Eugénie Söderberg
Encyclopedia
Eugenie Söderberg was a Swedish-American writer and journalist born in Heidelberg
, Germany
noted for her profound concern with women's issues which she addressed in her novels and short stories.
established himself in Stockholm
, Sweden
, as an industrialist following a short return to the family's home town, Gomel in Russia
. The Riwkin home flourished as a center for culture, attracting both established and upcoming literary figures from Scandinavia
and abroad. Eugenie, the eldest daughter was encouraged by her philosopher father who was also a lecturer and writer of short stories in Russian and Yiddish.
Eugenie's younger brother Joseph Riwkin also followed a similar path, acting for a while as a stimulating nucleus within a group of the most aspiring young writers of Sweden. These included Gunnar Ekelöf
, Harry Martinson
, Karin Boye
, Ebbe Linde, who with many others participated as writers and editors in the avant-garde Swedish magazine, Spektrum.
In 1928 she married the young writer Mikael Söderberg and son of Hjalmar Söderberg
. After only several years of marriage her husband died in 1931. She continued to maintain a close relationship with her in-laws, in particular her father-in-law. However it was her sister Anna Riwkin, Sweden's foremost photographer, who was to be her closest friend throughout her lifetime. Although she remained close to her brother Joseph and her sister-in-law, Ester Riwkin, both also writers.
scholar Hugo Perls
. She eventually became an American citizen and continued to write both journalistically and creatively, covering American theater, music and art. One of her later books, Min Son är Min (My Son is Mine), appeared in 1965 and was well received.
The writer died in January 1973, at the age of sixty-nine.
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
noted for her profound concern with women's issues which she addressed in her novels and short stories.
Early years
In 1912, her father, Alexander Riwkin, a Russian-Jewish immigrant who had studied philosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
established himself 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...
, Sweden
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....
, as an industrialist following a short return to the family's home town, Gomel in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The Riwkin home flourished as a center for culture, attracting both established and upcoming literary figures from Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and abroad. Eugenie, the eldest daughter was encouraged by her philosopher father who was also a lecturer and writer of short stories in Russian and Yiddish.
Eugenie's younger brother Joseph Riwkin also followed a similar path, acting for a while as a stimulating nucleus within a group of the most aspiring young writers of Sweden. These included Gunnar Ekelöf
Gunnar Ekelöf
Gunnar Ekelöf was a Swedish poet and writer. He was a member of the Swedish Academy from 1958. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy by Uppsala University in 1958...
, Harry Martinson
Harry Martinson
Harry Martinson was a Swedish sailor, author and poet. In 1949 he was elected into the Swedish Academy. He was awarded a joint Nobel Prize in Literature in 1974 together with fellow Swede Eyvind Johnson. The choice for Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson was very controversial as both were on the...
, 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"...
, Ebbe Linde, who with many others participated as writers and editors in the avant-garde Swedish magazine, Spektrum.
Career
Eugenie was soon working as a creative writer and earning her living as an editor, journalist and newspaper reporter. She attained immediate success in 1930 with her first novel Studentfabriken (The Student Factory). The work was translated into fourteen languages and also produced as a film.In 1928 she married the young writer Mikael Söderberg and son of Hjalmar Söderberg
Hjalmar Söderberg
Hjalmar Emil Fredrik Söderberg was a Swedish novelist, playwright, poet and journalist. His works often deal with melancholy and lovelorn characters, and offer a rich portrayal of contemporary Stockholm through the eyes of the flaneur...
. After only several years of marriage her husband died in 1931. She continued to maintain a close relationship with her in-laws, in particular her father-in-law. However it was her sister Anna Riwkin, Sweden's foremost photographer, who was to be her closest friend throughout her lifetime. Although she remained close to her brother Joseph and her sister-in-law, Ester Riwkin, both also writers.
Later life
In 1940 Eugenie Söderberg came to the USA as a reporter for Scandinavian newspapers and in the following year she married the well-known art dealer and PlatoPlato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
scholar Hugo Perls
Hugo Perls
Hugo Perls was an international art dealer, historian, philosopher and notable collector born in Rybnik in Upper Silesia. During his lifetime, he witnessed his homeland change from its German origins to Polish. He studied law, philosophy, and art history at the University of Freiburg and in Berlin...
. She eventually became an American citizen and continued to write both journalistically and creatively, covering American theater, music and art. One of her later books, Min Son är Min (My Son is Mine), appeared in 1965 and was well received.
The writer died in January 1973, at the age of sixty-nine.