Ada Nilsson

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Ada Nilsson (1935)

Ada Konstantia Nilsson (born September 21, 1872 in Södra Säm , † May 23, 1964 in Julita ) was a Swedish doctor. She was one of the founders of the feminist newspaper Tidevarvet .

Life

Nilsson's father was a middleman in the textile industry in Västergötland . He died in 1885. Her guardian, a member of the Swedish Parliament, aroused her interest in social issues early on and made sure that the girl enjoyed a good education. From 1891 on, inspired by her role model Karolina Widerström , she studied medicine at the Karolinska Institute . During her studies she learned a. a. Lydia Wahlström and Alma Sundqvist, who were also among Sweden's first female medical students.

In 1900 she graduated. Since she was not allowed to be employed at a state hospital as a woman, she trained as a gynecologist in Germany and opened a private practice in Stockholm in 1904. In addition, she was responsible for the gynecological polyclinic of the Seraphin Hospital for several years and worked as a doctor for children's homes and girls' schools.

In 1907 Nilsson was one of the founders of the Kvinnornas diskussionsklubb (women's debating club). In 1909, together with Alma Sundqvist Föreningen , she built Självförsörjande Bildade Kvinnors vilohem (a nursing home run by the Association of Educated, Independent Women). Both women were active in the Svenska föringen för moderskydd och sexualreform (the Swedish Association for the Protection of Mothers and for Sexual Reform) and were involved in the fight against prostitution. In writings and lectures, they emphasized the importance of sexual education and advocated the right to abortion. The house in Gamla stan , into which Nilsson moved with his practice and apartment, served as a salon for like-minded people.

In 1914 Nilsson was one of the initiators of the Föreningen frisinnade kvinnor (association of free-thinking women), which campaigned “against the psychosis of war, for democracy and for equal rights for women”. After universal suffrage was introduced in 1918/21, the association became active throughout Sweden.

In 1922, together with Kerstin Hesselgren, the educator Honorine Hermelin, the author Elin Wägner and the politician Elisabeth Tamm , Nilsson organized an education center for women on Tamm's Fogelstad estate. In 1923 the women, soon to be known as the Fogelstad Group, founded the newspaper Tidevarvet (The Age).Nilsson was editor of the paper, Wägner was the chief editor. The newspaper, which came out weekly and campaigned for pacifism and women's rights, appeared until 1936 despite financial difficulties. The education center in Fogelstad existed until the mid-1950s.

From 1925 onwards, Nilsson offered Tidevarvet parent advice on the premises of the newspaper. At the time, the office was one of the few places where unmarried pregnant women received support. In 1926, the young journalist Astrid Lindgren turned to Nilsson and the lawyer Eva Andén. The two helped Lindgren to deliver the child she was expecting from a married man undetected in Denmark. Due to a lack of money and insufficient support from the authorities, the consultancy had to be stopped again in 1928.

Nilsson headed the Stockholm department of Radikala Föreningen (Radical Association) from 1929 and was later deputy chairman of Svenska Kvinnors Vänsterförbund (a left-wing Swedish women's organization). In these functions she campaigned for women and refugees during the Spanish Civil War .

Some of Nilsson's suggestions for improved care for mothers and children were later adopted by the state.

Around 1950, Nilsson's eyesight deteriorated. In 1953 she had to close her practice. Until her death in 1964, she lived in poor conditions with Honorine Hermelin in Fogelstad. Her grave is in the Södra Säm cemetery in Västergotland.

The women of the Fogelstad group, among them Ada Nilsson, were immortalized by Siri Derkert in 1965 in a work of art in Stockholm's Östermalmstorg underground station .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ada K Nilsson - Svenskt Biografiskt Lexicon. Retrieved November 5, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Kristina Lundgren: Ada Konstantia Nilsson. In: Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon. Retrieved November 2, 2019 .
  3. ^ Johannes Kananen, Sophy Bergenheim, Merle Wessel: Conceptualising Public Health: Historical and Contemporary Struggles over Key Concepts . Routledge, 2018, ISBN 978-1-351-71287-3 ( google.de [accessed October 30, 2019]).
  4. ↑ The Reichstag and Democracy. In: Sveriges Riksdag. Anders Hagquist, Head of Communications, accessed October 30, 2019 .
  5. ^ Libris cataloging. Retrieved November 5, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Tidevarvet cover page . In: Tidevarvet . Retrieved October 1, 2019. 
  7. ^ Karl Erik Gustafsson, Per Rydén: A History of the Press in Sweden. In: http://www.mediehistoria.se/ . Svensk Mediehistorisk Förening, February 13, 2015, accessed on November 2, 2019 .
  8. ^ Lene Buchert: Hesselgren, Kerstin (1872-1964). In: Performance Magazine. The KPI Institute Pty. Ltd., accessed October 30, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Jens Andersen: Astrid Lindgren. Your life . DVA, 2015, ISBN 978-3-641-16795-0 ( google.de [accessed October 29, 2019]).
  10. ^ Göteborgs universitetsbibliotek: Ada Nilsson. Retrieved November 5, 2019 .
  11. ^ The art of the subway - Östermalmstorg. In: Visit Stockholm. City of Stockholm, accessed November 5, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Nilsson, Ada
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nilsson, Ada Konstantia (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish doctor and women's rights activist
DATE OF BIRTH September 21, 1872
PLACE OF BIRTH Södra Säms socken , Älvsborgs län
DATE OF DEATH May 23, 1964
Place of death Julita socks