Johan Petter Åhlén (13 April 1879 – 31 March 1939) was a Swedish

businessperson A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for the ...

who founded

Åhléns Åhléns () is a chain of Swedish department stores. With locations in almost every city in the country, including 18 in Stockholm alone , it is the fourth largest group of fashion stores in Sweden. History Åhléns began as a mail order bus ...

. He was also a Swedish

curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding ...

pioneer and winner of a silver medal in the

1924 Winter Olympics The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games (french: Iers Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Chamonix 1924 ( frp, Chamôni 1924), were a winter multi-sport event which was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France ...

Biography

Johan Petter Åhlén was the son of farmers Marits Anders Andersson and Brittas Karin Christoffersdotter. He was born Johan Petter Andersson, but changed his surname to Åhlén after his birthplace (which was called Åhl by the time of his name change) to avoid being confused with numerous namesakes. In 1903 he married Elin Maria Charlotta Brolin and with her he had the sons Gösta Mauritz Åhlén and Anders Ragnar Åhlén, who both became managing directors of his companies. Åhlén died in 1939 while crossing the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

on a boat trip from New York.

Businessperson

In 1899, Johan Petter Åhlén foundedÅhléns corporate history
Åhléns the mail-order company Åhlén & Holm in his hometown, partnered with his uncle Erik Holm. It soon changed name to Insjön and became the leader in its field in Scandinavia. In 1902, Johan Petter Åhlén became the sole owner of the company. In 1906 he and Erik Åkerlund launched another company, the book publishing house Åhlén & Åkerlunds. In 1932, after a study tour to the US, he founded the first department store, at Östermalmstorg in Stockholm.

Curling player

Johan Petter Åhlén was a Swedish

pioneer, silver medalist at the

, three-time Swedish champion, and vice president of the Swedish Curling Association in 1935–38.Johan Petter Åhlén
Swedish Olympic Committee

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ahlen, Johan Petter 1879 births 1939 deaths Swedish businesspeople Swedish male curlers Olympic curlers of Sweden Olympic silver medalists for Sweden Curlers at the 1924 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1924 Winter Olympics Swedish curling champions