Märta Helena Reenstierna
Encyclopedia
Märta Helena Reenstierna (1753–1841), also von Schnell, known as Årstafrun (English
= "The Årsta lady"), was a Swedish diary
writer
. Her diaries were written in the period 1793-1839, and are kept at the archive
s of Nordiska museet in Stockholm
. They were published in 1946-1953 as Årstadagboken (The Årsta diary). They are considered as an important source for the life of the mistress at a Swedish manor in the late 18th-century and early 19th-century.
Captain Christian Henrik von Schnell (d. 1811). She had eight children, among whom only her son Hans Abraham became adults; he died in a riding accident in 1812. She was a personal friend and benefactor of Bellman
, whom she helped financially on several occasions. Årsta was a large estate with a tobacco
farm. She continued with the diary and the managing of the estate until she became blind
in 1839.
Märta Helena Reenstierna was portrayed in the novel På Årstafruns tid (English: The times of the Årsta lady) by Lars Widding
(1969).
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
= "The Årsta lady"), was a Swedish diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. Her diaries were written in the period 1793-1839, and are kept at the archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
s of Nordiska museet 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...
. They were published in 1946-1953 as Årstadagboken (The Årsta diary). They are considered as an important source for the life of the mistress at a Swedish manor in the late 18th-century and early 19th-century.
Biography
Märta Helena Reenstierna was the spouse of CavalryCavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
Captain Christian Henrik von Schnell (d. 1811). She had eight children, among whom only her son Hans Abraham became adults; he died in a riding accident in 1812. She was a personal friend and benefactor of Bellman
Bellman
Bellman is an alternative term for a bellhop. It may also refer to:People named Bellman* Carl Michael Bellman, Swedish poet and composer* Eric Bellman, psychotherapist* Gina Bellman, New Zealand/English actress...
, whom she helped financially on several occasions. Årsta was a large estate with a tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
farm. She continued with the diary and the managing of the estate until she became blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
in 1839.
Märta Helena Reenstierna was portrayed in the novel På Årstafruns tid (English: The times of the Årsta lady) by Lars Widding
Lars Widding
Lars Widding was a Swedish author and journalist, best known for his historic novels. He worked for Expressen from 1950 to 1985. Widding was one of the most read authors of the 20th century in Sweden....
(1969).