Nils Otto Silfverskiöld (3 January 1888 – 18 August 1957) 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 ...

Olympic gymnast,

orthopedic surgeon Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

and left-wing intellectual. As a gymnast he won a gold medal in the Swedish system team event at the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, be ...

. As a surgeon he developed a knee flexion test that was later adapted in a diagnosis of foot and ankle disorders. He was employed at the

Sabbatsberg Hospital Sabbatsberg Hospital ( Swedish: ''Sabbatsbergs sjukhus'') was a hospital in Vasastan in Stockholm. It was opened in 1879. In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was pronounced dead at 00:06 CET on March 1 at Sabbatsbergs Hospital, after havin ...

(1927),

Serafimerlasarettet Serafimerlasarettet (Seraphim Hospital), popularly known as ''Serafen'', was the first modern hospital in Sweden. It was located in Kungsholmen in Stockholm and active from 1752 to 1980. The current building still houses the local emergency departm ...

(1936) and

Karolinska University Hospital The Karolinska University Hospital ( sv, Karolinska universitetssjukhuset) is a teaching hospital affiliated with Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, with two major sites in the municipalities of Solna and Huddinge. The hospital network is ...

(1940). Silfverskiöld was born to a doctor, the head of a pediatric hospital. In 1911 he graduated from the medical faculty of the

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 1916 received a doctor's degree, in 1924 presented a PhD on the orthopedics of paralysis in children (german: Orthopädische Studie über Hemiplegia spastica infantilis), and later defended a

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...

. His work was devoted to healing disabled people, including those with missing limbs. In parallel he taught artistic gymnastics (until 1917) and served as a military doctor in Stockholm. Silfverskiöld had strong anti-Nazi and pro-Soviet sympathies. In 1937 during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

he established a Swedish hospital in Spain to help the Republicans, and later became president of the Swedish-Soviet Federation. Silfverskiöld was married four times. His third marriage was in 1932 with Countess Mary von Rosen. Her family had good relations with Nazi Germany in general and with

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

in particular. This resulted in a scandal at the wedding of Silfverskiöld and von Rosen, when all the attendants (but not the groom and bride) made the Nazi salute to Göring. Silfverskiöld and von Rosen had a daughter Monica Getz, the ex-wife of American jazz saxophonist

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...

. She is also a diplomat, educator and activist who founded the National Coalition for Family Justice.

References

External links

profileNational Coalition for Family Justice
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silfverskiold, Nils 1888 births 1957 deaths Swedish male artistic gymnasts Gymnasts at the 1912 Summer Olympics Olympic gymnasts for Sweden Olympic gold medalists for Sweden Olympic medalists in gymnastics Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Gothenburg