Axel Lundegård
Axel Lundegård was a Swedish author born in Sallerup, near Malmö, in 1861. He began his literary career with a collection of realistic short stories titled "I gryningen," published in 1885. Lundegård had a significant relationship with Victoria Benedictsson, a prominent literary figure, who influenced his early writing. Following her death, he drew on her journals for his autobiography and his 1902 novel "Else Finne." In the early 1900s, he worked on two trilogies, including "Struensee," and began a historical narrative about Queen Philippa. His 1911 novel "Stora dagen" marked a shift from radical themes to a focus on historical subjects. Lundegård's best-known work, "Röde prinsen," also reflects his interest in Scandinavia's historical narratives. He was influenced by the plays of August Strindberg and the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, grappling with religious doubts throughout his life. While his work is not widely recognized in the United States, Lundegård remains an important figure in Swedish literature and was connected with literary circles in Norway and Denmark.
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Subject Terms
Axel Lundegård
Fiction Writer
- Born: 1861
- Birthplace: Sallerup, Sweden
- Died: 1930
Biography
Axel Lundegård was born in south central Sweden in the town of Sallerup, close to Malmo and the Danish border. His earliest work was a volume of realistic short stories gathered under the title I gryningen and published in 1885, when he was twenty-four years old. He had a close association with Victoria Benedictsson, a noted literary figure of her day, who helped him with much of his early writing. Upon her death, Lundegard borrowed heavily from her journals and notes both for his autobiography and for his novel, Else Finne, published in two volumes in 1902.
Lundegård worked on two trilogies early in the twentieth century, Struensee, which occupied him from 1898 until 1900, and a history of Queen Philippa, begun in 1904. His Stora dagen appeared in 1911. Whereas his early novels reflect a departure from the radicalism of the late 1800’s, his later work, like Stora dagen, is largely historical.
Röde prinsen, probably his best known novel, came late in his career and indicates his emphasis on historical themes related to Scandinavia. In Sett och känt, Lundegård reflects on his literary connections with both Norwegian and Danish writers. In this book, he relates an interesting account of a story told him by Edvard Brandes, brother of the famous critic Georg Brandes, who was editor of Copenhagen’s influential Politikken.
Lundegård tells how Knut Hamsun, a struggling young writer, was living in a cheap room in a Copenhagen rooming house trying to complete his first novel. He had enough money to support him for two weeks, for three if he gave up eating dinner. Hamsun, who went on to win the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, hoped to get some help from Brandes but had no way to gain access to him. He did, however, meet Brandes’s brother, Edvard, and gave him part of his manuscript to read. Brandes read it and rushed immediately to the post office to send money to Hamsun, realizing the desperation of his need. Lundegård had heard this moving account from Edvard Brandes and included it, in considerable detail, in Sett och känt.
Lundegård stood in awe of the socially relevant plays of August Strindberg, whose interest in, and presentation of, historical themes paralleled Lundegård’s literary interests. Lundegård was also much influenced by the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, a renowned scientist, philosopher, and theologian, who, after several mystical encounters, considered himself to be the direct instrument of God. Lundegård wrestled with many religious doubts and conflicts in his early life. Lundegård’s work is not well known in the United States. He had a considerable following, nevertheless, in his native Sweden and also was associated with the most significant literary groups of his day in Norway and Denmark.