Torsten Ludvig Hammarström (10 June 1896 – 9 May 1965) was a Swedish

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

Early life

Hammarström was born on 10 June 1896 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, the son of county governor

Alexis Hammarström Alexis may refer to: People Mononym * Alexis (poet) ( – ), a Greek comic poet * Alexis (sculptor), an ancient Greek artist who lived around the 3rd or 4th century BC * Alexis (singer) (born 1968), German pop singer * Alexis (comics) (1946–197 ...

and his wife Maria (née Engellau). He received a Candidate of Law degree from Uppsala University in 1920 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1921.

Career

Hammarström became an attaché at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1921. Hammarström served in Berlin in 1922, Chicago in 1923, at the Foreign Ministry in 1925 and in Helsinki in 1927. He was second secretary in 1928, second legation secretary in Brussels and The Hague in 1929, first secretary at the Foreign Ministry in 1931 and in Berlin 1935. Hammarström was head of the Foreign Ministry's agency for inheritance and compensation matters in 1936, the trade department's first agency in 1939 and was legation counsellor in Rome in 1940. He was an expert and representative of trade negotiations with Germany in 1940 and Italy from 1941 to 1944. Hammarström was sent as envoy to Prague just after the war was over, with the task to reopen the

Swedish embassy This is a list of diplomatic missions of Sweden. Sweden has a moderately sized diplomatic network of 78 embassies and 7 consulates general, supplemented by honorary consulates, cultural centres and trade missions. In countries without Swedish repr ...

, which had been closed during the Nazi occupation. Hammarström stayed as envoy in Prague to 1947 and was then ambassador in Nanking from 1947 to 1950. In May 1950, Sweden and China established diplomatic relations. Sweden was the first Western country to found such relations with the newly established People's Republic and for this reason, chairman Mao Zedong decided to personally receive the Swedish ambassador, Torsten Hammarström, when presenting his letter of credentials which was quite unusual, and a sign that China attached great importance to this diplomatic breakthrough. Hammarström was ambassador in Beijing from 1950 to 1951 as well as being accredited as envoy in Bangkok and Manila from 1947 to 1951. Hammarström was envoy in

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

from 1951 to 1957 and ambassador in Bern from 1957 to 1962.

Personal life

Hammarström died in 1965 and was buried in Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.

Awards

Hammarström's awards: *Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star *Grand Officer of the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...

*Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland *Commander of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the wo ...

*Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau *Commander of the Order of the German Eagle *Officer of the Order of the Crown *Officer of the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra", meaning "Thr ...

*Knight of the

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

*Knight of the Order of Civil Merit

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammarstrom, Torsten 1896 births 1965 deaths Ambassadors of Sweden to Czechoslovakia Ambassadors of Sweden to China Ambassadors of Sweden to Thailand Ambassadors of Sweden to the Philippines Ambassadors of Sweden to Switzerland Uppsala University alumni Diplomats from Stockholm Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star Commanders of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Commanders of the Order of Orange-Nassau Officers of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Order of Civil Merit members Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen