Carl Jonas Love Almqvist - author and social criticCarl Jonas Love Almqvist is one of Swedish literature´s most fascinating writers. He was critical of society, the Church and the ruling classes. 19th century Swedish society was not ready for his ideas. In the Sweden of today, we can see that many of his ideas have become reality. Family of priests and farmers
Carl Jonas Love Almqvist was born on 28 November 1793 in Stockholm. His father, Carl Gustaf Almqvist was a war commissioner and came from a family of priests and farmers. His mother, Birgitta Louisa Gjörwell, com from a middle-class family.
Inspired by his surroundings in Upplands Väsby
When Love was three, the family moved to Sättra in the parish of Ed in Upplands Väsby. The family then expanded with a little brother and a little sister, August and Louise, and they all moved to Antuna, not far from Sättra. These surroundings inspired several of his classic narratives about ordinary people. Love describes his childhood as idyllic up until he was 13 when he lost his mother.
Began writing while a student
At the age of 15, Love moved to Uppsala to become a student of subjects including philosophy and history. Three years later, heleft Uppsala with a Masters degree and began work as an assistant government clerk at the Ministry of Education. During his time as a student he was already doing a lot of writing. His first work was humorous and dealt with the similarity between a stone and a person.
Commitment to religion and philosophy
An interest in religion and philosophy lay behind Love´s role as a social reformer. Love was one of the founders of the Manna Samfund association in which religious, philosophical, patriotic, moral and everyday issues were discussed. Love was also ordained as a priest.
Married to a farmer´s daughter
Love earned his living as a farmer in the Swedish provinceofVärmland for a year. There he met farmer´s daughter, Maria. They got married and had two children. When the family then moved to Stockholm, Love worked as a teacher, school principal and on a number of newspapers, including Aftonbladet.
"Det går an"
His book "Det går an" was the pinnacle of Almqvist´s literary achievements. It took up an issue that was a huge social problem in those days - the significance of marriage and wedlock as well as a woman´s right to vote and to work. At the same time, it was a personal calamity for him since society was not able to digest the thoughts expressed in the novel. Love came into conflict with the public authorities and lost his job.
Financial problems
Almqvist then had unexplained financial problems. He had a good salary, no expensive habits, did not drink alcohol and did not play cards. One theory is that he was being subjected to extortion because of some erotic escapade.
Exile
These problems led him to leaveStockholmand Sweden on 11 June 1855. On that same day, the police got to hear that he had stolen promissory notes from moneylender J. J von Scheven, and tried to poison him. In his absence, Almqvist was convicted to a 3-year term in gaol and exiled for life. Despite the fact that he never admitted anything, his friends and enemies both believed him to be guilty.
Lonely death in Germany
Love got to Philadelphiain the USA and married guesthouse landlady, Emma Nugent. The marriage was not a happy one and his homesickness became so strong that he moved to Germany in 1865, just a few days´ journey away from his family. Before Love, alias Carl Westermann, had time to meet his family, he became ill and died on 26 September 1866. It was 1901 before his remains were moved from the pauper´s grave in Bremen to Solna churchyard where he still lies today.
