Historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar

Historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar (History's 100 Most Important Swedes) is a book by Niklas Ekdal and Petter Karlsson, published in 2009. Before the book was released, the list was published by Dagens Nyheter between 14 April and 6 May.[1] The book is a list of the 100 Swedes that according to the authors has had "the greatest influence on Swedish people's lives, and also people's lives around the world".[2] There are 84 men and 16 women on the list. Around 40 of them lived in the previous century, and 16 were still alive as of the book's publication.[3]

Selection criteria

The selection criteria were:"How much, how long, and how many people has the person influenced – primarily domestically but also internationally – with his thoughts, his reign, his deeds or his example? And how much does this person mean to us living here today, in 2009?"[4]

The list
  1. Gustav I of Sweden (1496–1560), king (reigned 1523–1560), the founding father of modern Sweden
  2. Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002), author, writer of children's books including the Pippi Longstocking series
  3. Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654), statesman, Lord High Chancellor from 1612–1654. Confidant of both Gustavus Adolphus and Queen Christina.
  4. Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), inventor, founder of the Nobel Prize
  5. Olof Palme (1927–1986), socialist politician, Prime Minister (1969–1976 and 1982–1986)
  6. Marcus Wallenberg (1899–1982), industrialist and banker
  7. Evert Taube (1890–1976), composer
  8. Lars Magnus Ericsson (1846–1926), inventor, entrepreneur and founder of telephone equipment manufacturer Ericsson
  9. Charles XIV John (1763–1844), king (reigned 1818–1844)
  10. Carl Larsson (1853–1919), painter
  11. St. Bridget (1303–1373), saint
  12. Johan August Gripenstedt (1813–1874), Finance Minister (1856–1866), liberal reformer and free trader
  13. Odin (170–240), king, later considered the chief god in Norse paganism
  14. August Strindberg (1849–1912), playwright and writer
  15. Charles XI (1655–1697), king (reigned 1660–1697)
  16. Carl Michael Bellman (1740–1795), poet and composer
  17. Anders Chydenius (1729–1803), priest, early Classical Liberal theorist
  18. Ingvar Kamprad (1926–2018), entrepreneur, founder of IKEA
  19. Ingmar Bergman (1918–2007), director
  20. Gustav III (1746–1792), king (reigned 1771–1792)
  21. Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), botanist, founder of the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature
  22. Charles XII (1682–1718), king (reigned 1697–1718), skilled military leader and tactician of the Great Northern War
  23. Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940), author
  24. Rutger Macklean II (1742–1816), land reformist
  25. Albert Bonnier (1820–1900), publicist
  26. Dag Hammarskjöld (1905–1961), diplomat, Secretary-General of the United Nations 1953–1961
  27. Per Albin Hansson (1885–1946), Prime Minister (1932–1946)
  28. Ellen Key (1849–1926), writer
  29. Lennart Hyland (1919–1993), TV-show host and journalist
  30. Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (1778–1837), king (reigned 1792–1809)
  31. Assar Gabrielsson (1891–1962), industrialist, co-founder of Volvo
  32. Björn Borg (1956– ), tennis legend, winner of five consecutive Wimbledon tournaments 1976–1980
  33. John Ericsson (1803–1889), mechanical engineer, inventor of the two screw-propeller and iron warship USS Monitor
  34. Hans Alfredson (1931—2017), entertainer
  35. Tage Danielsson (1928–1985), entertainer
  36. Jonas Wenström (1855–1893), engineer, inventor of the three-phase electric power system, the basis for ASEA (later ABB Group)
  37. Karl Staaff (1860–1915), Prime Minister, chairman of the Liberal Coalition Party 1907–1915 and champion of universal suffrage
  38. Vilhelm Moberg (1898–1973), author
  39. Erik Gustaf Geijer (1783–1847), historian
  40. Raoul Wallenberg (1912–?), diplomat
  41. Carl Olof Rosenius (1816–1868), preacher
  42. Christopher Polhem (1661–1751), scientist, inventor and industrialist, significant contributor to industrial development, particularly in mining
  43. Olaus Petri (1493–1552), reformist
  44. Hjalmar Branting (1860–1925), Prime Minister
  45. Gustavus Adolphus (1594–1632), king (reigned 1611–1632), founder of the Swedish Empire and the Golden Age of Sweden.
  46. Fredrika Bremer (1801–1865), author
  47. Oscar I (1799–1859), king (reigned 1844–1859)
  48. Jan Stenbeck (1942–2002), capitalist, founder of MTG, Tele2, Millicom and leading global free newspaper company Metro
  49. Anna Maria Roos (1862–1938), author
