Lars Johan Hierta (; 22 January 1801 – 20 November 1872) was a Swedish
newspaper publisher
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
,
social critic
Social criticism is a form of academic or journalistic criticism focusing on social issues in contemporary society, in particular with respect to perceived injustices and power relations in general.
Social criticism of the Enlightenment
The orig ...
, businessman and politician. He is best known as the founder of the newspaper ''
Aftonbladet
''Aftonbladet'' (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries.
History and profile
The newspaper was founded by Lars Johan H ...
'' in 1830. Hierta was a leading agitator for political and social reform in Sweden during the 19th century. He is sometimes credited as the "father of the
free press" in Sweden.
Biography
![Wilhelmina Fröding Hierta (1805-1808)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Wilhelmina_Fr%C3%B6ding_Hierta_%281805-1808%29.png)
![1851CaricatureLarsJohanHierta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/1851CaricatureLarsJohanHierta.png)
Hierta was born to a
noble
A noble is a member of the nobility.
Noble may also refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Noble Glacier, King George Island
* Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land
* Noble Peak, Wiencke Island
* Noble Rocks, Graham Land
Australia
* Noble Island, Great B ...
family – the
Hierta family – in
Uppsala
Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...
, Sweden, as the son of Carl Didrik Hierta and Hedvig Johanna Schméer. He received his primary education at a private school and began his studies at
Uppsala University
Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in opera ...
in 1814, where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy and a
Candidate of Law
Candidate of Law (Latin: ''candidatus/candidata juris/iuris'') is both a graduate law degree awarded to law students in the Nordic region as well as an academic status designation for advanced Law School students in German-speaking countries.
N ...
in 1821. In the same year he was employed as an unpaid trainee at the central government agency
Bergskollegium, where he was promoted as a
law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person, generally someone who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court. Judicial clerks often play significant ...
in 1825.
In the mid-1820s, Hierta met Wilhelmina Fröding, his future wife. Although her family rejected his initial marriage proposal, they married in 1833 and together had five daughters.
[ ]
At the
Riksdag of the Estates
Riksdag of the Estates ( sv, Riksens ständer; informally sv, Ståndsriksdagen) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to t ...
of 1823, Hierta served as a secretary at the
Swedish House of Lords
The House of Nobility ( sv, Riddarhuset) in Stockholm, Sweden, is a corporation and a building that maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the Swedish nobility.
Name
The name is literally translated as ''House of Knights' ...
. At the following Estates Assembly, from 1828 to 1830, he was a representative of the nobility and also served as a law clerk. In the Riksdag, Hierta aligned himself with the liberal opposition critical of the conservative rule of
King Charles XIV John.
Hierta started writing for ''Conservationsbladet'' in 1823. He also wrote for the papers ''Argus'' from 1824 to 1826 and, sporadically, ''
Stockholmsposten'' from 1826 to 1828. He started writing as a humourist, later as a news writer and political editorialist.
In 1829, Hierta started the book publishing house Hiertas bokförlag ("Hierta's Publishing House").
In 1830, Hierta founded the ''
Aftonbladet
''Aftonbladet'' (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries.
History and profile
The newspaper was founded by Lars Johan H ...
'' newspaper, where he advocated for a republic (though without using the word "republic"), which is sometimes seen as the start of the
Swedish republican movement. The newspaper was banned many times, but published under a new name each time.
In 1839 Lars Johan Hierta founded a candle factory still active today by the name of
Liljeholmens Stearinfabriks AB
Liljeholmens Stearinfabriks AB is a Swedish candle manufacturer. The factory is located in Oskarshamn, Sweden.
History
The company was founded in 1839 by Lars Johan Hierta
Lars Johan Hierta (; 22 January 1801 – 20 November 1872) was a Sw ...
.
Soon after 1840, ''Aftonbladet'' hired Swedish writer and feminist
Wendela Hebbe
Wendela Hebbe (9 September 1808, Jönköping – 27 August 1899, Stockholm), was a Swedish journalist, writer, and salon hostess. She was arguably the first permanently employed female journalist at a Swedish newspaper.Berger, Margareta, Pennsk ...
(1808–1899), who became the first permanently-employed woman journalist at a Swedish newspaper. Hierta and Hebbe later had a son together. Both Hierta and Hebbe were socially active for liberal causes.
[ ]
At the time of his death in Stockholm, Hierta was one of the wealthiest persons in Sweden. After his death, his widow Wilhelmina Fröding Hierta donated 100,000
SEK to
Stockholm University
Stockholm University ( sv, Stockholms universitet) is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden, founded as a college in 1878, with university status since 1960. With over 33,000 students at four different faculties: law, humanities, so ...
for the establishment of a professorship in economics, and later 400,000 SEK to the foundation ''Lars Hiertas minne'' ("Lars Hierta's Memory") whose mission was to "work freely and independently for human progress" ().
[ ] He is buried in
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.
Nota ...
.
Further reading
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References
External links
Aftonbladet under 170 år(in Swedish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hierta, Lars Johan
1801 births
1872 deaths
People from Uppsala
Swedish nobility
Uppsala University alumni
Swedish newspaper publishers (people)
19th-century Swedish businesspeople
Members of the Riksdag of the Estates
Members of the Andra kammaren
19th-century Swedish politicians
Social critics
19th-century Swedish journalists
Male journalists
19th-century male writers
Swedish republicans
Lars Johan
Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen