Per Ahlmark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Per Ahlmark
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Per Ahlmark
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| Minister for Employment | |
| In office 8 October 1976 – 7 March 1978 |
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| Prime Minister | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
| Preceded by | Ingemund Bengtsson |
| Succeeded by | Rolf Wirtén |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden | |
| In office 8 October 1976 – 7 March 1978 |
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| Prime Minister | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Ola Ullsten |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Per Axel Ahlmark
15 January 1939 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 8 June 2018 (aged 79) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Political party | Liberal People's Party |
| Alma mater | Stockholm University |
| Occupation | Politician |
Per Axel Ahlmark (born January 15, 1939 – died June 8, 2018) was an important Swedish politician and writer. He was the leader of the Liberal People's Party from 1975 to 1978. During this time, he also served as the Minister for Employment and Deputy Prime Minister in the Swedish government. He was also a member of the Swedish Parliament for many years, from 1967 to 1978.
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Early Life and School
Per Ahlmark was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His father, Axel Ahlmark, was a professor of medicine, and his mother, Gunvor Berglund, was a dentist. Per went to high school at Södra Latin in Stockholm. Later, he studied at Stockholm University and earned a degree in political science in 1964.
His Political Journey
Per Ahlmark started his political journey in 1960 when he joined the Liberal Youth of Sweden. He quickly became the chairman of this group in the same year and led it until 1962. He was also a member of the main board of the Liberal People's Party from 1960 to 1978.
He became a member of the Swedish Parliament in 1967. At first, he was in the upper house, then the lower house. After Sweden changed its parliament to have only one house in 1970–1971, Ahlmark continued to serve as a member until 1978. He also worked with the Council of Europe from 1971 to 1976.
In 1975, Per Ahlmark became the leader of the Liberal People's Party. From 1976 to 1978, he held two big jobs in the government: Minister for Employment and Deputy Prime Minister. This was a special time because it was the first time in 40 years that Sweden had a government not led by socialist parties. In 1978, Ahlmark decided to leave party politics. After that, he became the chairman of the board for the Swedish Film Institute from 1978 to 1981, which helps support Swedish movies.
His Books and Ideas
Per Ahlmark was a very active writer. He wrote many political books and hundreds of articles about politics, literature, and world issues. In the 1980s, he also wrote poetry, a novel, and essays. He wrote regular articles for Expressen, which was a very large newspaper in Scandinavia, from 1961 to 1995. Later, he wrote for Dagens Nyheter, Sweden's biggest morning newspaper, and Göteborgs-Posten.
In his writings, Ahlmark often talked about the importance of freedom and democracy. He believed that some political groups in Sweden were not critical enough of certain powerful governments that did not respect human rights.
He was a strong supporter of the country of Israel. He helped lead the Sweden–Israel Friendship Association for many years. He also helped start the Swedish Committee Against Antisemitism in 1983, which works against hatred towards Jewish people. In 1997, he founded the Sweden–Taiwan Friendship Association, showing his interest in global friendships.
Ahlmark also advised the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, an organization that works for human rights. He was also on the board of UN Watch, a group that monitors the United Nations.
In 1994, Ahlmark published an important book called Vänstern och tyranniet (which means "Tyranny and the Left"). This book caused a lot of discussion in Sweden about freedom and its challenges. He wrote other books too, like Det öppna såret ("The Open Sore") and Det är demokratin, dumbom! ("It's the Democracy, Stupid!"), which explored ideas about democracy, war, and human suffering.
Per Ahlmark also shared his views on international events. For example, he supported the United States' actions in Iraq in 2003. He also nominated John Bolton and Kenneth R. Timmerman for the Nobel Peace Prize because he believed they helped expose and stop Iran's nuclear weapons program.
The Per Ahlmark Foundation
To celebrate Per Ahlmark's 70th birthday in 2009, a new group called The Per Ahlmark Foundation was created. This foundation helps support research and education in areas like political science, the history of ideas, and Jewish history. It also focuses on economics, especially topics related to democracy and human rights. The foundation is led by Swedish businessman Robert Weil.
His Family Life
Per Ahlmark was married twice. His first wife was the journalist Lillemor Melsted, whom he married in 1965. From 1978 to 1981, he was married to the famous actress Bibi Andersson.
Per Ahlmark passed away on June 8, 2018, when he was 79 years old.
Awards and Honors
Per Ahlmark received many awards for his work and ideas:
- Defender of Jerusalem Award, Jabotinsky Foundation, 1986
- Honorary fellow, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1992
- Dialogue Award, Norwegian Jews, 1996
- Honorary Medal, Danish Raoul Wallenberg Society, 1998
- Torgny Segerstedt Award, Sweden–Israel Friendship Association, 1999
- Honorary doctor, Hebrew College, Boston, 2000
- Order of Brilliant Star, Government of Taiwan, 2000
- Honorary doctor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2002
- Bertil Ohlin Medal, Liberal Youth of Sweden, 2004
- Jan Karski Award, American Jewish Committee, 2004
