Ester Ståhlberg, née Elfving (February 17, 1870 – July 21, 1950) was a Finnish writer and educator and the first First Lady of Finland. She was the wife of president Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg.

Ester Ståhlberg
Born(1870-02-17)February 17, 1870
Vaasa, Finland
DiedJuly 21, 1950(1950-07-21) (aged 80)
Helsinki, Finland
Signature

The daughter of Karl Oskar Elfving, mayor, and Jenny Nyman, she was born Ester Elfving[1] in Vaasa, went on to study in Oulu[2] and then continued with post-graduate studies in Helsinki. For a time, she taught Swedish.[3]

After the death of her first husband in 1917, she was named to the child welfare department of the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs.[3]

From 1912 to 1919, Ståhlberg served on the editorial board of Valvoja magazine. She was editor of Aamu magazine from 1926 to 1931.[3]

She also published novels and biographies, including a biography of Mathilda Wrede.[4]

In 1922, she founded Koteja kodittomille lapsille ("Home for Homeless Children"), later known as Pelastakaa Lapset ("Save the Children").[4]

Ståhlberg was married twice: first to Karl Hällström, a pharmacist, who died in 1917. In 1920, she married the widower Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, during his term as the first President of Finland.[2]

She died in Helsinki.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ "Ståhlberg, Kaarlo Juho (1865 - 1952)". National Biography of Finland.
  2. ^ a b "Ester Ståhlbergin uusperhe-elämä ei ollut pelkkää onnea: "Ei voi olla mitään raskaampaa kuin pitkittynyt pakkotila minua ylenkatsovien lasten kanssa"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). May 11, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ester Ståhlberg - kirjailija, lastensuojelun edistäjä". Naisten Ääni -hanke (in Finnish).
  4. ^ a b "Ståhlberg, Ester" (in Finnish). Helsingin Suomalainen Klubi.