Georg Ljungström (1861–1930) was a Swedish

cartographer Cartography (; from , '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 imagined reality) can ...

, author, and poet.

Biography

Georg

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 Patr ...

was born in 1861 to the

Jonas Patrik Ljungström Jonas Patrik Ljungström (12 March 1827 – 22 October 1898) was a Swedish cartographer, geodesist, and teacher at the Royal Institute of Technology. Biography Jonas Patrik Ljungström was born 12 March 1827 in Uddevalla as the son of je ...

, and Amalia (née Falck). Among his siblings were

Fredrik Ljungström Fredrik Ljungström (16 June 1875 – 18 February 1964) was a Swedes, Swedish engineer, Industrial design, technical designer, and industrialist. Considered one of the foremost inventors of Sweden, Fredrik Ljungström accounted for hundreds ...

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

, and

Oscar Ljungström Oscar Ljungström (7 November 1868 – 17 August 1943) was a Swedish archivist, officer, and author. Biography Oscar Ljungström was born in 1868 to the cartographer Jonas Patrik Ljungström, and Amalia (née Falck). Among his siblings were Fred ...

. A

land surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...

by profession, he served as a public

in the state's general

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

. Of a family background partly of Christians outside of the mainline

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden () is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.5 million members at year end 2023, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sweden, the largest List ...

, Georg Ljungström and his brother

shared interests in the new ideas on philosophy and religion. Both would eventually investigate

Theosophy Theosophy is a religious movement established in the United States in the late 19th century. Founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and based largely on her writings, it draws heavily from both older European philosophies such as Neop ...

. Georg Ljungström was appointed president of the theosophic lodge ''Orion'' in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, and a contributing editor to its publication '' Teosofisk Tidskrift''. Theosophy made an impact on European intellectuals and artists of liberal mindsets around the turn of the century 1900, including

Wassily Kandinsky Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky ( – 13 December 1944) was a Russian painter and art theorist. Kandinsky is generally credited as one of the pioneers of abstract art, abstraction in western art. Born in Moscow, he spent his childhood in ...

Piet Mondrian Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), known after 1911 as Piet Mondrian (, , ), was a Dutch Painting, painter and Theory of art, art theoretician who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He w ...

, and

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th century in literature, 20th-century literature. He was ...

. This also applied to Sweden, gathering personalities such as :sv:Axel Frithiof Åkerberg, :sv:Viktor Pfeiff, and :sv:Per Henrik Rudolf Cederschiöld, while influencing circles such as the artist group ''The Five''. This latter group, known for their interests in combining art with spirituality, included

Hilma af Klint Hilma af Klint (; 26 October 1862 – 21 October 1944) was a Swedish artist and mysticism, mystic whose paintings are considered among the first major Abstract art, abstract works in Western art history. A considerable body of her work predates t ...

, and :sv:Charlotta Cassel, of which at least the latter is assumed to have been in contact with Georg Ljungström. Both Ljungström's poetry and essays also influenced the author

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...

after the latter's ''Inferno'' period in the later part of his life, attested inter alia in his '' En blå bok'' (1907–1912), and '' Ockulta dagboken'' (posthumously published 1977). Keeping the poet's writings in his library with extensive commentary, Strindberg lavished Georg Ljungström with praise.

Bibliography

* ''Nostradamus och Anton Johanssons profetior om nu stundande världshändelser'' (editions 1924, 1928, 1939), Litteraturförlaget, Stockholm * ''Mellan de stora världskrigen, det gångna och det kommande: strödda tankar'' (1921) * ''Teosofisk Tidskrift'': 1895–1909; 1895, 1899, 1902, 1906 * ''En teosofs svar på Karl af Geijerstams "Modern vidskepelse"'' (1892)

References

Literature

* ''Strindberg och Georg Ljungström : en teosofisk bekantskap'' (1998) by Eszter Szalczer, part of ''Strindbergiana'' (2015), edited by Anna Cavallinn, and David Gedin * ''Fredrik Ljungström 1875–1964 Uppfinnare och inspiratör'' (1999) by

Olof Ljungström Gustaf Olof "Olle" Ljungström (1918–2013) was a Swedish engineer. He was a visiting professor in aircraft design process, aircraft design at Stanford University and the California Institute of Technology in the United States. Biography Olof ...

, Sveriges Mekanisters Riksförening,

External links

Libris KB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ljungström, Georg 1861 births 1930 deaths Swedish engineers Swedish male poets 20th-century Swedish writers 19th-century Swedish male writers 20th-century Swedish male writers 19th-century Swedish poets 20th-century Swedish poets Swedish Theosophists Postcolonial literature