Ebba Witt-Brattström
Encyclopedia
Ebba Witt-Brattström is a Swedish scholar in comparative literature
. She is Professor of Literature and head of department at Södertörn University outside Stockholm
, and a well-known feminist. In the 1970s she was a member of the feminist organisation Grupp 8, and in 2005 she was one of the founders of the feminist political organisation and party Feministiskt Initiativ
, although she later distanced herself from the organisation and criticized its strong left-wing tendencies.
Witt-Brattström completed her Ph.D.
with a dissertation on the Swedish
author Moa Martinson
(Moa Martinson: skrift och drift i trettiotalet) at Stockholm University
in 1988. She has since written a number of texts on St. Bridget of Sweden, Victoria Benedictsson
and Edith Södergran
(among others). She also translated the novel Egalia's Daughters by Gerd Brantenberg
into Swedish. In 2010 she published a history of the feminist movement in Sweden, Å alla kära systrar (For all dear sisters).
Witt-Brattström is the Dag-Hammarskjöld-Visiting Professor at the Department for Northern European Studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin
since the fall term of 2008.
Ebba Witt-Brattström is (since 1989) married to Horace Engdahl
, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy
. They have three sons. Ebba also has an older son from an earlier marriage.
Both her parents came to Sweden as refugees during the Second World War. Her father was a German anti-Nazi from a relatively affluent family, while her mother was an Estonia
n from a poor peasant's family. Her parents divorced early, and she grew up with her mother.
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
. She is Professor of Literature and head of department at Södertörn University outside 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...
, and a well-known feminist. In the 1970s she was a member of the feminist organisation Grupp 8, and in 2005 she was one of the founders of the feminist political organisation and party Feministiskt Initiativ
Feminist Initiative (Sweden)
Feminist Initiative is a feminist political party in Sweden. The party was formed in 2005 and announced on 9 September 2005 that it would put up candidates for the 2006 parliamentary elections in Sweden...
, although she later distanced herself from the organisation and criticized its strong left-wing tendencies.
Witt-Brattström completed her Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
with a dissertation on the Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
author Moa Martinson
Moa Martinson
Helga Maria Swarts, known as Moa Martinson, was a Swedish author. Helga's ambitions as a writer was to change the society and with her authorship portray the conditions of the working-class but also the personal development of women...
(Moa Martinson: skrift och drift i trettiotalet) at Stockholm University
Stockholm University
Stockholm University is a state university in Stockholm, Sweden. It has over 28,000 students at four faculties, making it one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. The institution is also frequently regarded as one of the top 100 universities in the world...
in 1988. She has since written a number of texts on St. Bridget of Sweden, Victoria Benedictsson
Victoria Benedictsson
Victoria Benedictsson was a Swedish author. She was born as Victoria Maria Bruzelius in Domme, a village in the province of Skåne. She wrote under the pen name Ernst Ahlgren....
and Edith Södergran
Edith Södergran
Edith Irene Södergran was a Swedish-speaking Finnish poet. She was one of the first modernists within Swedish-language literature and her influences came from French Symbolism, German expressionism and Russian futurism. At the age of 24 she released her first collection of poetry entitled Dikter...
(among others). She also translated the novel Egalia's Daughters by Gerd Brantenberg
Gerd Brantenberg
Gerd Mjøen Brantenberg is a Norwegian author, teacher, and feminist writer. She is also the cousin of radio and TV entertainer Lars Mjøen....
into Swedish. In 2010 she published a history of the feminist movement in Sweden, Å alla kära systrar (For all dear sisters).
Witt-Brattström is the Dag-Hammarskjöld-Visiting Professor at the Department for Northern European Studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
since the fall term of 2008.
Ebba Witt-Brattström is (since 1989) married to Horace Engdahl
Horace Engdahl
Horace Oscar Axel Engdahl is a Swedish literary historian and critic, and has been a member of the Swedish Academy since 1997. He was the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, i.e. its spokesman, from 1999 to June 2009, when he was succeeded by historian Peter Englund.-Biography:Engdahl was...
, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...
. They have three sons. Ebba also has an older son from an earlier marriage.
Both her parents came to Sweden as refugees during the Second World War. Her father was a German anti-Nazi from a relatively affluent family, while her mother was an Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n from a poor peasant's family. Her parents divorced early, and she grew up with her mother.