Knut Emil Engwall

Knut Emil Engwall was active in AB Gävle-Dala Järnväg, a project initially funded by his family. In the United States he befriended, the son of railway-tycoon and politician Nils Ericson, Werner Ericson, who on his father behalf initiated an railway cooperation program between AB Gävle-Dala Järnväg, Bergslagernas Järnvägar, and Stockholm–Västerås–Bergslagens Järnvägar.[12][13][14]

Gävle-Dala Järnväg extension, 1909

In 1889, the estimated cost of the cooperation program between Gävla-Dala railway, Bergslagernas Järnvägar, and Stockholm–Västerås–Bergslagens Järnvägar, was 100 000 000 in monetary value (approximately 4.87% of the Swedish GDP in 1889),[15] equivalent to present date SEK 370 billion.

The program was funded by private and public entities. Knut Emil Engwall's older brother, Ernst Victor Engwall, as a member of Gävle City Council and established within the political sphere secured funding from the government body of Gävle Municipality.[16]

In 1899, Emil Engwall, assisted his brother to be nominated as vice-chairman of Gefleborgs Enskilda Bank for the project to receive additional funding.[17] The board at the time consisted of Emil Engwall's Uncle-in-law, Carl Waldemar Berggren; Carl Gustaf Ericson, brother of Werner Ericson; and Per Edward Rettig, the son of Carl Anton Rettig, a railway tycoon and Emil Engwall's mentor. Subsequently, Gefleborgs Enskilda Bank granted favourable loans to the project.[17]

On 9 June 1886, in New York City, Knut Emil Engwall married Calla Gyllenhammar.[18] She was the daughter of Captain Victor Constantine Gyllenhammar and Julia Terese Berggren,[18] daughter of Carl Leopold Berggren. She was the sister of "insurance king", Pher Gyllenhammar Sr.,[18] and aunt of Pehr Gyllenhammar Jr.,[18] Sweden's most influential businessman in the 1970s.[19] In 1909, Calla Gyllenhammar passed away.[18] The couple had five children.

The Cedergren Tower, Warsaw

In Mexico, Knut Emil Engwall worked in telecommunications. He established an acquaintanceship with Henrik Tore Cedergren, "the telephone king of Stockholm". Henrik Tore Cedergren's company, Stockholms Allmänna Telefonaktiebolag (SAT), had a telecommunications monopoly in Stockholm. In 1883, Stockholms Allmänna Telefonaktiebolag (SAT) initiated a partnership with L M Ericsson & Co.[20] In 1891, Henrik Tore Cedergren acquired majority ownership L M Ericsson & Co.[20] Emil Engwall, following the acquisition, was nominated as vice-chairman at Cedergren. In 1898, he was appointed as chairman of Cedergren.[21] The company had at the time a monopoly over telecommunications in Warsaw.[21]

In 1904, Knut Emil Engwall initiated the construction of Imperial Russia's first skyscraper, the Cedergren Tower.[21] After Calla Gyllenhammar's death, in 1909, Emil Engwall married Emy Cedergren the granddaughter of Henrik Tore Cedergren. In Warsaw, the Engwalls befriended members of the House of Bogdan-Mușat and of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. In 1924, Ivan von Bogdan, Prince of Bogdan-Mușat married into the Engwall family.[22]

In the sphere of telecommunications, Knut Emil Engwall befriended Ivar Kreuger, "the match king". In the 1920s, Ivar Kreuger acquired a position as principal shareholder of L M Ericsson & Co.[23] Kreuger also acquired the Engwalls previously operated match factories for a premium.[24] Knut Emil Engwall regarded Ivar Kreuger and Paul Toll, the owners of Kreuger & Toll, as "Two men of noble virtues, shaping history through self-will and capabilities". In 1913, Paul Toll married Gunhild Maria Engwall, Knut Emil Engwall's niece.

In 1923, Knut Emil Engwall passed away at the age of 60. He served as chairman of Vict. Th. Engwall & Co, Brunkebergsverket, The Lightning Board, AB Gävle-Dala Järnväg, and Cedergren. He served as vice-chairman of Gefle Elektriska Belysningsaktiebolag, Bergslagernas Järnvägar, and Stockholm–Västerås–Bergslagens Järnvägar. He sat on the board of Hanseong Jeongi Hoesa (Seoul Electric Company), Kreuger & Toll Construction, Stockholms Allmänna Telefonaktiebolag (SAT), L M Ericsson & Co, and General Electric Company (GE). After Emil Engwall's death his wife, Emy Cedergren, and daughter, Inga Karin Emilia Engwall, moved into Ivar Kreuger's private residence on Villagatan 13, Östermalm.

Knut Emil Engwall had a total of nine children: Kerstin Viktoria Engwall, Pehr Viktor Engwall, Yngve Viktor Engwall, Rolf Viktor Engwall, Inga Karin Emilia Engwall, Björn Engwall, Bertil Engwall, and Marianne Engwall. The descendants later became an integral part of the Engwall legacy.[25]