Nils Ericson
Encyclopedia
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....
mechanical
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
(as was his younger brother John Ericsson
John Ericsson
John Ericsson was a Swedish-American inventor and mechanical engineer, as was his brother Nils Ericson. He was born at Långbanshyttan in Värmland, Sweden, but primarily came to be active in England and the United States...
, who emigrated to England and then the USA). He became a prominent Swedish canal and railway builder.
Born Nils Ericsson, he was raised to the untitled nobility by king Oscar I of Sweden
Oscar I of Sweden
Oscar I was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. When, in August 1810, his father Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden, Oscar and his mother moved from Paris to Stockholm . Oscar's father was the first ruler of the current House of Bernadotte...
in 1854, and with this he reverted to a spelling of his surname with only one "s". In 1859 he was made a Friherre (equivalent to English Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
), the 403rd such elevation to Sweden's titled nobility.
Background
John and Nils were born in Långbanshyttan, VärmlandVärmland
' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, 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....
and received no formal education, but were taught the rudiments of mechanics from an early age by their father, Olof Ericsson. Olaf worked as the superintendent of a mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in Värmland until he lost money in speculations and had to move his family to Forsvik
Forsvik
Forsvik is a locality situated in Karlsborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 365 inhabitants in 2005....
, Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
, in 1810. There Olaf became a director of blastings during the excavation of Sweden's Göta Canal
Göta Canal
The Göta Canal is a Swedish canal constructed in the early 19th century. It formed the backbone of a waterway stretching some 382 miles , linking a number of lakes and rivers to provide a route from Gothenburg on the west coast to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea via the river Göta älv and the...
(built 1810-1832). He secured permission for his sons to draw in the office of the draughtsmen of the canal company, where they also learned to draw maps, and he persuaded Lieutenant Brandenburg of the Navy Mechanical Corps to teach them the art of shading and 'finishing off' mechanical drawings before they were in their teens.
Their extraordinary skills were noted by Baltzar von Platen
Baltzar von Platen (1766-1829)
Count Baltzar Bogislaus von Platen was a Swedish naval officer and statesman. He was born on the island of Rügen to Filip Julius Bernhard von Platen, Field Marshal and the Swedish Governor General of Pomerania, and Regina Juliana von Usedom.-Swedish Navy:At age 13 Baltzar entered the Royal...
, the architect of the Göta Canal, and they were soon dubbed cadets of mechanics of the Swedish Navy
Swedish Navy
The Royal Swedish Navy is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet – as well as marine units, the so-called Amphibious Corps .In Swedish, vessels of the Swedish Navy are given the prefix "HMS," short for Hans/Hennes...
and engaged as trainees at the canal enterprise. When two engineers sent to England by Count Platen to obtain information about canal construction returned in 1815 and began to instruct a number of cadets of the Swedish Corps of Mechanical Engineers, the Ericsson brothers were among them; Nils being then twelve years old and John eleven.
Career
In 1823 Nils Ericson joined the Engineering corps of the Swedish ArmySwedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
as a second lieutenant, but in 1830 he transferred to the Navy Mechanical Corps (where he eventually advanced to the rank of colonel in 1850). In 1833 he married a daughter of Count von Schwerin in Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
.
Between 1830 and 1850 Nils Ericson planned and directed the construction of the canals at Stallbacka, Säffle
Säffle
Säffle is a locality and the seat of Säffle Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 9,156 inhabitants in 2005.Säffle is known for being the last place in Sweden formally getting the title of a City in 1951. This status was abolished in 1971...
, Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
and Albrektsund. He also led the construction of the Saimaa Canal
Saimaa Canal
The Saimaa Canal is a transportation canal that connects lake Saimaa with the Gulf of Finland near Vyborg, Russia. The canal was built from 1845 to 1856 and opened on 7 September 1856 .It was overhauled and widened in 1963–1968....
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
(constructed 1845-52), the reconstruction of the Trollhätte Canal
Trollhätte Canal
The Trollhaette Canal is a canal in Sweden that is now part of the Göta Canal. It connects the Göta älv river with Lake Vänern.Ships classified as Vänermax are of the maximum dimensions that will fit through the canal. The maximum dimensions for a boat to traverse this canal are:*Length: 88...
in Trollhättan Municipality
Trollhättan Municipality
Trollhättan Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Trollhättan....
and the floodgate
Floodgate
Floodgates are adjustable gates used to control water flow in flood barriers, reservoir, river, stream, or levee systems. They may be designed to set spillway crest heights in dams, to adjust flow rates in sluices and canals, or they may be designed to stop water flow entirely as part of a levee or...
at 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 1845, he was elected a member of 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...
