Oscar Ljungström (1868–1943) was a Swedish archivist, officer, and author.

Biography

Oscar

Ljungström Ljungström is a Swedish family originating from Jönköping County, Småland, through the bailiff Johan ''Liungström'' (''floruit'' 1716, died circa 1730). Members in selection * Johan Patrik Ljungström (1784–1859), jeweler * Jonas Patrik ...

was born in 1868 to the

cartographer Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...

Jonas Patrik Ljungström, and Amalia (née Falck). Among his siblings were Fredrik Ljungström,

Birger Ljungström Birger Ljungström (4 June 1872 – 17 November 1948) was a Swedish engineer, technical designer, industrialist, and inventor. Biography Birger Ljungström was born at Uddevalla in Stockholm, Sweden to cartographer Jonas Patrik Ljun ...

, and

Georg Ljungström Georg Ljungström (1861–1930) was a Sweden, Swedish cartographer, author, and poet. Biography Georg Ljungström was born in 1861 to the cartographer Jonas Patrik Ljungström, and Amalia (née Falck). Among his siblings were Fredrik Ljungström, ...

. Oscar Ljungstrom served as an archivist in the urban engineering office of

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 ...

. With a background as an officer in ''

landstorm (plural ) was a form of militia (see ) and territorial defence force created in Sweden in 1885. It consisted of all conscripts who had completed their service, generally men between 33 and 40 years of age, as well as a smaller number immediately tr ...

'' of the

Swedish Army The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vas ...

, and a determined

anti-communist Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...

, he joined the White forces under

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (, ; 4 June 1867 – 27 January 1951) was a Finnish military leader and statesman. He served as the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918, as Regent of Finland (1918–1919), as comma ...

in Finland after the outbreak of the Finnish Civil War in 1918. He served as a

platoon commander {{unreferenced, date=February 2013 A platoon leader ( NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or ...

during the war, which the Whites eventually won against the Reds. Oscar Ljungström had artistic interests and made several visual artworks, working mainly with oil paintings. Yet, writing became his primary element. Of a family background partly of Christians outside of the mainline Lutheran Church of Sweden, Ljungström's main interests were in philosophy and religion – interests shared by his brother

– and he wrote extensively on matters of religious philosophy. Theosophy made an impact on European intellectuals and artists of liberal mindset around the turn of the 20th century, and this also applied to the brothers. Although an outspoken critic of esoterism, he advocated an eclectic ethical approach as opposed to both the

state religion A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular state, secular, is not n ...

and secularism of his time, sparking debate on

syncretism Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various school of thought, schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or religious assimilation, assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in t ...

, and how Christianity could benefit from the inspiration of

Eastern philosophy Eastern philosophy or Asian philosophy includes the various philosophies that originated in East and South Asia, including Chinese philosophy, Japanese philosophy, Korean philosophy, and Vietnamese philosophy; which are dominant in East Asia, ...

. After retirement, he resided with the Theosophical Society in Lomaland in California, United States. Among his last writings was ''Fredstankens två aspekter'' (1940), where he expressed hopes for a peaceful coexistence of nations after an anticipated end of World War II. He died in 1943.

Bibliography

* ''Fredstankens två aspekter'' (1940) * ''Karma in Ancient and Modern Thought'', Lund (1938) * ''A Philosophical Overhaul'' (1937) * ''Hold fast, go slow'' (1934) * ''Graded lessons in theosophy'' (1934) * ''Sagan om Visingsö'' (1925) * ''Tvenne världsreligioner. Tankar med anledning av det andliga nutidslivet och kyrkan'' (1920) * ''Motrevolution: socialismens nedkämpande'' (1917) * ''Entwicklungslehre: Entwurf einer neuen Weltanschauung'' (1907) * ''Existenslinjer och utvecklingsnormer'' (1906)

Distinctions

: Svenska skyttemärket * : 4th class of the Order of the Cross of Liberty (1918) * : 2nd Class of the Iron Cross

Literature

* Fredrik Ljungström 1875–1964 Uppfinnare och inspiratör (1999) by

Olle Ljungström Lars Olof "Olle" Gustaf Ljungström (12 August 1961 – 4 May 2016) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, and musician. Ljungström grew up in Vaxholm. He was vocalist and guitarist in the group Reeperbahn from 1979 to 1984; since the early 1990s he ...

, Sveriges Mekanisters Riksförening, * ''Hågkomster och livsintryck av svenska män och kvinnor''. Saml. 10, Uppsala, 1929 * ''Oscar Ljungströms efterlämnade papper'', Lund University Library, Lund University, including correspondence with

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Nathan Söderblom * Oscar L: O R Lande-lius' utlandssv saml, SBL:s dep i RA; * A Henning, Oscar L in memoriam (SvD 23 August 1943) * https://www.europeana.eu/portal/sv/record/9200106/2736BB73B1A839FCA564AC09823E3A0F0BE89097.html?q=ljungstr%C3%B6m#dcId=1544942773424&p=22

References

External links

Libris KB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ljungstrom, Oscar 1868 births 1943 deaths Swedish engineers Swedish archivists Swedish Army officers 19th-century Swedish writers 20th-century Swedish writers 19th-century male writers 20th-century Swedish male writers People of the Finnish Civil War (White side) Swedish Theosophists Recipients of the Iron Cross, 2nd class Oscar Swedish expatriates in Finland