Henning Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Henning Ludvig Hugo Hamilton, born January 16 1814 in Stockholm
, Sweden
, deceased January 15 1886 in Amélie-les-Bains, France
, was a Swedish count
, politician
, government official and author. His father was Gustaf Wathier Hamilton
. Today he is perhaps best remembered for the so called Hamilton scandal.
and became second lieutenant
at Svea artilleriregemente
in 1829. In 1837-43 he was a teacher in the military. In 1845 he became a major
in the military. He held many high profile political positions throughout his career, such as county governor
of Östergötland County
(1852) and in 1859-1860 he was the minister of education (ecklesiastikminister). He was also appointed university chancellor for Lund
and Uppsala University
in 1872.
He was an elected member of most learned societies
in Sweden
, such as the Swedish Academy
and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
, and received honorary doctorates from Lund University
(1868) and the University of Copenhagen
(1879). On January 28, 1854 he was knighted into the Order of Charles XIII
. He was also the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy
1874-1881.
and the Swedish Academy
. Hamilton was a gambler (particularly roulette
and the card game Trente et Quarante
) and addicted to morphine
, and his gambling habits abroad, in particular in Germany, had resulted in a desperate need for money. Given the potential impact of this large scandal, particularly because high-profile socialites and King Oscar II had close friendships with Hamilton, he was spared prosecution but forced to resign from all his positions and memberships in all learned societies. He was also forced into exile, and moved to southern France
. He still drew a pension from the Swedish government and he also received a pension from the Royal Order of the Seraphim. There were also rumors of King Oscar II helping him financially. He died five years later. The movement among the ruling class of Sweden at the time to "preserve the society" decided to forget about Henning Hamilton and today he is largely forgotten in Sweden.
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...
, 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....
, deceased January 15 1886 in Amélie-les-Bains, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, was a Swedish count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, government official and author. His father was Gustaf Wathier Hamilton
Gustaf Wathier Hamilton
Gustaf Wathier Hamilton was a Swedish count, jurist and official. His father was Adolf Ludvig Hamilton and his mother was Eva Kristina de Besche....
. Today he is perhaps best remembered for the so called Hamilton scandal.
Career
Hamilton received his education at Uppsala UniversityUppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
and became second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
at Svea artilleriregemente
Svea artilleriregemente
Svea artilleriregemente , designation A 1, was a Swedish Army artillery regiment that traced its origins back to the 17th century. It was disbanded in 1997. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from Svealand, and it was also garrisoned there.- History :The regiment has its origins in...
in 1829. In 1837-43 he was a teacher in the military. In 1845 he became a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the military. He held many high profile political positions throughout his career, such as county governor
County governor
A county governor is the leader of a county, the first-level administrative unit of Lithuania. County governors are chosen by the Prime Minister and confirmed by the central government rather than elected by the people...
of Östergötland County
Östergötland County
Östergötland County is a county or län in southeastern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Västra Götaland to the west, Örebro to the northwest, Södermanland to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the east.Östergötland County has a population of...
(1852) and in 1859-1860 he was the minister of education (ecklesiastikminister). He was also appointed university chancellor for Lund
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
and Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
in 1872.
He was an elected member of most learned societies
Learned society
A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...
in 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....
, such as 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"...
and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
, and received honorary doctorates from Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
(1868) and the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
(1879). On January 28, 1854 he was knighted into the Order of Charles XIII
Order of Charles XIII
The Order of Charles XIII is a Swedish order of knighthood, founded by King Charles XIII in 1811. The Lord and Master of the Order is the King of Sweden, currently His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf. The order can only be conferred on Freemasons of Protestant faith...
. He was also the 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"...
1874-1881.
Hamilton scandal
In 1881 Hamilton was caught embezzling very large sums of money from his relatives, Uppsala UniversityUppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
and 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"...
. Hamilton was a gambler (particularly roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
and the card game Trente et Quarante
Trente et Quarante
Trente et Quarante , also called Rouge et Noir , is a 17th century gambling card game of French origin played with cards and a special table. It is rarely found in US casinos, but still very popular in Continental Europe casinos, and one of the two games played in the gambling rooms at Monte Carlo,...
) and addicted to morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
, and his gambling habits abroad, in particular in Germany, had resulted in a desperate need for money. Given the potential impact of this large scandal, particularly because high-profile socialites and King Oscar II had close friendships with Hamilton, he was spared prosecution but forced to resign from all his positions and memberships in all learned societies. He was also forced into exile, and moved to southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He still drew a pension from the Swedish government and he also received a pension from the Royal Order of the Seraphim. There were also rumors of King Oscar II helping him financially. He died five years later. The movement among the ruling class of Sweden at the time to "preserve the society" decided to forget about Henning Hamilton and today he is largely forgotten in Sweden.
Writings
Hamilton was a prolific author and wrote many books, such as Bibliothek för krigshistoria och krigskonst (1837–1839), Afhandling om krigsmaktens och krigskonstens tillstånd i Sverige under konung Gustaf II Adolfs regering (1846; awarded with a gold medal in 1839), Kriget i Tyskland år 1866 (1869), Några betraktelser i anledning af kriget mellan Frankrike och Tyskland 1870 (1871) and Frankrike och Tyskland åren 1866-74 (1877).Biography
- Palmgren, CG: Gåtan Henning Hamilton, Atlantis 2000 ISBN 978-91-7486-506-6 (in Swedish).