.
After 1850 he was primarily occupied with the design and construction of the Swedish state-owned railway system. At the same time he led the planning of the Dalsland Canal
Dalsland Canal
Dalslands kanal is a Swedish canal which enables ships to sail between Lake Vänern and central parts of the Dalsland and southwestern Värmland lake districts...
while construction there was being led by his son Werner.
Sweden started building railways later than many other European countries, having hesitated under heavy debate for several years because of the costs and other issues. Following the Riksdag
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
's decision in 1854, Erikson was chosen to lead the project of building the main lines (stambanorna). There was also a decision that, for military reasons, the railways should avoid the coasts as much as possible.
His proposal was that the line between Gothenburg and Stockholm (Västra Stambanan) should run south of Lake Mälaren
Mälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
to avoid competition with shipping. He also proposed that the line between Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
and Stockholm (Södra stamabanan) should go north via Nässjö to meet up with Västra stambanan at Falköping
Falköping
Falköping is a locality and the seat of Falköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 15,821 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Falköping most likely emerged during the 15th century but earlier the town was an important site of pilgrimage due to its 12th century church...
until the Västra's eastward construction reached Katrineholm
Katrineholm
Katrineholm is a locality and the seat of Katrineholm Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 21,386 inhabitants in 2005.-Early history:The name Katrineholm comes from a ducal residence with this name, after Catherina Gyllenhorn who lived there...
, where a better junction could be built with a Södra line direct from Nässjö. Ericson's proposal also included the railway between Stockholm and Ånge
Ånge
Ånge is a locality and the seat of Ånge Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 2,956 inhabitants in 2005.Ånge is a railway junction where the northern main line railway connected with the central main line railway .- References :...
(Norra stambanan) and Stambanan genom övre Norrland ("the main line through Upper Norrland") which runs between Bräcke
Bräcke
Bräcke is a locality and the seat of Bräcke Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 1,566 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
and Boden
Boden, Sweden
Boden is a locality and the seat of Boden Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 18,680 inhabitants in 2005.- History :The town of Boden started as a railway junction where the Northern Line met with the Ore Line from the rich iron ore fields in northern Sweden.The town experienced...
. A railway between Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Laxå
Laxå
Laxå is a locality and the seat of Laxå Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 3,307 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The town was founded in the mid-19th century when the main line railway between Gothenburg and Stockholm was built in 1883. Laxå is situated exactly 226 km from both those...
(Nordvästra stambanan) was also planned, to connect with Västra stambanan.
The first parts of the Västra and Södra lines were opened in 1856. Ericson resigned in 1862 when all of Västra stambanan opened, and in 1864 Södra stambanan was opened in its entirety. Nordvästra stambanan was opened in 1871, Östra stambanan in 1874, Norra stambanan in 1881 and Stambanan genom övre Norrland opened in 1894. When Ericson resigned in 1862 his authority was divided between two agencies (the Building Bureau and the Traffic Bureau) until the formation of Kungliga Järnvägsstyrelsen (the Royal Railway Committee) in 1888.
Ericson died in Stockholm in 1870, aged 68, and lies buried in Stockholm's Northern Cemetery (Norra begravningsplatsen
Norra begravningsplatsen
Norra begravningsplatsen, literally "The Northern Cemetery" in Swedish, is a major cemetery of Metropolitan Stockholm. The cemetery is located in the municipality of Solna.Inaugurated on June 9, 1827, it is the burial site for a number of Swedish notables....
).
Monuments and memorials
- A bronze statue of Ericson stands on the forecourt outside Stockholm's central railway stationStockholm Central StationStockholm Central Station is the largest railway station in Sweden. The station is situated in the district of Norrmalm at Vasagatan/Central Plan. Opened July 18, 1871, the station is the largest in Sweden, with over 200,000 visitors daily...
. - The Nils Ericson TerminalNils Ericson TerminalThe Nils Ericson Terminal is a major bus terminus in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is placed in the city centre just next to Gothenburg Central Station , and across the street from the main Nordstan shopping centre. The main street and most hotels are within walking distance from the terminal.The...
bus station next to the central railway station in GothenburgGothenburgGothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
is named after him.
External links
- Nils Ericson Biography Swedish
- Nils Ericson at Find-A-Grave