I can see Erik and Augusta in the rowboat

I can see Erik and Augusta in the rowboat

“Rowed over to Loddby and Augusta came back with me to Krusenhof. In the evening, Tante and August came over.” 31 May, 1848 Erik Hjort was 16 years old when he wrote those lines in his diary. Augusta lived at Loddby and Erik and his siblings, Aurore, Nanna, and Axel lived across a small bay at Krusenhof. I can see Erik and Augusta in the […]

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Krusenhof’s poplars still nod a friendly welcome

Krusenhof’s poplars still nod a friendly welcome

Two weeks ago, Kerstin and I visited the city museum in Norrköping. One special exhibition just happened to feature historical buildings threatened to be demolished. And when we walked in, we happened upon a seminar about conserving Sweden’s cultural heritage. Both the exhibition and the talk included Krusenhof, the estate where Augusta’s best friends and neighbors had lived. Sadly, the Krusenhof mansion, orangery, pavilion, and […]

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The country side is so wonderful at this time of the year

The country side is so wonderful at this time of the year

“The country side is so wonderful at this time of the year.” Augusta described her country surroundings in the spring – the blue sky, the song of the larch, the warmth of the sun – and Kerstin and I decided that after a winter of research, we should do an outing to Augusta’s home. Augusta lived at Loddby, an estate located just outside Norrköping. Her brother-in-law, […]

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0h! Everything is difficult, everything changes.

0h! Everything is difficult, everything changes.

Loddby, 2 September 1850 This week we have been at Krusenhof and said goodbye to Eric. Our trips to this, my second childhood home, have begun again ever since my friends at Krusenhof [the family Hjort] have once more gathered in their home. How the road is dear to me and how well I know every single rock and every bush; they are all my […]

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Stockholm, March 12, 1851

Stockholm, March 12, 1851

Since Saturday evening I am here in Stockholm, our Swedish Paris, the dance-hungry’s Eldorado. Our journey here was miserable; unfavorable road conditions for the sleigh and grey, chilly weather. We ate bad food and slept miserably in cold, unpleasant lodgings, chatted with drunk coachmen, drank mulled wine, and finally arrived frozen and exhausted to our nice and beautiful Stockholm where we took in at Hotel […]

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