Birger Mörner
Birger Mörner | |
|---|---|
 Mörner in 1917 | |
| Born | May 3, 1867 |
| Died | March 10, 1930 (aged 62) |
Karl Birger Mörner (1867-1930) was a Swedish diplomat, author, and book collector.
Early life
[edit]Mörner studied at universites in Uppsala and Lund. He graduated with a law degree in 1893 and began career as a civil servant.
Career
[edit]He joined the Swedish-Norwegian Consulate General in Helsinki in 1899.[1] He moved through positions in Genoa, Italy and Sydney, Australia. While in Australia he was foundational in the creation of the Wild Life Preservation Society of Australia.[2] He was recalled in 1910 for opposing Scandinavian emigration. He returned home where he published two novels and collections of poems. He befriended many European inhabitants of German New Guinea.
While there, Mörner assembled "a rich ethnographic collection," took many photographs, and wrote a travelogue about his time there, Aráfis tropiska år, Stockholm, in 1914. He traveled extensively to the islands of Wuvulu and Aua. While engaging in trading iron items for local artifacts, he was also somewhat critical of the German government "for their colonial intervention in the Pacific" and mildly lamented their encroachment into areas populated by indigenous people. As Germany moved into more of the area prior to World War One, Mörner returned home with over 1500 items. His collection was referred to in the press as "the last significant collection returned from German New Guinea before the fall of the colony during the First World War."[1]
In 1912, he purchased Mauritzberg Castle and received the title of "Count." He wrote the novel Bråvallhus while residing there, a romantic version of the house's history.[3] He sold the castle in 1918. He pursued travel writing and worked translating authors, including Jack London, into the Swedish language but was fired by his publisher for taking too many liberties with the original texts.[4]
Mörner Collection
[edit]He collected many old, rare, and eye-catching books. His book collection is held at the Örebro University Library. It consists of approximately 8000 books including some incunabula.[5] The collection of his materials also contains correspondence with many European culture personalities as well as photographs and paintings.
Death and legacy
[edit]Mörner was married three times and had four children including Latin American historian Magnus Mörner and book artist and opera singer Marianne Mörner.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Buschmann, Rainer F. (2014-12-20). "Diplomat, Travel Writer, and Ethnographic Collector". New Guinea & Oceanic Tribal Art for sale. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ "Australian Wildlife Society". About us. 1909-05-11. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ "The fascinating 400-year history of Mauritzberg´s Manor House in Sweden". Mauritzberg. 2020-04-26. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ "Söderhavs-berättelser : London, Jack, 1876-1916 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Internet Archive. 2016-10-23. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ "The Birger Mörner Collection". Örebro University. 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ Lundberg, Magnus (2012-11-01). "Magnus Mörner (1924–2012)". Hispanic American Historical Review. 92 (4). Duke University Press: 742–744. doi:10.1215/00182168-1728008. ISSN 0018-2168.
