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Swedes in the French-Speaking World
February-April 2024 Vol 95:01 $9.95
01 2024
A Brief Franco-Swedish History | Strindberg's Paris | Swedes in Congo
A Brief Franco-Swedish History
Sweden and France have developed surprisingly deep ties through centuries of political, military, cultural, and industrial collaboration. Today, Paris is home to the largest number of Swedish institutions in the world.
T
he Viking raids in western France during the 8th and 9th centuries, the plundering along the Seine, and the siege of Paris might seem a questionable start to this thousand-year-old friendship,” writes Frank Belfrage, Sweden's ambassador to France from 2001 to 2006. Nevertheless, “the warriors from the North transformed into dynamic traders and administrators, who made impactful contributions to the development of their new homeland.” With the dissolution of the Kalmar Union and Gustav Vasa's accession to the throne in 1523, Sweden turned to France in search of a new ally that could counterbalance the Hanseatic League's monopolistic dominance in Northern Europe. Trade and security went hand in hand, and in 1542, the first-ever agreement between the two countries was signed. It encompassed mutual defense commitments as well as farreaching free trade provisions. The Thirty Years' War, from 16181648, triggered new Franco-Swedish rapprochements. It may seem paradoxical that Lutheran Sweden, ruled by Gustav II Adolf, would become the close ally of the Catholic Cardinal Richelieu in this major European conflict with religious undertones. However, converging geopolitical interests prevailed. Sweden hoped to consolidate its emerging status Swedish Press | Feb-Apr 2024 | 10
By Kajsa Norman as a great power, and France needed strong allies against the Habsburg rule in Central Europe.
1700s – From War to Romance
In 1649, Swedish Queen Christina invited the French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician René Descartes to share his knowledge with the Court in Stockholm. It marked the first of many successful SwedishFrench exchanges in the realm of research and science. Other prominent French philosophers of the Enlightenment era, such as Rousseau and Voltaire, also found an audience in Sweden through the efforts of Queen Christina.
Queen Christina conversing with René Descartes. Photo: common.wikimedia.org
In the 1770s, French cultural influence grew during the reign of Gustav III. The architecture, interior design, and artistic embellishments of the Royal Palace are among many examples of how the era was shaped by French aesthetics.
Exchanges in the scientific and cultural domains also inspired romances, such as the relationship between Queen Marie Antoinette and count Axel von Fersen of Sweden. Von Fersen was a welcome guest in 18th century Paris. He was a successful politician and career soldier, having served in the French army as well as in the American Revolution, where he made the acquaintance of George Washington. Von Fersen was introduced to Antoinette in 1778, and according to reports at the time, sparks flew the moment they met. In the years immediately following, von Fersen commuted between Stockholm and Paris, and in 1789 he was assigned by the Swedish king to observe and report on the developments leading up to the French Revolution. In February 1791, von Fersen and Marie Antoinette met in secret, for the last time. Von Fersen made his way to Belgium, where he tried, and failed, to help the French royal family escape. Antoinette was famously executed at the guillotine on October 16, 1793, at Place de la Révolution in Paris.
1810 – Enter the French Heir to the Throne
In 1810, the Swedish parliament unexpectedly elected the French Marshal, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, as the heir-presumptive (Crown Prince) to the childless King Karl (Charles) XIII of Sweden. After being adopted by the
king, Bernadotte took the name Karl Johan and was named regent, and generalissimo of the Swedish Armed Forces. For most of his time as Crown Prince, he acted as de facto head of state and many hoped that this gifted general, who had been named a Marshal of the Empire by Napoleon himself, would reconquer Finland from Russia. However, given his extensive military background, King Karl XIV Johan was all too aware of the devastating social and economic impacts of war. Consequently, he steered Sweden away from the various European conflicts and focused instead on developing the country’s economy and administration. As such, he is often considered the founder and architect of Sweden’s policy of neutrality.
countries with monarchies, including Sweden, officially boycotted the exposition. Nonetheless, some Swedish citizens and companies participated. For example, the exposition’s most famous structure – the Eiffel Tower – was constructed using bolts from Borgvik Ironworks in Värmland.
The Eiffel Tower constructed with Swedish bolts.
