Lars Olsson Smith
Lars Olsson Smith ( October 12, 1836 in Kiaby - December 9, 1913 in Karlskrona ), also known as LO Smith , was a Swedish liquor manufacturer and politician. Due to its dominant monopoly position in Swedish schnapps production, it was also called the “King of Spirits” (Brännvinskung) at the end of the 19th century . He is the founder of the vodka brand Absolut Vodka , which is now sold worldwide and which was then run under the name Absolut Rent Brännvin .
biography
After his biological father went bankrupt, Lars Olsson Smith began working for Consul Carl Smith in a general store in Karlshamn at the age of eight . Due to the difficult financial situation of his biological family, Consul Smith took care of the boy and adopted him, whereupon Lars Olsson took the name "Smith".
From 1850 he worked in a general store in Stockholm, then for a seaport freight forwarder.
In 1858 he set up several distilleries in Scania , Blekinge and Reimersholme . These distilleries gave Smith enormous wealth, as he developed a distillation process with which the proportion of fusel oils was considerably lower than in comparable spirits of the time. The best-known vodka produced by Smith was tiodubblat renat ("tenfold cleaned"), through which Smith drove his competitors into bankruptcy and achieved a dominant monopoly position . The city of Stockholm tried to contain its success, but Smith relocated his distilleries to the island of Reimersholme beyond the city limits of Stockholm. He had his spirits sold from the Fjäderholmarna Islands by setting up a ferry service between Stockholm and the island for the citizens of Stockholm.
A little later, the alcohol production was nationalized , LO Smith received a generous severance payment, because of which there should have been grueling inheritance disputes.
His youngest daughter Marie Luise Smith married the diplomat Jean Karadja Pascha. Their son Constantin Karadja worked as a diplomat for the rescue of thousands of Jews during World War II .
Nowadays the profile of the founder Smith adorns every Absolut Vodka bottle.
Related Links
bibliography
- Nordisk familjebok , Uggleupplagan (1917), Smith, Lars Olsson [1]
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Smith, Lars Olsson |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Smith, LO |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swedish liquor manufacturer and politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 12, 1836 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Kiaby |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 9, 1913 |
| Place of death | Karlskrona |