Eva Charlotta Carolina Dahlgren (23 April 1851 – 14 January 1934) was a
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 ...
writer, journalist, newspaper editor,
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
, and
suffragist
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...
. From 1891 to 1907, she served as the editor of the periodical ''
Dagny
Dagny () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.
Population
Geography
The river Aubetin flows northwestward through the commune.
See also
* Communes of the Seine-et-Marne departme ...
'', a leading mouthpiece of the Swedish women's movement. She was also a member of
Fredrika Bremer Association
The Fredrika Bremer Association ( sv, Fredrika Bremer Förbundet, abbreviated FBF) is the oldest women's rights organisation in Sweden. The association stands for an inclusive, intersectional and progressive liberal feminism, and advocates for wome ...
, the oldest
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
organisation in the country. She was awarded the Swedish royal medal
Litteris et Artibus
Litteris et Artibus is a Swedish royal medal established in 1853 by Charles XV of Sweden, who was then crown prince. It is awarded to people who have made important contributions to culture, especially music, dramatic art and literature.
The ob ...
for her contributions to literature and history.
Early life
Lotten Dahlgren was born on 23 April 1851 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 ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. Her father, Fredrik August Dahlgren, was a public servant and had a successful career as an author. Among his works was ''Värmlänningarne'', a comedy that was first performed in 1846. In the 1870s, he became known for his poetry in Swedish dialect, and in 1971, he was inducted into the
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy ( sv, Svenska Akademien), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III of Sweden, Gustav III, is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish lang ...
. Dahlgren's mother Ulrica "Ulla" von Heland was the niece of writer, historian, and poet
Erik Gustaf Geijer
Erik Gustaf Geijer (12 January 1783 – 23 April 1847) was a Swedish writer, historian, poet, romantic critic of political economy, philosopher, and composer. His writings served to promote Swedish National Romanticism. He was an influential ...
. Born into an affluent family, Dahlgren developed an interest in writing. She attended a private school in Stockholm, and later undertook language studies abroad. After completing education, she worked as a teacher for some years.
Career
Dahlgren's writing career began in the late 1880s. She worked as an editor 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 1887, she became a board member of the
Fredrika Bremer Association
The Fredrika Bremer Association ( sv, Fredrika Bremer Förbundet, abbreviated FBF) is the oldest women's rights organisation in Sweden. The association stands for an inclusive, intersectional and progressive liberal feminism, and advocates for wome ...
(FBF), the oldest
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
organisation in Sweden. In 1891, she became an editor of the association's journal, ''
Dagny
Dagny () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.
Population
Geography
The river Aubetin flows northwestward through the commune.
See also
* Communes of the Seine-et-Marne departme ...
'' – a magazine focusing on women's rights, gender roles, and feminism in Sweden, and remained on its board till 1907. During this time, she wrote several articles on literary topics as well as on female political spectrum. Under the auspices of FBF, she delivered lectures on working-class women, and wrote satirical poetry and
farce
Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...
s. In support of the
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
movement at the time, she served as a representative of FBF on the suffrage committee. From 1901 to 1906, she was the secretary of the society
Nya Idun
Nya Idun is a Swedish cultural association for women founded in 1885, originally as a female counterpart to Sällskapet Idun ('the Idun Society'). Its aim was to "gather educated women in the Stockholm area for informal gatherings".
There was a ...
.
As an author, Dahlgren published several accounts of her family history. , published in 1905, was a major breakthrough in her literary career. It proved to be so popular that she had to resign from ''Dagny''s editorial board to focus on her writing. She further cemented her reputation as an author when she released two years later. From 1905 to 1916, Dahlgren continued writing on personal histories. She released seven volumes of her family's letters and documents from her hometown
Värmland
Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are ''Va ...
. As an admirer of
feminist reformer Fredrika Bremer
Fredrika Bremer (17 August 1801 – 31 December 1865) was a Finland, Finnish-born Sweden and Norway, Swedish Swedish literature, writer and feminism in Sweden, feminist reformer. Her ''Sketches of Everyday Life'' were wildly popular in Bri ...
(1801–1865), Dahlgren's works focused on presenting the cultural history of her hometown
Värmland
Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are ''Va ...
, and writing accounts on women.
Later years
In the 1920s, Dahlgren wrote memoirs which were published by
Wahlström & Widstrand
Wahlström & Widstrand is a Swedish book publishing company.
Wahlström & Widstrand was established in 1885 by two book sellers in Stockholm, Per Karl Wahlström and Wilhelm Widstrand. The company started publishing fiction in the 1890s and la ...
. In 1921, Dahlgren was honoured with the Swedish royal medal
Litteris et Artibus
Litteris et Artibus is a Swedish royal medal established in 1853 by Charles XV of Sweden, who was then crown prince. It is awarded to people who have made important contributions to culture, especially music, dramatic art and literature.
The ob ...
for her services to literature and history. She released her final book ''Frances von Koch'' a few months before her death.
Dahlgren died in Djursholm, on 14 January 1934.
References
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dahlgren, Lotten
1851 births
1934 deaths
Journalists from Stockholm
19th-century Swedish writers
Swedish-language writers
19th-century Swedish journalists
Swedish women journalists
19th-century Swedish women writers
Swedish feminists
Swedish suffragists
Women magazine editors
Women newspaper editors
Swedish women's rights activists
Litteris et Artibus recipients
19th-century women journalists