Henrik ''Sven'' Hirdman (Swedish pronunciation: ẹn:rik sveːn hiːrdmaːn (born 28 September 1939), is a Swedish

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

and

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

Early life

Hirdman was born on 28 September 1939 in

Stavanger Stavanger, officially the Stavanger Municipality, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the third largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the ...

, Norway, the son of Einar Hirdman (1916–1999), a lector, and his wife Charlotte Schledt (1906–1966), a language teacher and interpreter. Hirdman's grandparents on the mother's side were the Swiss Emélie and the German Fritz Schledt, and Swedish Gunnar and Maj Hirdman on the father's side. Eili and Yvonne Hirdman are sisters to Sven Hirdman. In August 2010 Yvonne Hirdman published a prized book entitled ''Den röda grevinnan'' (The Red Countess) about their mother Charlotte. After military service at the Swedish Army Language School in 1958, Sven Hirdman went to

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 ...

for studies in

Slavic languages The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavs, Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic language, Proto- ...

and a Master of Social Sciences, with

international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

as the major field of study. He received a Master of Social Science degree from Uppsala University in 1963.

Career

In the years 1963–1994, Sven Hirdman served in the

Ministry for Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral rela ...

. He served as ambassador in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

and

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

and earlier as embassy official in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

. In time chronology, Hirdman was deputy director of the

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international institute based in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 1966 and provides data, analysis and recommendations for armed conflict, military expenditure and arms trade a ...

(SIPRI) from 1969 until 1972; Embassy Counsellor in Beijing from 1972 to 1976; Head of Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1976 to 1979; State Secretary in the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

from 1979 to 1982; Ambassador in Tel Aviv and

Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...

from 1983 to 1987; War Materials Inspector and head of the National Swedish War Materials Inspectorate from 1987 to 1994. Between 1994 and 2004 he was Sweden's Ambassador in Moscow, and in the four last years also the Dean (Doyen) of the Diplomatic Corps there. During his service in Moscow Hirdman was simultaneously

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

as ambassador to

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital city, capital and most populous city. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, south, Uzbekistan to ...

and

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

. Sven Hirdman was part of the Swedish chapter of

Transparency International Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil s ...

between the years 2008 and 2009 chairman, and between the years 2005 and 2011

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

of the Diplomatic Corps at the Foreign Ministry. Since 1990 he is member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for military (army and air force) and de ...

. He has also had assignments for industry. As an active participant in the security policy debate in Sweden Sven Hirdman is often engaged as a lecturer around the country. He is against Swedish membership in

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

, and published in October 2015 the book ''Ryssland och svensk säkerhetspolitik - 50 år i utrikespolitisk tjänst'' (Russia and Swedish Security Policy - 50 years in foreign policy service).

Personal life

In 1959, Hirdman married Marianne Ljungqvist (born 1938), the daughter of John Ljungqvist and Hanna (née Isberg). They have three daughters: Annika, Viveka, and Tonika.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirdman, Sven 1939 births Living people Ambassadors of Sweden to Israel Ambassadors of Sweden to Cyprus Ambassadors of Sweden to Russia Ambassadors of Sweden to Armenia Ambassadors of Sweden to Azerbaijan Ambassadors of Sweden to Belarus Ambassadors of Sweden to Georgia (country) Ambassadors of Sweden to Kazakhstan Ambassadors of Sweden to Kyrgyzstan Ambassadors of Sweden to Tajikistan Ambassadors of Sweden to Turkmenistan Ambassadors of Sweden to Uzbekistan