Eriksson, Axel Wilhelm (1846 - 1901) [sv]

Other languages: Eriksson, Axel Wilhelm (swedish)

Personer med anknytning till Världskulturmuseerna (Statens museer för världskultur) [sv]

Description
Axel Wilhelm Eriksson, född 24 augusti 1846, död 5 maj 1901. [sv]
Dataset owner
License
Public Domain Dedication (CC0) applies to the information on this page and not any works/objects created by the actor
Last changed
19/03/2024 21:52:22
08/02/2025 05:22:32
Published
Status

URI
http://kulturnav.org/8b078b9d-a6b3-44d2-ab4b-cb2ab28c70c8 | RDF/XML | JSON-LD
Name
Eriksson, Axel Wilhelm
Swedish

First name
Wilhelm Axel
Swedish

Last name
Eriksson
Swedish

Alternative name
Vilhelm
Swedish

Title
jägare

-Title
jägare
Swedish
ornitolog

-Title
ornitolog
Swedish
Description
Axel Wilhelm Eriksson, född 24 augusti 1846, död 5 maj 1901.
Swedish

Wikipedia

Birth
24/08/1846

-Time
24/08/1846
Death
05/05/1901

-Time
05/05/1901
Gender
Man
English

Norwegian bokmål

Man
Swedish

Estonian

German

Norwegian nynorsk

Biography

Axel Wilhelm Eriksson (24 August 1846–5 May 1901) was a Swedish ornithologist, settler and trader in what is now Namibia. He was born in Vänersborg, in Sweden. Eriksson went to South-West Africa in 1866 (before Germany had established its colony of German South West Africa in 1884) to serve out a three-year apprenticeship to Charles John Andersson. In 1871, with Swede Anders Ohlsson, he established a brewery at Omaruru. Eriksson established a trading post there, which flourished and by 1878 employed about forty whites. Eriksson's business was based upon long-distance trading between southern Angola and Cape Colony, which necessitated the establishment of regional trade routes.[2] He also built up an extensive bird collection, specimens coming from South West Africa, Angola and the Transvaal (now Gauteng Province in South Africa), the bulk of which has since been donated to the municipal museum in Vänersborg. His activities gained much respect from a wide range of communities, including native and Boer, over a large geographic area. He was known to the Herero as Karuwapa Katiti ("the small white person"). Axel Eriksson died on 5 May 1901 at Urupupa farm. It was said that "when Karuwapa died, the goodness in the country died as well". His grave at Rietfontein, thirty kilometres south west of Grootfontein, was made a national monument in 1978; a sign beside the grave reads: "This is the last resting place of Axel Eriksson, well known traveller, hunter, trader and pioneer, through whose intercession the Cape Government sent food to the distressed thirstland trekkers in 1879 thus rescuing various families from certain death".[3] Despite the grave's status, the site is virtually inaccessible and is not maintained, with its boundary fence no longer intact (as at October 2014). Eriksson married Frances "Fanny" Stewardson, in 1871 and the couple had two sons, Axel Eriksson (1871-1924 (died at Gaideb, Warmbad)), a noted painter[5] and Andrew Albert Eriksson (1876-?), who became a priest in Sweden. There was also a daughter, Maud Alice Eriksson (who married in Cape Town and moved to England). Eriksson's two brothers, Carl and Gustav also migrated to South-West Africa.[6] Eriksson divorced Frances and subsequently married a Herero princess. The couple had a son, Jacob (born around 1884), who became a farmer in what is now Mozambique (his fate is not known). (Wikipedia, 2015-07-22)

English

Axel Wilhelm Eriksson, född 24 augusti 1846, död 5 maj 1901. Han kom till sydvästra Afrika 1866.

Axel Eriksson var son till slakaren Anders Eriksson som var andra generationens slaktare i staden. Axel var tänkt att ta över familjens slaketeri, men Axel saknade intresse. Han faschinerades istället av natur, zoologi och jakt, starkt influerad av engelsmannen, jägaren och zoologen Llewellyn Lloyd och hans son Charles John Andersson.

År 1865 anställde Andersson den unge vänersborgaren Axel W Eriksson som assistent i Sydvästafrika. Även Eriksson hade fått sitt zoologiska intresse väckt av Lloyd hemma i Vänersborg. Efter Anderssons död 1867 kom Eriksson att stanna i södra Afrika. Här grundade han en handelsstation i Omaruru i centrala Namibia. Handeln med elfenben, strutsfjäder, boskap och vapen gav Eriksson en ansenlig förmögenhet och en politisk maktställning.

Den zoologiska forskningen inriktade han främst på fågellivet – ornitologin. Ett resultat av dessa forskningar är den donation av närmare 1000 fåglar som han på 1880-talet skänkte sin hemstad Vänersborg. Fåglarna, som kan ses i museets nedre norra sal, utgör en av museets viktigaste grundpelare. När Eriksson avled 1901 var handelsrörelsen en spillra av sitt forna jag och förmögenheten skingrad.

Axel W Erikssons verksamhet ligger i dag som historisk grund för ett partnersamarbete mellan Vänersborgs kommun och staden Omaruru i Namibia.

Swedish

Carlotta-SMVK
1471727

-Id
1471727
-System
Carlotta-SMVK
DigitaltMuseum
021037461206
-Id
021037461206
-System
DigitaltMuseum