Köpings personalities

In Köping we have some famous sons, of whom we are very proud. On this page you can read about Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Richard Dybeck, Theodor Dahl and Agda Östlund.

Carl Wilhelm Scheele

My name has really left its mark in the City of Köping. Streets, squares, athletic clubs, schools and a first-class hotel have been named after me.

I was, during my life-time, a rather reserved person and when I have at times been referred to as "the founder of modern chemistry", it seems rather strange to me. But of course, I feel honoured. I managed to document 20,000 experiments and discover eight elements and nine acids in all.

Köping is a wonderful city to represent. I once said, "I can do no more than fill my belly. If I can be satisfied in Köping, I need not go elsewhere". That testimonial is as good as any!

There is a museum in Köping that has honored me with a pharmacy section. It's called, of course "Scheeles Memorial". Pay a visit and learn a little about my history and my discoveries. There you can see how a pharmacy operated around the turn of the century, which I myself was never able to experience.

Upon reflection, I regret always having a taste of the elements I discovered during my experiments, which in all probability contributed to my early death.

Eagerness to discover should be combined with a good measure of carefulness.

To discover Köping will extend one's life, of that I am certain.

Richard Dybeck

"Archaeological research is not a lazy man's job"

Richard Dybeck was born in the Odensvi vicarage on the first of September 1811. His father was a priest and he was one of six children. After completing secondary grammar school in Västerås, Dybeck took an appeal court degree at Uppsala University. Dybeck, amongst other things, served as deputy mayor in the cities of Torshälla and Eskilstuna.

Despite his judicial education, Dybeck had developed a profound interest in archaeological research. He is supposed to have once proclaimed, "I prefer the wilderness to the desk".

Dybeck is most famous for being the man who wrote the text that later would become the Swedish National Anthem. The song was originally a folk song from the Province of Västmanland..."As I ride through the twelve mile forest..." and was rewritten and publicly performed for the first time on November 13, 1844. A prominent opera singer performed the song at a musical evening arranged by Dybeck in Stockholm. Dybeck sat on the stage clad in a wolf skin coat and as the last verse was sung, threw off the fur, got up and joined in with the singer. The song was accepted with a standing ovation by the public. In 1865, the song was printed in ‘Runa’, but not until many years later did the song "Du Gamla Du Fria" become the Swedish National Anthem.

Theodor Dahl

Theodor Dahl was born in Stockholm in 1858. He studied at the Academy of Arts and after that worked at various different architectural firms. He traveled to America but didn't feel at home there and so returned to Europe and eventually Sweden where he spent his remaining years.

Back in Stockholm, he met the pharmacist Arbman from Köping, who was just planning the construction of a new pharmacy and became involved in the architectural design of the building.

This was the beginning of a whole string of buildings in Köping designed by Theodor Dahl. A large part of the city had been destroyed in an extensive fire in 1889 which meant a lot of rebuilding was required. He designed Köping’s Court House and part of KMW's buildings.

Other buildings by Theodor Dahl are the court houses in Kolbäck, Lindesberg and Västerås, the savings bank in Arboga and the former train station, known nowadays as "Galleri Astley" in Uttersberg. Theodor Dahl stayed and worked in Köping until his death in 1897. His daughter Tora Dahl was an author. She was raised by her mother in Stockholm but in her autobiographical ‘Gunborg Books’, wrote about her childhood and memories of her father.

Agda Östlund

On April 3rd 1870 Agda Östlund was born into a working class background in Köping. She was taught to be a seamstress and later started a studio in Stockholm where she employed several people. However, it is for her political acts that Agda Östlund will be best remembered. As a female pioneer of the labor movement she created history when she was one of the first women elected to parliament in 1921 following several years of campaigning for women´s right to vote.

Agda became the first female Member of Parliament to pass comment in parliament and was a lively debater, frequently proposing new motions. Fearless and willing to fight she struggled against injustice. She was passionate about many issues including maternity protection, help for the poor and temperance care. Agda sat in parliament for 18 years, between 1922 and 1940.

After her death in 1942, the world remembers her as the girl from Köping who was both a working wife and a Parliamentary woman. Someone who worked hard within the Socialist women´s movement and the temperence movement and who performed significant acts for democracy as she labored towards equality and justice.