  50. Stig Anderson (1931–1997), music producer, manager of ABBA
  51. Ivar Kreuger (1880–1932), financier and industrialist
  52. Carl Edvard Johansson (1864–1943), scientist, inventor of the gauge block set
  53. Birger Jarl (1210–1266), statesman, played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden, founded Stockholm in 1250
  54. Urban Hjärne (1641–1724), physician
  55. Lennart Nilsson (1922—2017), photographer
  56. Olaus Rudbeck (1630–1702), scientist and writer
  57. Greta Garbo (1905–1990), actor
  58. Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (1390–1436), rebel leader and statesman
  59. Lars Johan Hierta (1801–1872), newspaperman
  60. Alice Tegnér (1864–1943), composer
  61. Carl Jonas Love Almqvist (1793–1866), author
  62. Gunnar Myrdal (1898–1987), professor
  63. Alva Myrdal (1902–1986), politician
  64. Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742–1786), pharmaceutical chemist
  65. Arvid Horn (1664–1742), politician, President of the Privy Council Chancellery (1710–1719 and 1720–1738)
  66. Cajsa Warg (1703–1769), cookbook author
  67. Anders Celsius (1701–1744), scientist
  68. Benny Andersson (1946– ), musician and composer, member of ABBA
  69. Björn Ulvaeus (1945– ), musician and composer, member of ABBA
  70. Carl Grimberg (1875–1941), historian
  71. Sven Hedin (1865–1952), explorer
  72. Jöns Jakob Berzelius (1779–1848), chemist, worked out the modern technique of chemical formula notation, and considered one of the fathers of modern chemistry
  73. Erik Johan Stagnelius (1793–1823), poet
  74. Gunnar Sträng (1906–1992), Finance Minister (1955–1976)
  75. Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), scientist, philosopher and theologian
  76. Gustaf Fröding (1860–1911), poet and writer
  77. Zlatan Ibrahimović (1981– ), soccer player
  78. Eva Ekeblad (1724–1786), agronomist and scientist
  79. Carl-Adam Nycop (1909–2006), newspaper editor
  80. Bruno Liljefors (1860–1939), artist, influential wildlife painter of the late 19th and early 20th century
  81. Jan Guillou (1944– ), journalist
  82. Esaias Tegnér (1782–1846), poet
  83. Peter Wieselgren (1800–1873), temperance movement leader
  84. Lars Norén (1944–2021), playwright, novelist and poet
  85. Anita Ekberg (1931–2015), actor
  86. Carl af Forsell (1783–1848), statistician
  87. Karl Gerhard (1891–1964), entertainer
  88. Georg Stiernhielm (1598–1672), polymath
  89. August Palm (1849–1922), agitator, key socialist and labour movement activist
  90. Barbro Svensson (1938–2018), singer
  91. Viktor Balck (1844–1928), original IOC member and "the father of Swedish sports"
  92. Kjell-Olof Feldt (1931– ), Finance Minister
  93. Magnus Eriksson (1316–1374), king (reigned 1319–1374)
  94. Nathan Söderblom (1866–1931), Archbishop, one of the principal founders of the ecumenical movement
  95. Inga-Britt Ahlenius (1939– ), auditor
  96. Gustaf de Laval (1845–1913), inventor
  97. Sven-Göran Eriksson (1948– ), soccer manager
  98. Elin Wägner (1882–1949), writer
  99. Jan Carlzon (1941– ), management guru
  100. Queen Christina (1626–1689), monarch (reigned 1632–1654)

Criticism

Criticism has been voiced over the list, both in terms of selection and ranking.

Selection

It has been argued that the following people should have made it to the list:[5]

Ranking

The ranking has been hotly contested and arguments include:[5]

  • The authors' liberal orientation has given undue prominence to other liberals such as Chydenius and Gripenstedt while downplaying the impact of socialists such as Branting, Palm and Per Albin Hansson.
  • Internationally famous persons such as J. J. Berzelius, Queen Christina and John Ericsson have lost out to populist choices (Evert Taube, Astrid Lindgren), fads (Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kjell-Olof Feldt) and "overvalued dreamers" (Sven Hedin, Carl Grimberg).
  • Inclusion of the authors' employer Albert Bonnier as number 25 undermines the credibility of the list.

See also

References
  1. "Historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar" (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  2. "Så utsåg de historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar" (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. 14 April 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  3. "Historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar" (in Swedish). Bokrecension.se. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
  4. "Historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar" (in Swedish). Fridholm.net. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  5. "Gustav Vasa viktigast? Diskutera!". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish).
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