Clara Nordström
Encyclopedia
Clara Nordström, maiden name and pseudonym for Clara Elisabet von Vegesack, (Karlskrona
, Sweden
, January 18, 1886 - Mindelheim
, Germany
, February 7, 1962) was a German writer and translator of Swedish descent. With the themes of her writing and her Swedish maiden name she profited from the German interest for Scandinavian writers.
Born the daughter of a physician and a peasant woman in Karlskrona and brought up in Växjö
(Sweden), she was bed-ridden owing to illness up to her twelfth year. It was only after that, from about 1897, that she started to frequent various private schools in Växjö. In 1903, she went to Hildesheim
(Germany) and shortly afterwards to Braunschweig
(Germany) in order to learn the German language. On April 17th 1905 she married, in Växjö, the son of her teacher, 15 years her senior, and in 1906 gave birth to their son Gustav Adolf. She got divorced in 1909 after she had been left by her husband. Nordström returned to Växjö for a short time and in the same year moved to Berlin
to become a photographer. After three years of instruction and practical training, she had to give up her profession for health reasons. In 1912 she went to Munich
to become a writer. It was there that in 1914 she met Siegfried von Vegesack, whom she married on February 16th in Stockholm
.
In 1916 she moved with her husband to Berlin, where in April 1917 her daughter Isabel was born (who died in 2005). Because of an ailment of Siegfried von Vegesack’s, the family in 1917 moved to a farm near Dingolfing
and later to Großwalding near Deggendorf
. In 1918 they acquired a corn tower near Regen
, which they refurbished into a residential tower. In 1920 Karin their second daughter was born but died only a few days later. In 1923 their son Gotthard was born, to be killed in action in the Second World War in 1944. In the same year Nordström published her first novel "Tomtelilla" both in Germany and in Sweden. With her mother’s death an important source of income had run dry. Therefore, Nordström opened up, in the tower, a place for artists and writers to live. In these years the couple started gradually to grow apart. In 1929 the family moved to Switzerland. Shortly afterwards Clara Nordström moved with her children to Stuttgart
and got a divorce in 1935 at Vegesack’s wish. In that year she started to read from her works all over Germany.
From her German base, she also wrote articles in the Swedish Nazi press. In 1936 she returned for a short period to the residential tower in Weißenstein near Regen and in 1938/39 she built a house in Baiersbronn in the Black Forest
. In 1944 she was called to Königsberg
to read from her texts for the radio station run by the German Propagandaministerium transmitting in Swedish, but in 1944 had to flee to Hamburg
.
Throughout her life she again and again had to struggle with severe ailments and therefore intensely questioned her faith, which is what the characters in her books do. In 1948 she converted from Protestantism to Catholicism. Round about 1950 she again moved to Stuttgart and took orders ("Oblatin"
of St. Benedict) in the convent of Neresheim
. In 1952 she settled in Dießen on Lake Ammersee to be able to read from her works in Bavaria. She died in 1962 and was buried in Mindelheim.
Karlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, January 18, 1886 - Mindelheim
Mindelheim
Mindelheim is a town in the German Bundesland of Bavaria. The town is the capital of the Unterallgäu district. At various points in history it was the chief settlement of an eponymous state.- Geography :...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, February 7, 1962) was a German writer and translator of Swedish descent. With the themes of her writing and her Swedish maiden name she profited from the German interest for Scandinavian writers.
Born the daughter of a physician and a peasant woman in Karlskrona and brought up in Växjö
Växjö
Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County. Furthermore it is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a...
(Sweden), she was bed-ridden owing to illness up to her twelfth year. It was only after that, from about 1897, that she started to frequent various private schools in Växjö. In 1903, she went to Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
(Germany) and shortly afterwards to Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
(Germany) in order to learn the German language. On April 17th 1905 she married, in Växjö, the son of her teacher, 15 years her senior, and in 1906 gave birth to their son Gustav Adolf. She got divorced in 1909 after she had been left by her husband. Nordström returned to Växjö for a short time and in the same year moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to become a photographer. After three years of instruction and practical training, she had to give up her profession for health reasons. In 1912 she went to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
to become a writer. It was there that in 1914 she met Siegfried von Vegesack, whom she married on February 16th in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
In 1916 she moved with her husband to Berlin, where in April 1917 her daughter Isabel was born (who died in 2005). Because of an ailment of Siegfried von Vegesack’s, the family in 1917 moved to a farm near Dingolfing
Dingolfing
Dingolfing is a town in Southern Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the Landkreis Dingolfing-Landau.- History :The area now called Dingolfing was first mentioned in Tinguluinga in the year 833....
and later to Großwalding near Deggendorf
Deggendorf
Deggendorf is a town in Bavaria, capital of the district Deggendorf.The earliest traces of settlement in the area are found near the Danube, about 8,000 years ago. Both Bronze Age and Celtic era archeological finds indicate continuous habitation through the years...
. In 1918 they acquired a corn tower near Regen
Regen
Regen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the district of Regen.-Division of the town:Originally the town consisted of 4 districts, Bürgerholz, Grubhügel, Riedham and St...
, which they refurbished into a residential tower. In 1920 Karin their second daughter was born but died only a few days later. In 1923 their son Gotthard was born, to be killed in action in the Second World War in 1944. In the same year Nordström published her first novel "Tomtelilla" both in Germany and in Sweden. With her mother’s death an important source of income had run dry. Therefore, Nordström opened up, in the tower, a place for artists and writers to live. In these years the couple started gradually to grow apart. In 1929 the family moved to Switzerland. Shortly afterwards Clara Nordström moved with her children to Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and got a divorce in 1935 at Vegesack’s wish. In that year she started to read from her works all over Germany.
From her German base, she also wrote articles in the Swedish Nazi press. In 1936 she returned for a short period to the residential tower in Weißenstein near Regen and in 1938/39 she built a house in Baiersbronn in the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
. In 1944 she was called to Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
to read from her texts for the radio station run by the German Propagandaministerium transmitting in Swedish, but in 1944 had to flee to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
Throughout her life she again and again had to struggle with severe ailments and therefore intensely questioned her faith, which is what the characters in her books do. In 1948 she converted from Protestantism to Catholicism. Round about 1950 she again moved to Stuttgart and took orders ("Oblatin"
Oblate (religion)
An oblate in Christian monasticism is a person who is specifically dedicated to God or to God's service. Currently, oblate has two meanings:...
of St. Benedict) in the convent of Neresheim
Neresheim
Neresheim is a town in the Ostalbkreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated northeast of Heidenheim, and southeast of Aalen....
. In 1952 she settled in Dießen on Lake Ammersee to be able to read from her works in Bavaria. She died in 1962 and was buried in Mindelheim.
Publications
- Tomtelilla, 1923 (überarbeitete Fassung 1953)
- Kajsa Lejondahl, 1933
- Frau Kajsa, 1934
- Roger Björn, 1935
- Lillemor, 1936
- Der Ruf der Heimat, 1938
- Bengta, die Bäuerin aus Skane, 1941
- Sternenreiter, 1946 (ab 1951 bei einem anderen Verlag unter dem Namen Engelbrecht Engelbrechtsson)
- Die letzte der Svenske, 1952
- Licht zwischen den Wolken, 1952
- Kristof, 1955
- Der Weg in das große Leuchten, 1955
- Mein Leben, 1957
- Der Findling vom Sankt Erikshof, 1961
- Die Flucht nach Schweden, 1960
- Die höhere Liebe, 1963 (published after her death)