Remembering Selma Lagerlöf

She is one of the best-known authors in Sweden and she grew up at Mårbacka. She is famous for her novel, “Gösta Berling´s Saga” (1891), “Jerusalem” (1902) and “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils” (1906). She is the first woman and the first Swedish author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909. Most of her writings are based on Swedish folklore and local traditions. Today is her birthday. 

Image source: https://marbacka.com/en/

Her childhood home, Mårbacka, is now a museum dedicated to her life and works. One of the exhibits in the museum is the kitchen with the AGA stove in the centre. The cooker was a gift from the cook's inventor Gustaf Dalén, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 1912. Selma Lagerlöf was very proud of her AGA cooker and often showed it to her visitors. This is a great example of the camaraderie that existed between two Nobel Prize Winners. 

Gustaf Dalén received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on lighthouse illumination, especially his Sun Valve. The Nobel Committee praised his contributions to energy conservation and maritime safety. 

Selma Lagerlöf’s portrait appeared on the Swedish 20-krona banknote from 1991 to 2015.