Mauritz Sigvard Marjasin (24 November 1929 – 24 January 2021) was a Swedish official and union official. He was chairman of the

Swedish Municipal Workers' Union The Swedish Municipal Workers' Union (), is the largest trade union in Sweden with 570,000 members, as of 2005. It was created 1910. It is commonly referred to as ''Kommunal'' ("''Municipal''"). The union was founded in Stockholm on 23 January ...

1977–1988 and governor of Örebro County 1989–1994. He died of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden The COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden is a part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). As of , there have been confirmed cumulative cases and deaths with confirmed COVID-19 in Sw ...

.Sigvard Marjasin död i COVID-19
Retrieved 22 March 2021

Background

Marjasin went to seven-year primary school. After graduation, he held several jobs, including

courier A courier is a person or organization that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person. Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are ...

, charcutier,

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

, and

commis A chef is a professional cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the director or head of a kitchen. Chefs can receive f ...

, and had various jobs in

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

s. He also did union work and took courses that eventually lead to a Bachelor of Social Services, after which he worked as the administrator of a union

night school A night school is an adult learning school that holds classes in the evening or at night to accommodate people who work during the day. A community college or university may hold night school classes that admit undergraduates. Italy The scuol ...

. He volunteered for

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

in the

1948 Arab–Israeli War The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civil war becam ...

. Marjasin was active in the

Municipal Workers' Union The Municipal Workers' Union (, KTV) was a trade union representing local government workers in Finland. The union as founded in 1931 as the Finnish Municipal Workers' Union, and affiliated to the Finnish Federation of Trade Unions (SAK). It res ...

1963–1988, first as ombudsman 1963–1967, as education secretary 1967–1978, and as union chairman 1978–1988. As chairman, Marjasin was active and outgoing. He often appeared in media as well as in debates and rallies. He earned a reputation for his quick replies, and was sought after as an interviewee in the press, where his statements were often given negative attention. He made himself known for his fierce opposition to

privatization Privatization (rendered privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation w ...

, especially in

child care Child care, also known as day care, is the care and supervision of one or more children, typically ranging from three months to 18 years old. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(ren), childcare typica ...

. Marjasin was governor of

Örebro County Örebro County () is a county or '' län'' in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland. It is frequently culturally divided into the hilly northern region of ...

from 1989 to 1994. During this time, he took the initiative for the

renovation Renovation (also called remodeling) is the process of improving broken, damaged, or outdated structures. Renovations are typically done on either commercial or residential buildings. Additionally, renovation can refer to making something new, o ...

Örebro Castle Örebro Castle () is a medieval castle fortification at Svartån in Örebro County, Sweden. It was expanded during the reign of the royal family Vasa (House of Vasa) and finally rebuilt about 1900. Some of the rooms are used as classrooms for pupi ...

which was carried out in the years 1992–1993. Upon his retirement in 1994, he was appointed chairman of the newly created ''Granskningskommissionen'', a council reviewing the police investigation of the assassination of prime minister Olof Palme. He held this position until 1996. In 1996, Marjasin was suspected of having submitted manipulated receipts and double invoicing expenses during his time as governor. He was charged with breach of trust, fraud, and repression of records. Marjasin commented on the indictment, saying he had acted "clumsily, but not unethically or criminally". In the end, Marjasin was completely acquitted by the court, where the verdict clarified that Marjasin had no accountability at all. In connection with the indictment, Sigvard Marjasin was subjected to extensive media coverage. The media attention was most intense during the summer of 1996, when Marjasin, with regard to the ongoing police investigation, did not want or could not speak to the press.

References

^ Sweden's population 1980, CD-ROM, version 1.00 (Swedish Genealogical Association 2004). ^ Norén, Stellan; Fiedler, Eric. "Sigvard Marjasin is dead - died in the suites of covid -19". NA. se. {{DEFAULTSORT:Marjasin Sigvard 1929 births 2021 deaths Swedish trade unionists Governors of Örebro County Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden