Agnes von Krusenstjerna
Encyclopedia
Agnes von Krusenstjerna (October 9, 1894 - March 10, 1940) was a Swedish
writer and noble. She was a controversial writer whose books challenged the moral standards of the day and was the center of a great literary controversy of the freedom of speech.
and brought up in Gävle
. Niece of Edvard von Krusenstjerna, she was born in to the nobility. She was educated at the teacher's academy of Anna Sandström in Stockholm.
She debuted as a writer with the girl's novel Ninas dagbok (1917) and hade her breakthrough in with the Tony novel series (1922-26) about a girl's development in a noble inviromnet.
The Tony seres was greatly controversial, as it depicted sexual themes as well as mental disorders, which made Krusenstjerna controversial. Sexuality was, before the 1920s, not mentioned in novels, and her books depicted sex and intercourse. The novels series Fröknarna von Pahlen created one of the greatest debates and controversies of its time in Sweden, known as Krusenstjernafejden (The Krusenstjerna feud) : the series described sexual intercourse, which caused an enormous amount of attention and lead to a two year (1933-35) long debate about the freedom of speech, the relation of literature toward the moral standards, the right of female expression and the right to sexual freedom, which ended with the writers confenrence of Sigtuna
1935. She was supported by Eyvind Johnson
, Johannes Edfelt
, Elmer Diktonius
and Karin Boye
, who compared the affair to the cenzorhip of Nazi Germany
.
Her writing was closely inspired to her own life and can be regarded as partially autobiographical, especially her last, unfinnished series, Fattigadel (Poor nobility) (1935-1938).
Agnes von Krusenstjerna was on several occasions admitted to mental hospitals. In 1940, she was diagnozed with a brain tumour: she died on the operation table in March 1940.
Krusenstjerna died in Stockholm
. Married to David Sprengel in 1921.
Series
The Tony series:
The Miss von Pahlen's series:
Fröknarna von Pahlen:
Fattigadel (Poor nobility) (original title: Viveca von Lagercronas historia (The story of Viveca von Lagercrona):
Poems
Short stories
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
writer and noble. She was a controversial writer whose books challenged the moral standards of the day and was the center of a great literary controversy of the freedom of speech.
Biography
Krusenstjerna was born in VäxjöVäxjö
Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County. Furthermore it is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a...
and brought up in Gävle
Gävle
Gävle is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 71,033 inhabitants in 12/31 2010. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland , having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.-History:It is believed that the name Gävle...
. Niece of Edvard von Krusenstjerna, she was born in to the nobility. She was educated at the teacher's academy of Anna Sandström in Stockholm.
She debuted as a writer with the girl's novel Ninas dagbok (1917) and hade her breakthrough in with the Tony novel series (1922-26) about a girl's development in a noble inviromnet.
The Tony seres was greatly controversial, as it depicted sexual themes as well as mental disorders, which made Krusenstjerna controversial. Sexuality was, before the 1920s, not mentioned in novels, and her books depicted sex and intercourse. The novels series Fröknarna von Pahlen created one of the greatest debates and controversies of its time in Sweden, known as Krusenstjernafejden (The Krusenstjerna feud) : the series described sexual intercourse, which caused an enormous amount of attention and lead to a two year (1933-35) long debate about the freedom of speech, the relation of literature toward the moral standards, the right of female expression and the right to sexual freedom, which ended with the writers confenrence of Sigtuna
Sigtuna
Sigtuna is a locality situated in Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 18 inhabitants in 2005. It is the namesake of the municipality even though the seat is in Märsta....
1935. She was supported by Eyvind Johnson
Eyvind Johnson
Eyvind Johnson, was a Swedish writer and author. He became a member of the Swedish Academy in 1957 and shared the Nobel Prize in Literature with Harry Martinson in 1974 with the citation: for a narrative art, far-seeing in lands and ages, in the service of freedom.Johnson was born Olof Edvin...
, Johannes Edfelt
Johannes Edfelt
Bo Johannes Edfelt , was a Swedish writer, poet, translator and literary critic.A native of Tibro, Edfelt was elected to be a member of the Swedish Academy in 1969, occupying seat No. 17...
, Elmer Diktonius
Elmer Diktonius
Elmer Rafael Diktonius was a Finnish poet and composer, who wrote in both Swedish and Finnish.-External links:*...
and Karin Boye
Karin Boye
was a Swedish poet and novelist.- Career :Boye was born in Gothenburg , Sweden and moved with her family to Stockholm in 1909. She studied at Uppsala University from 1921 to 1926 and debuted in 1922 with a collection of poems, "Clouds"...
, who compared the affair to the cenzorhip of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
Her writing was closely inspired to her own life and can be regarded as partially autobiographical, especially her last, unfinnished series, Fattigadel (Poor nobility) (1935-1938).
Agnes von Krusenstjerna was on several occasions admitted to mental hospitals. In 1940, she was diagnozed with a brain tumour: she died on the operation table in March 1940.
Krusenstjerna died in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Married to David Sprengel in 1921.
Works
Novels- Ninas dagbok (Nina's diary) 1917
- Helenas första kärlek (The first love of Helena) 1918
- Fru Esters pensionat (Mrs Ester's boarding house) 1927
- Händelser på vägen (Events on the way) 1929
Series
The Tony series:
- Tony växer upp (Tony's adolescence) 1922
- Tonys läroår (Tony's years of learning) 1924
- Tonys sista läroår (Tony's last years of learning) 1926
The Miss von Pahlen's series:
Fröknarna von Pahlen:
- Den blå rullgardinen (The blue curtain) 1930
- Kvinnogatan (The Women's street) 1930
- Höstens skuggor (The shadows of the autumn) 1931
- Porten vid Johannes (The gate at Johannes) 1933
- Älskande par (Loving couples) 1933
- Bröllop på Ekered (Wedding at Ekered) 1935
- Av samma blod (By the same blood) 1935
Fattigadel (Poor nobility) (original title: Viveca von Lagercronas historia (The story of Viveca von Lagercrona):
- Fattigadel (Pauper nobility) 1935
- Dunklet mellan träden (The shadow between the trees) 1936
- Dessa lyckliga år (These happy years) 1937
- I livets vår (In the spring of life) 1938
Poems
- Nunnornas hus (The house of nuns) 1937
Short stories
- En dagdriverskas anteckningar (The notes of an idle woman) (1923)
- Delat rum på Kammakaregatan (A shared room at Kammakaregatan) (1933)
- En ung dam far till Djurgårdsbrunn (A young lady visits Djurgårdsbrunn) (1933)
- Vivi, flicka med melodi ( Vivi, a girl with a melody) (1936)
- Stulet nyår (A stolen New Year's Eve)