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte – King Karl XIV Johan of Sweden. Photo: common.wikimedia.org
Late 1800s – Engineers, Poets, and Inventors
In 1889, the Paris Exhibition was held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille, marking the beginning of the French Revolution. Because the exposition celebrated the overthrow of the French monarchy, nearly all European
Swedish products were reputed among the French for their high quality, which may explain why French author and poet Jules Verne, in his novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, had Captain Nemo's submarine, the Nautilus, powered by an engine from the Swedish Motala Machinery. In real life, Motala Machinery constructed 57 of the world's first oil tankers to be used in the Caspian Sea by the oil company Branobel, run by the brothers Robert and Ludwig Nobel. Their more famous brother, Alfred, also lived there for some time, but his main residence since the 1870s was in Paris. Alfred remained in France until shortly before his death, and the desk on which his famous will was signed in 1895 is at the Swedish Club in Paris. Founded in 1891, the Swedish
Club in Paris, or “Le Cercle Suédois,” still exists today. It was long located on Rue Chaussée d’Antin, but since 1936, the Club has been situated on 242 Rue de Tivoli, near Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris, with a breathtaking view of the Tuileries Gardens. Rumor has it, the relocation was driven by neighbors complaining about the overbearing smell of fermented herring. Today, the bar and restaurant welcome members and their guests for Nordic-themed events celebrating Swedish traditions and culture. Thanks to its long history, the club boasts an impressive art collection. Besides Alfred Nobel's famous desk where the legendary will was signed, there's the sculpture “Grodan” (The Frog) by Per Hasselberg. It was sculpted for the 1889 Paris Exhibition and was gifted to the club the following year. Paintings by renown Swedish artist such as Anders Zorn also adorn the walls. Zorn reportedly received a mere 200 Francs for the first four etchings on display. “Yes, of course, I am Swedish,” he wrote in the guestbook, before signing it “Zorn”.
Per Hasselberg creating The Frog in his Stockholm studio. Photo: common.wikimedia.org
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Swedish-French trade expanded significantly through the industrialization period. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France was established in 1915, in the midst of World War I, to support Swedish companies and foster Swedish-French trade relations. “The first two Swedish multinational company establishments abroad occurred in France in the early 1900s: Alfa Laval and SKF,” notes Gîta Paterson, president of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France. Innovation-focused Swedish companies like Ericsson, Alfa Laval, SKF, Electrolux, Volvo, ABB, Sandvik, and Atlas Copco, laid a strong foundation for the modern French-Swedish economic cooperation that would characterize the first half of the 20th century. After the Second World War, tourism grew rapidly, especially from Sweden to France, significantly strengthening the interpersonal ties between the two countries. France be-
came the world's most popular tourist destination, with Paris as the most visited city. As the world's cultural capital, Paris would eventually become the location for Sweden's only cultural center abroad, “Institut suédois,” which opened its doors in 1971. Alongside its permanent art exhibition reflecting Franco-Swedish relations over the centuries, the Institute regularly features exhibitions of contemporary Swedish art, design, cinema, music, and literature. The courtyard and garden are also open to the public and are used for some of the Institute’s cultural activities such as a summer library, open-air cinema, concerts, contemporary art installations, and open-air exhibitions. With Sweden's entry into the European Union in 1995, the political and economic cooperation with France deepened once more. France held the EU presidency in the first half of 1995, and it was President Jacques Chirac who welcomed Sweden to the European Union.
Garden and courtyard of Hotel de Marle in Paris, France, home to the Swedish institute Centre culturel suédois. Photo: common.wikimedia.org
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The 21st Century
Photo: volvoce.com
1900s – Getting Down to Business
Former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and the French President Emmanuel Macron.
Both Sweden and France have a strong commitment to climate issues. In 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron and then-Prime Minister Stefan Löfven signed a French-Swedish innovation partnership focused on green solutions for transportation, clean energy, and smart cities. In 2024, the two countries are entering into an updated version of their partnership, developed to enhance European competitiveness, focusing on areas such as security and defence, energy, electrification, forestry, mobility, green transition and digitalisation. It takes into account new developments in nuclear energy, as well as the recent changes to the security landscape affected by the ongoing war in Europe and Sweden’s upcoming entry into NATO. Today, Paris hosts the largest number of Swedish institutions in the world. Alongside the Swedish Embassy, the Swedish Institute, Business Sweden, and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, there is Visit Sweden, the Swedish delegations to OECD and UNESCO, two Swedish schools (including a high school), the Swedish student residence at Cité Universitaire, and the Swedish church. Source: The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France
Swedes Who Left Their Mark on France and the World Raoul Nordling
R
aoul Nordling was born in Paris in 1881 to a French mother and a Swedish father. He spent his entire life in France, except for a brief period serving in the Swedish military. Through film and theater, he has become one of the most famous Swedes in French contemporary history. Raoul’s father, Gustav Nordling, was a successful businessman and the Swedish Consul General in Paris. The role was passed down to Raoul, who became Vice Consul in 1905 at the age of 24, Consul in 1917, and, following his father's passing, Consul General. Raoul inherited his father's business acumen, serving as the Chairman of the Board for SKF France from 1932 until his passing in 1962. He was also deeply involved in the founding of Alfa Laval France and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France. However, it was towards the end of World War II, during the dramatic days before the liberation of Paris, that Raoul Nordling would leave his true mark on history. As one of only two remaining foreign diplomats in Paris during the war, Nordling managed to develop a close relationship
with the German commander of the occupation forces, General Dietrich von Choltitz. In August 1944, General von Choltitz received orders to detonate the many bombs that had been planted throughout Paris, effectively destroying the city before its liberation. However, it's said that Nordling, through his personal influence and negotiations with von Choltitz, managed to persuade him to spare the city from destruction. Prior to leading the negotiations resulting in the ultimate ceasefire between the Germans and the resistance, Nordling also persuaded the German commander to hand over 3,245 French political prisoners to Sweden and the Red Cross instead of transporting them to concentration camps. In recognition of his efforts, France awarded Raoul Nordling the Croix de Guerre with Palm in 1949 and the rare title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Paris in 1958.
