Jean-Christophe Sébastien Öberg (28 March 1935 – 12 June 1992) was a Swedish diplomat. He served in the Swedish foreign service for 30 years, as ambassador in Vietnam (1972–1974), in Thailand, Laos and Singapore (1976–1981), in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

(1982–1987) and in Poland (1987–1991).

Early life

Öberg was born on 28 March 1935 in Rouen, France. His father, Nils Konrad Öberg (1896–1974) came from a poor family in Nordingrå,

Västernorrland County Västernorrland County ( sv, Västernorrlands län) is a county ('' län'') in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name ''Västernorrland'' means "Western ...

, Sweden, and emigrated to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and eventually became vice consul at the Swedish embassy in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. His mother was a Frenchwoman, Germaine (née Pernot). His father's side of the family is portrayed in the book ''Kära broder Konrad : en berättelse om en nordingråfamilj i början av 1900-talet'' (2002). During

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 opposing ...

, his parents helped Jews flee the

Vichy government Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...

and its deportation measures.

Career

Öberg received a Bachelor of Arts degree from

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. The university rose to significance during ...

in 1959 and a Candidate of Law degree in 1961. Öberg became an attaché at the

Ministry for Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

in Stockholm in 1961 and then served in Jakarta,

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

and

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

from 1962 to 1963. He was embassy secretary in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

, Saigon, Rangoon, Phnom Penh,

Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...

from 1964 to 1965. In 1965, Öberg returned to Stockholm for the next five years, he helped mediate between the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...

. Öberg became an administrative officer at the Foreign Ministry in Stockholm in 1965, and desk offier there in 1967. Öberg served as secretary to

Minister for Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

Torsten Nilsson Harald Torsten Leonard Nilsson (1 April 1905 – 14 December 1997) was a Swedish Social Democratic politician. He served as Minister of Defence from 1951 to 1957, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1962 to 1971. Nilsson also served as Mi ...

from 1967 to 1970. In 1970, he opened the Swedish mission to the

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...

. Öberg served as chargé d'affaires in Hanoi from 1970 to 1972 and was then ambassador there from 1972 to 1974. He served as minister in

from 1974 to 1976 and as ambassador in Bangkok, as well as non-resident ambassador to Vientiane and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

from 1976 to 1981. He then became a fellow of the

Weatherhead Center for International Affairs A weatherhead, also called a weathercap, service head, service entrance cap, or gooseneck (slang) is a weatherproof service drop entry point where overhead power or telephone wires enter a building, or where wires transition between overhead an ...

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 high ...

in the

from 1981 to 1982 when he was appointed ambassador in Algiers. In 1987, Öberg was appointed ambassador in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, serving until 1991. He then became head of the Baltic Institute (''Östersjöinstitutet'') in Karlskrona. He died a year later.

Personal life

In 1959, Öberg married Birgit Bäcklund (born 1936), the daughter of Olof Bäcklund and Brita (née Sahlberg). Öberg had four children, including Nils Öberg, Director General of the Swedish Social Insurance Agency since 2019.

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oberg, Jean-Christophe 1935 births 1992 deaths Ambassadors of Sweden to Vietnam Ambassadors of Sweden to Thailand Ambassadors of Sweden to Laos Ambassadors of Sweden to Singapore Ambassadors of Sweden to Algeria Ambassadors of Sweden to Poland Uppsala University alumni People from Rouen Swedish social democrats