Louis De Geer - Norrköping, Sweden
Posted by: DougK
N 58° 35.309 E 016° 11.124
33V E 568912 N 6494840
Louis De Geer was known as the Father of Swedish industry.
Waymark Code: WMJ2XA
Location: Östergötland, Sweden
Date Posted: 09/14/2013
Views: 10
Louis De Geer is considered the father of Swedish industry for introducing Walloon blast furnaces in Sweden. Born in Belgium, De Geer adopted Sweden as his second mother country and immigrated to Sweden in 1627. The Swedish king, impressed by his business instincts, allowed him to lease estates near Finspång, Östergötland in eastern Sweden. His house in Stockholm is today the Dutch embassy in Sweden.
This statue of Louis De Geer can be found across the street from the Louis De Geer Concert Hall. The statue shows De Geer dressed in 17th century clothes, including a cape knee-high stockings and buckle shoes. He's straddling some houses in an abstract scene (that I don't understand). All of this stands on a metal base of trapezoid shapes. There are frame buildings with ladders, a sailing ship and more abstract designs on the sides of the base. One side of the metal base contains the Swedish text (below), giving a synopsis of De Geer's contributions to Swedish. The shoe status and metal base rest upon a square granite plinth about a half meter high.
There are some cursive words etched into the statue which are the artist name and date of placement. The sculpture was done by Carl Milles in 1945.
The writing in Swedish on the base of the statue reads:
Louis De Geer
Född 1587 Död 1652
den svenska industriens fader
a Norrköping upprättade han vapenfaktori och mässingbruk
och grundlade staden textilindustri
under ofredstid smidde han vara vapen och var
ett trofast stöd för konung och folk
monumentet ärrest nära de stränder där han själu en
gang lyssnat till forsarnas dan och arbetet sang.
This translates to English as:
Louis De Geer
Born 1587 Died 1652
Father of Swedish industry.
In Norrköping he started a weapons factory, a brass factory
and founded the city's textile industry.
In times of war he forged our weapons and was
a faithful support to king and people.
This monument is erected close to the shores where he himself
once listened to the rumbling rapids and the song of labour.
The statue can be seen in Google Street View.