Carl Einar Thure af Wirsén (20 April 1875 – 5 January 1946) was a

Swedish Army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...

officer, diplomat and writer. Originally an officer, he was sent into the diplomatic service after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and served as a military attaché in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

and

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

where he witnessed the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...

. From the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, af Wirsén came to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and witnessed the country's resurrection. After serving in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Reval Tallinn is the capital and most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and administratively lies in the Harju ''maakond'' (co ...

and

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

, he was sent as envoy to

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

and

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

in 1921. After working in the Mosul Commission, af Wirsén was sent to

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, where he would stay for the next 12 years as envoy. Finally he was envoy in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

for three years before retiring in 1940.

Early life

Einar af Wirsén was born on 20 April 1875 in

Uppsala Uppsala ( ; ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the capital 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 inhabitants in 2019. Loc ...

, Sweden, the son of poet and literary critic

Carl David af Wirsén Carl David af Wirsén (9 December 1842 – 12 June 1912) was a Swedish poet, literary critic and the Swedish Academy's permanent secretary 1884–1912. Career Wirsén was born in Vallentuna, Uppland, to Karl Ture af Wirsén and Eleonore von ...

and Cecilia Emerentia Leontina (née Adlöf). He became a volunteer in the

Svea Life Guards The Svea Life Guards (), also I 1, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that was active in various forms 1521–2000. The unit was based in the Stockholm Garrison in Stockholm and belonged to the King's Life and Household Troops (''Kungl. Maj: ...

in 1891, passed ''mogenhetsexamen'' in 1893 and was promoted to sergeant in 1894. af Wirsén enrolled at the Royal Military Academy on 16 August 1894, was promoted to ''

fanjunkare Fanjunkare (OR-7) is a Swedish military rank above Översergeant and below Överfanjunkare. The word 'Fanjunkare' is derived from German 'Fahnenjunker', and denotes a standard-bearer, hence 'Colour Sergeant'. History ''Fanjunkare'' means "nob ...

'' in 1895 and graduated from the Royal Military Academy on 20 November the same year.

Career

af Wirsén became a second lieutenant in the Svea Life Guards in 1895, was promoted to lieutenant in 1897 and attended the

Royal Swedish Army Staff College The Royal Swedish Army Staff College (, KHS) was a Swedish Army training establishment between 1866 and 1961, providing courses for army officers. It was the home of the Swedish Army's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers ...

from 1900 to 1902. He was appointed attaché in 1903 and was an

aspirant Aspirant is usually an officer cadet rank used in armies, navies and air forces. In Western Christianity, an aspirant is the first stage in becoming a monastic. Religious use In Western Christianity, the term is also used in reference to rel ...

at the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

from 1904 to 1906. He was promoted to captain in the Svea Life Guards in 1909. af Wirsén served on the General Staff from 1910 to 1914. He became a teacher at the Royal Swedish Army Staff College in 1911 and was then military attaché in

and

from 1915 to 1920. Whilst in Constantinople and Sofia, he witnessed the

along with the military operations in the Dardanelles in 1915–16 and the military operations in Macedonia in 1918. af Wirsén was promoted to major in the

in 1917 and major in the Göta Life Guards in 1920. He was acting extra second legation secretary in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

from 15 January to 31 March 1921 and was appointed acting extra first legation secretary at the

Ministry for Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral rela ...

on 8 April the same year. af Wirsén was acting first legation secretary in

from 28 April to 2 July 1921 and was appointed ''

chargé d'affaires ad interim Chargé () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Chargé is a small town near Amboise. The Rock 'in Chargé festival has revitalized the village sinc2006 Population The inhabitants are called ''Chargéens'' in Fre ...

'' in

and

on 24 June 1921. He was appointed

envoy Envoy or Envoys may refer to: Diplomacy * Diplomacy, in general * Envoy (title) * Special envoy, a type of Diplomatic rank#Special envoy, diplomatic rank Brands *Airspeed Envoy, a 1930s British light transport aircraft *Envoy (automobile), an au ...

and

(accredited from Bucharest) on 26 September 1921, staying in this position until the 5 November 1924 when he took a

leave of absence The labour law concept of leave, specifically paid leave or, in some countries' long-form, a leave of absence, is an authorised prolonged absence from work, for any reason authorised by the workplace. When people "take leave" in this way, they ar ...

