preachers in especially the upper class circles of the capital.
In 1759, when the Moravian congregation of Stockholm was inspected by the Moravian Johan Huffel from Courland, it was severely divided, and the Strömfelt Sisters, along with Olof Gren, Eric Alibin and the Schmidt couple were the leaders of the so-called Six Party. When the Moravian congregation was united by the preacher Ike, the Strömfelt Sisters refused to join.
The writings of Hedvig Strömfelt are inspired by ta strong erotic mysticism around blood and wounds which were popular within the Moravian Church at the time. Alongside her sister Ulrika, she also wrote a description of the history of the first Moravian church in Sweden.
References
* https://web.archive.org/web/20140601072747/http://www.nordicwomensliterature.net/writer/str%C3%B6mfelt-hedvig
* Ann Öhrberg (2001). Vittra fruntimmer. Författarroll och retorik hos frihetstidens kvinnliga författare. Stockholm: Gidlunds Förlag.
* Nordisk kvinnoliteraturhistoria. Första delen (1993)
* Asa Johansson & Petra Ragnerstam: Limitation and Liberation. Women writers and the Position of Genre (2005)
* Herman Lundström: "Kyrkohistorisk årsskrift" Fjärde årgången 1903. Uppsala (1920)
* Karin Dovring: Striden kring Sions Sånger och närstående sångsamlingar, 1951
* http://www.adelsvapen.com/genealogi/Str%C3%B6mfelt_nr_173
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stromfelt, Hedvig
1723 births
1766 deaths
18th-century Swedish writers
18th-century Swedish women writers
Swedish people of the Moravian Church
18th-century religious leaders
Swedish Christian religious leaders
Women Protestant religious leaders
Age of Liberty people