Ellen Fries (23 September 1855 – 31 March 1900) was a Swedish feminist and writer. She became the first female
Ph.D. in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
in 1883. She also founded several women's organizations.
Biography
She born in 1855 at Rödslegård in
Törnsfall,
Kalmar County, to
Colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
Patrik Constantin Fries and Beata Maria Borgström. She studied at the
Ã…hlinska flickskolan, and graduated with a professional degree from
Wallinska skolan in Stockholm 19 May 1874. She studied language and art by travelling to Paris and Leipzig and was a language teacher at
Wallinska skolan in 1875–1877.
The universities in Sweden had been opened to both genders in 1870. Fries enlisted as a student at
Uppsala University
Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation.
Initially fou ...
12 October 1877. She studied history, Nordic language and political science and was given the scholarship Kraemerska stipendiet. She became the first female Ph.D. in Sweden 31 May 1883. She was a teacher in history at
Wallinska skolan in Stockholm 1884–1886 and at
Ã…hlinska flickskolan from 1885; in 1890, she became its principal.
In 1884, she was one of six to summon the first meeting of the feminist movement the
Fredrika Bremer Association; she initiated the foundation of the
National Council of Swedish Women
National Council of Swedish Women (Swedish: "Svenska Kvinnors Nationalförbund") is the Swedish branch of the International Council of Women.
It was founded in 1896 by Ellen Fries to function as an umbrella organisation for women's organisations i ...
() in 1896, and one of the five co-founders of the
Nya Idun
('New Idun') is a Swedish cultural association for women founded in 1885, originally as a female counterpart to ('the Idun Society'). Its aim was to "gather educated women in the Stockholm area for informal gatherings".
Activity
was founded ...
society.
From 1881, she was active in the feminist paper of
Sophie Adlersparre
Carin Sophie Adlersparre (née Leijonhufvud; 6 July 1823 – 27 June 1895), known by her pen-name Esselde, was a Swedish feminist, writer and publisher who was one of the pioneers of the 19th-century women's rights movement in Sweden. She wa ...
, ''
Tidskrift för hemmet'', mainly contributing with biographies of women, and she was also joint editor of the paper in 1883–1885. She contributed with articles as a freelancer to various papers, such as ''
Dagny'' 1886–1895, ''
Framåt'' 1886, ''
Verdandi'' 1888, ''
Hemåt'' 1892, ''Nya Idun'' 1891–1892, ''
Stockholms Dagblad'' 1884–1885 and ''
Aftonbladet'' 1885 as well as in the dictionary ''
Nordisk Familjebok''.
In 1886 and 1899–1900, she lectured on the 17th and 18th centuries at
Pedagogiska lärokursen in Stockholm.
Fries died in
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
in 1900.
Works
* , 2 vol. (1890–1891)
* (1893)
* . (1896–)
* (part 1, 1895)
Part two was published after her death by her father:
* (part 2, 1900)
* (1920)
* "", ''Dagny'' no. 2 (1892)
* "", ''Dagny'' no. 8 (1892)
* "" ''Dagny'', no. 6 (1893)
* "" ''Dagny'' no. 4–5 (1895)
* (travelogue, 1885)
See also
Hildegard Björck
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fries, Ellen
1855 births
1900 deaths
20th-century Swedish journalists
Swedish feminists
20th-century Swedish historians
Swedish women non-fiction writers
Uppsala University alumni
19th-century Swedish journalists
Members of Nya Idun
Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen
19th-century Swedish women journalists
Women's firsts