. af Wirsén was, from 1924 to 1925, the president of the League of Nations Council-appointed investigation commission for the submission of proposals for the border between Turkey and Iraq (the Mosul Commission) and had a significant share in its thorough report, which formed the basis for the Council decision. af Wirsén served his mission in a very satisfactory manner, and skilfully preserved the integrity of the commission, including in relation to quite tangible British pressure. He was then appointed an envoy in

on 26 September 1925 and became major in the Svea Life Guards reserve on 8 January 1926. He stayed at his post in Berlin until 1937 and then became an envoy in

from 1937 to 1940.

Personal life

On 26 January 1910 he married Jeanne Maria Käthie Ingeldi (25 July 1881 in

Kristinehamn Kristinehamn is a locality and the seat of Kristinehamn Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden, with 24,053 inhabitants in 2022. Geography Kristinehamn is situated by the shores of lake Vänern where the small rivers ''Varnan'' and ''Löt'' ...

– 21 December 1920 in

Montreux Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, Swiss municipality and List of towns in Switzerland, town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss Alps, Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut (district), Riviera-Pays ...

). On 1 February 1922 in

Engelbrekt Church Engelbrekt Church () is a protected church located in the Lärkstaden area of Stockholm, Sweden. Its located at Östermalm and belongs to the Church of Sweden and is parish church for Engelbrekt Parish in the Diocese of Stockholm. It was desig ...

, Stockholm he married his cousin's daughter Ebba Elsa Cecilia Hildebrand (5 April 1903 – 26 September 1991; both in Stockholm), the daughter of chairman of the board of the

Swedish National Debt Office The Swedish National Debt Office ( or shortly ''Riksgälden'') was founded by Gustav III at the Riksdag of the Estates in 1789, through the Act of union and security. It is a Swedish Government agencies in Sweden, Government agency. The first task ...

, Karl Emil Hildebrand and Elisabet af Geijerstam. af Wirsén had three daughters; *Käthie ''Madeleine'' Carola Cecilia (married Landenius) (18 May 1912 in Stockholm – 26 September 1996) *''Ulla'' Elisabet (born 11 October 1922 in

Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

– 9 September 1976) *''Diane'' Augusta (born 21 April 1935 in Berlin) Einar af Wirsén died on 5 January 1946 and was buried 15 days later in Uppsala old cemetery in his hometown.

Awards and decorations

af Wirsén's awards: * King Gustaf V's Jubilee Commemorative Medal (1928) *Commander Grand Cross of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...

(1932) *Knight of the

Order of the Sword The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Or ...

(1916) *Knight of the

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry founded on 29 May 1772 by Gustav III, King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. His ...

(1914) *Grand Cross of the

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for ...

*Grand Cross of the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars () 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 "Through hardships towards the ...

(1930) *Grand Cross of the

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...

(1925) *Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (1922) *Grand Cross of the

Saxe-Ernestine House Order The Saxe-Ernestine House Order ()Hausorden
Herzogliche Haus Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha was a ...

*Grand Cross of the Order of St. Sava (1922) *Commander of the Order of Military Merit (1922) *Third Class of the

Order of the Medjidie Order of the Medjidie (, August 29, 1852 – 1922) was a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I. History Instituted in 1851, the order was awarded in five classes, with the Firs ...

(1916) *Officer of the Order of Saint Alexander with swords (1919) *Knight of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

(1912) *Knight of the

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (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 world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

(1913) *Knight Third Class of the

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...

(1909) *Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for military (army and air force) and de ...

(1915)

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wirsen, Einar 1875 births 1946 deaths Swedish Army officers Swedish male writers Ambassadors of Sweden to Romania Ambassadors of Sweden to Greece Ambassadors of Sweden to Yugoslavia Ambassadors of Sweden to Germany Ambassadors of Sweden to Italy Military personnel from Uppsala Diplomats from Uppsala Witnesses of the Armenian genocide Expatriates in the Ottoman Empire Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star Knights of the Order of the Sword Knights of the Order of Vasa Burials at Uppsala old cemetery Military attachés for Sweden