Valfrid Palmgren
| Valfrid Palmgren | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Alfhild Matilda Palmgren June 3, 1877 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died |
December 6, 1967 (aged 90) Gentofte, Denmark |
| Alma mater | University of Uppsala |
Alfhild Valfrid Matilda Palmgren, as married Palmgren Munch-Petersen (3 June 1877, Stockholm, Sweden – 6 December 1967, Gentofte, Denmark), was a Swedish pedagogue and politician. She reformed the Swedish library policy and introduced the free public libraries in Sweden.
Life
Valfrid Palmgren was the daughter of Karl Edvard Palmgren. She was educated at her fathers school Palmgrenska samskolan, the first coeducational school in Europe, and was herself active there as a teacher from 1896–1907. She graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy in Roman philology from the University of Uppsala in 1905, and was employed as a Teaching assistant at the Kungliga biblioteket.
She worked for reforms in the policy of the Swedish libraries, demanding that public libraries be open to all; that the loans be free of charge; that there be a public library accessible in each city; and that the libraries be free from political, commercial and religious censorship. During the Conservative government of Arvid Lindman, she was asked to write a government report proposing a new policy on libraries based on her international expertise and on the idea of popular enlightenment. She managed to have all her demands met and introduced to government policy, and is mainly remembered for this. In 1910, Palmgren was elected to the Stockholm City Council as a representative of the conservative party.
She married the Dane Jon Julius Munch-Petersen in 1911 and moved to Denmark. She became the mother of Gustaf Munch-Petersen. In Denmark, she became a member of the board of the public libraries in Copenhagen in 1918.
Sources
- Ann-Cathrine Haglund, Ann-Marie Petersson, Inger Ström-Billing, red (2004). Moderata pionjärer: kvinnor i politiskt arbete 1900-2000. Stockholm: Sällskapet för moderata kvinnors historia. Libris 9666368. ISBN 91-631-5862-0 (inb.) Valfrid Palmgren, 1877-1967 av Ann-Marie Petersson