Alfred Nobel
O
n November 26, 1895, Alfred Nobel sat at a desk at the Swedish Club on rue Chaussée d’Antin in Paris and penned his third and final will, which would make him even more famous than his invention of dynamite. He bequeathed 33 million SEK,today the equivalent of almost 200 million USD, to the establishment of a fund, the interest on which would be used to finance five annual awards – in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace – “to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.” Alfred Nobel was born in Stock-
holm. The family was impoverished and of the eight children only Alfred and three brothers survived beyond childhood. His father Immanuel Nobel was an inventor and engineer forced into bankruptcy following various business failures. The family moved to Russia where their luck turned, and Immanuel grew successful as a manufacturer of machine tools and explosives. The family could now afford to educate young Alfred who also showed a keen interest in technology in general, and explosives in particular. Throughout his life, Alfred Nobel would travel a great deal and he became fluent in Swedish, French, Russian, English, German, and Italian. In 1873, he moved to Paris where he kept a home until 1891. A Lutheran, Alfred Nobel regularly attended the Church of Sweden in Paris, at that time led by pastor Nathan Söderblom who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1930. Nobel eventually left Paris following a dispute with French authorities, but the desk at which he wrote his famous will remains at the Swedish Club in Paris.
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Strindberg’s Paris Swedish novelist and playwright August Strindberg was deeply affected by Paris. Here, he wrote some of his most renowned works, but also suffered heartaches and absinthe-induced paranoia. Next time you’re in Paris, bring this guide to some of his favorite haunts. By Noelle Norman
A
ugust Strindberg was 27-years old when he visited Paris for the first time in 1876. At first, life in the French capital did not meet his expectations. Strindberg found the city to be noisy and polluted and described French cuisine as “dog food”. However, after a short séjour in the Scandinavian artist colony Grez-sur-Loing, he warmed up to the French capital, while his disgust for the “stupid and conservative” Swedish cultural life grew. In 1883, Strindberg moved to Paris with his wife Siri von Essen and their children Karin and Greta. Having insulted both the monarchy and the church back home in Sweden, he was controversial and poorly regarded. In a letter to his friend and fellow author Edvard Brandes, Strindberg wrote that by going into exile he hoped to “become a writer in earnest! Not one who does diction, but one who writes to say what he cannot speak! Ruthless!” The family’s time in Paris was marred by marital problems. His wife Siri von Essen missed Sweden and the acting career she had left behind. Strindberg was both jealous and abusive. In his short story collection Getting Married (Giftas), published in 1884, he expressed his marital frustrations. The autobiographical novel The Defence of a Fool (Le Plaidoyer d’un Swedish Press | Feb-Apr 2024 | 16
fou), written in French in 1887-1888, depicts the ending of his stormy marriage with von Essen. In 1888, Strindberg also wrote his famous play Miss Julie, which he translated into French himself. In 1893, it premiered at André Antoine’s experimental Théatre Libre in Paris, where it became “an enormous sensation” according to accounts of the time. The following year, The Father, which Strindberg also translated into French, premiered at the Théatre de L’Oeuvre – where it impressed Émile Zola, one of Strindberg’s literary role models. Strindberg was becoming a recognized figure in the cultural circles of Paris. He made friends with artists like Paul Gauguin, Alphonse Mucha, and Edvard Munch, with whom he would share meals and drinks at La Crémerie on Rue de la Grande Chaumière. Strindberg and Gauguin would also play music together with the former on the guitar and the latter on the banjo. Despite his relative fame, Strindberg was always in dire economic straits and changed accommodation frequently. After a period of travels, Strindberg returned to Paris in the summer of 1894, this time with his new wife, German journalist Frida Uhl. In 1897, their marriage also fell apart. They bid their last farewells outside the Printemps department store on Boulevard
