Waldemar Hammenhög facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Waldemar Hammenhög
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Hammenhög in 1934
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| Born | Per Waldemar Hammenhög 18 April 1902 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 1 November 1972 (aged 70) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Notable works | Esther och Albert (1930) Pettersson & Bendel (1931) Torken (1951) Omne animal (1952) |
Per Waldemar Hammenhög (born April 18, 1902 – died November 1, 1972) was a Swedish writer. He wrote many novels, which are like long stories. His early books often showed everyday life in cities. Later, his stories started to explore ideas about religion and what is right or wrong.
Waldemar Hammenhög wrote more than 40 novels. He is most famous for his funny book Pettersson & Bendel (1931). This book was so popular that it was made into a movie two times!
Contents
Who Was Waldemar Hammenhög?
Waldemar Hammenhög was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1902. His birth name was Waldemar Anderson. His father was Per Anderson, and his mother was Lydia Källgren.
Early Life and First Job
After finishing high school in Stockholm in 1919, Waldemar started working. He was an office boy first, which means he helped with small tasks in an office. Later, he became an office clerk, doing more official paperwork. He worked in offices until 1930.
Becoming a Writer
In 1930, Waldemar Hammenhög won a writing contest! A publishing company in Stockholm, called Natur & Kultur, held the competition. He won first prize for his very first novel, Esther och Albert.
When he sent in his story, he used a special name, a pseudonym. This was "Hammenhög." A pseudonym is like a pen name, a different name an author uses for their work. In 1931, "Hammenhög" officially became his last name. After winning the contest, he left his office job to focus on writing.
Famous Books and Movies
Waldemar Hammenhög wrote many popular books. Some of them were even turned into movies!
Pettersson & Bendel
One of his most famous and funny novels is Pettersson & Bendel, which he wrote in 1931. This book was so well-liked that it became a movie twice:
- The first movie was made in 1933. An actor named Adolf Jahr played the character Pettersson.
- The second movie was made much later, in 1983. It was called P&B. In this movie, Stellan Skarsgård played Petterson, and Allan Edwall played Bendel.
Esther och Alberts äktenskap
Another successful book was Esther och Alberts äktenskap (1936). This title means "Esther and Albert's Marriage." This book also became a movie in 1954, called Ung man söker sällskap. The main actors were Ulf Palme and Gaby Stenberg.
Changing Writing Styles
In the late 1940s, Waldemar Hammenhög's writing changed. His earlier books were often funny and showed real-life situations. But then, he started writing about deeper ideas, like what is right and wrong.
Exploring New Ideas
His book Torken (1951) was a big turning point. Many people thought it was his second major success as a novelist. Just one year later, he published Omne animal (1952). This book suggested that he was becoming interested in the Catholic faith. Most of the novels he wrote after this time focused on religious and moral questions.
Later Years
Waldemar Hammenhög also wrote for newspapers. When he did, he often signed his articles with the short name W H-g.
He passed away in Stockholm in 1972. He was 70 years old. He is buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery. This cemetery is part of the larger Norra begravningsplatsen Cemetery, which is north of Stockholm in Solna Municipality.
