Carl Gustav Boberg | |
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| Born | (1859-08-16)16 August 1859 Mönsterås parish,Kalmar County, Sweden |
| Died | 7 January 1940(1940-01-07) (aged 80) Kalmar Cathedral parish,Kalmar County, Sweden |
| Occupation(s) | Poet, preacher, writer, member of theRiksdag |
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Carl Gustav Boberg (16 August 1859 – 7 January 1940) was a Swedish poet, preacher, government official and member of parliament, best known for writing theSwedish-language poem "O Store Gud" ('O Great God') from which the English language-hymn "How Great Thou Art" is derived.
Born inMönsterås,Kalmar County, inSmåland, Boberg was the son of carpenter Nils Petter Jonsson Boberg and Hedvig Gustava Jonsdotter. The religiousrevival movements of the time strongly affected him as a young man.[1] He worked briefly as a sailor and served as a lay minister in theMission Covenant Church of Sweden. Boberg studied at the church's school in Kristinehamn from 1879 to 1882 and was then a preacher for the Mönsterås Mission Association from 1882 to 1889. However, he earned his living mainly as asloyd teacher. Boberg was also the editor of thefree-church magazineSanningsvittnet ('Witness of the Truth') from 1889 to 1916. He published his own books and poetry through the magazine's publishing house, and bought the magazine in 1894. He was a preacher at Flora Church from 1890 to 1892 and Immanuel Church from 1892 to 1909, both in Stockholm. Boberg was a member of the board of the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden from 1897 to 1902, but resigned so as not to have to take a stand between its two leaders,Paul Peter Waldenström andJakob (E. J.) Ekman. The latter was Boberg's former teacher at the mission school.[1]
Boberg served in theRiksdag'sFörsta kammare (upper house of Parliament) from 1912 to 1931. From 1921, he was also a state auditor.[1] Unlike many of the free church leaders who were free-thinkers and liberals, Boberg moved in an increasingly conservative direction and ran for the General Electoral Association (Allmänna valmansförbundet, today'sModerate Party).[1] In the parliamentary presentation material published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, it is stated that Boberg argued against women's suffrage. He is reported to have said that 'women, if elected as members of parliament, would obscure the view in the meeting rooms with their wide-brimmed hats.' Moreover, he argued, the sharp hatpins were a weapon, so women with hatpins were unthinkable as parliamentarians."[2]
He published more than 60 poems, hymns, and gospel songs,[a] including a collaboration with Swedish hymnistLina Sandell.[3] Of his works, "O store Gud" ('O Great God'), upon which "How Great Thou Art" is based, the best known. The song is a natural romantic description of God's creation, which in each chorus ends with the songwriter wanting to cry out that God is great. It was written after Boberg experienced a thunderstorm at theKalmar Strait.[4]
Boberg is represented in theChurch of Sweden's fourthhymnal,Den svenska psalmboken (1986) with three works, ("O store Gud","Det susar genom livets strid" [sv], and"Den stunden i Getsemane" [sv]) and in other hymnals such as the Swedish-AmericanHerde-Rösten [sv] (1892),Emil Gustafson [sv]'sHjärtesånger [sv] (1895), theSwedish Evangelical Mission's hymnal supplement [sv] (1986) and theBibeltrogna Vänner hymnalLova Herren [sv] (1987). He is abundantly represented in the Mission Covenant Church's 1920 hymnalSvenska Missionsförbundets sångbok [sv]. Several of his songs are also published for children in theSunday school hymnalSvensk söndagsskolsångbok [sv] (1908).
On 5 January 1884 Boberg married Anna Maria Elisabet Pettersson. On 23 November 1915 he married Selma Charlotta Elisabet Ydrén.[1]
For his literary output, Boberg was awarded theLitteris et Artibus medal in 1916.[1] Boberg's writings have been freely available for publication since 1 January 2011.
For his political work, Carl Boberg was made a Knight of theOrder of Vasa in 1917 and of theOrder of the Polar Star in 1923.[1]
Carl Boberg is also the name of aKustpilen [sv] regional train, which operates theStångådal line [sv] betweenLinköping andKalmar.[5]
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