Haussmann. Strindberg spent more and more time alone, writing. The highlight of his existence became the daily visit to La Closerie des Lilas on the corner of Boulevard du Montparnasse and Boulevard St-Michel, where Strindberg would drink absinthe and read the newspaper. “At six o'clock, absinthe on the terrace of Brasserie des Lilas behind Marshal Ney has become my sole vice, my ultimate delight. Then, when the day's labors are finished, body and soul exhausted, I recuperate with the green drink, a cigarette, and Le Temps and Journal des Débats. Yet, how sweet life is when a mild intoxication draws its veil of mist over the misery of existence. […] I’m happy, purely happy under my chestnut tree behind the marshal.” However, the emotional turmoil and controversy that surrounded Strindberg, combined with his excessive consumption of absinthe, eventually became too much. Strindberg became paranoid and developed a psychosis, marked by hallucinations and delusions. The book Inferno, written in French, is a literary depiction of his religious and psychological crisis in Paris. There were, however, two places where Strindberg found peace. The first was the Luxembourg gardens, which Strindberg claimed exerted
The Luxembourg Gardens where August Strindberg used to stroll. The grave of Mathieu Orfila at Montparnasse Cemetery. The bust of August Strindberg, located behind Saint Sulphice Church, also known as Place August Strindberg. Photos: Noelle Norman
“a mysterious allure” on him. During his morning strolls, he would often wander there, drawn to the 17th century Medici Fountain. The second was the church of Saint-Sulpice, where Strindberg would sit at the foot of Eugène Delacroix’s painting of Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (La lutte de Jacob avec L’Ange). “This scene always gives me something to think about, in that it evokes ungodly notions in me, despite the orthodoxy of the subject. And when I go out again amongst the kneeling, I preserve the memory of the wrestler who stays upright despite his injured hip,” Strindberg noted. During his Inferno crisis, Strindberg was also engaged in alchemical experiments. However, nothing came of his attempts to create gold from chemicals, except for injured hands for which he had to seek medical attention. But he did not give up. At the Montparnasse Cemetery, where Strindberg loved to stroll, he would often stop by the grave of the chemist Mathieu Orfila, whom he admired greatly. In 1896, when Strindberg came across Hôtel Orfila, at 62 rue D'Assas, he took it as a sign that he was meant to live there and swiftly changed
his accommodation. Today, the house is a private residence, but a plaque on the wall serves as a reminder of the time Strindberg spent here. Strindberg’s experiments with visual art and photography were much more successful than his alchemical endeavors. During the Inferno crisis, he experimented with images of “celestial bodies”, simply laying out photographic plates on the ground and exposing them with the light of the night. He named the technique “celestography”, literally meaning to record or write (-graph) the stars or sky (celesto-). By 1897, Strindberg was doing better. He would go for long walks in Paris along the Seine and in the parks. In his diary, he noted: “I do not know of a place where you can live as calm, healthy and cheap as in Paris. Down by the Seine, opposite the Louvre next to the Institute, I pay 37 francs a month for a room on the courtyard side. After the morning coffee at 7.30, I walk along the river and go up to the Luxembourg Garden. At 9 o’clock, I am at home and at the desk. I’m locked up until 7 when I go out to dinner, which with wine costs 1 fr. 50 cents.
At 8 o‘clock, I am usually home again, and at ten o’clock I am in bed. This is how my life has gone during these three autumn months, during which I wrote the second part of Inferno. And it has been fourteen days without me speaking.” Beyond his literary legacy, Strindberg was also a talented painter. His depictions of stormy skies and troubled seas, executed with a palette knife and fingers, had an expressionistic quality that earned him recognition after his death. In 1960, Strindberg’s visual art was shown for the first time in a major exhibition in Paris. In the spring of 1898, August Strindberg left Paris for the last time. On May 14, 1912, he passed away in his home in Stockholm. However, in Paris his legacy lives on. In 2017, a bust of the author (originally created by the sculptor Carl Eldh in 1905) was erected just behind Saint Sulphice Church in the 6th arrondissement – where Strindberg used to sit and admire Delacroix’s painting La lutte de Jacob avec L’Ange. Henceforth known as Place August Strindberg, it pays tribute to the Swedish novelist and his life-long love affair with Paris. Swedish Press | Feb-Apr 2024 | 17
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