Wilhelmina Skogh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilhelmina Skogh
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Photo from around 1902
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| Born |
Wahlgren
14 December 1849 |
| Died | 18 June 1926 (aged 76) |
| Resting place | Norra begravningsplatsen |
| Occupation | Businesswomen Hotel manager |
| Spouse(s) |
Per Samuel Skogh (1849–1904)
(m. 1888) |
| Children | 1 |
Lorentina Wilhelmina Skogh (born Wahlgren on December 14, 1849) was a famous Swedish businesswoman. She became a very successful hotel manager and owned many hotels and restaurants. Wilhelmina was born on the island of Gotland, Sweden, and passed away on June 18, 1926.
In 1888, she married Per Samuel Skogh, who was a wine trader. They had one child, Gustav.
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Wilhelmina's Early Life and Dreams
Wilhelmina's journey began when she was just 14 years old. Her father had passed away when she was six, leaving her family in need. She traveled alone by steamship from the island of Fårö to Stockholm, the big city. Her goal was to find a job and earn money to help her family back home.
When she arrived, Wilhelmina was amazed by the fancy restaurants and hotels. She quickly decided she wanted to work in this exciting business. Her first job was washing dishes at a restaurant called 'Stromparterren'. She worked long hours, from early morning until late at night.
As she grew older, Wilhelmina also went to evening school. She learned languages and how to keep financial records. From a young age, she had a strong dream: one day, she would own her own hotel and restaurant company.
Becoming a Business Leader
Wilhelmina's dream started to come true when she was 27. She built her very first hotel next to the railroad station in Storvik. She also started her own company, Wilhelmina Wahlgren AB.
In 1884, she bought another railroad hotel in Bollnäs. She lived there for many years and married Per Skogh. Wilhelmina quickly became known for her smart business ideas. She managed many other hotels and made them more successful.
She introduced new ways to save money, like using more vegetables instead of expensive meat. She also worked with a travel company called Thomas Cook from London. Together, they offered special trips for rich British visitors. These trips included luxury stays and chances to hunt and fish in Sweden.
Wilhelmina was also ahead of her time with technology. She built private telephone lines between her hotels before phones were common. She also installed central heating and electricity, powered by steam engines, in her hotels.
Leading the Grand Hôtel
In 1902, at 53 years old, Wilhelmina became the managing director of the famous Grand Hôtel in Stockholm. Her biggest project was building the Grand Hôtel Royal. This huge addition included the amazing Winter Garden. She got the idea for it during a trip to Paris.
The Winter Garden is very tall, with a ceiling 15 meters (49 feet) high. It can host 800 people for dinner! For many years, the Nobel Banquet was held there. It is still a very important part of the Grand Hôtel today.
Wilhelmina's husband, Per Skogh, died in 1904. She arranged for a large headstone with a marble angel for his grave in Stockholm.
In December 1910, Wilhelmina left the Grand Hôtel. This was after she had a disagreement with the hotel's board about money matters.
Building Villa Foresta
Between 1908 and 1910, while still working at the Grand Hôtel, Wilhelmina built her own private home. She called it "Villa Foresta." Foresta is an Italian word that means "forest," like her last name, Skogh.
The house was built on a cliff on the island of Lidingö, near Stockholm. It had a beautiful view of the water and the city. This view reminded her of where she grew up on Gotland. To make it feel even more like home, she used limestone from Gotland to build parts of the house.
At the time, Villa Foresta was the biggest private home on Lidingö. Wilhelmina lived there until 1922. The costs of the large house became too much, and she had to sell it to pay her debts. She then moved out. Today, Villa Foresta is owned by a real estate company and rented to the Scandic Hotels chain.
Her Final Years
For the last four years of her life, Wilhelmina lived in a small apartment. It was in "Bolinders Palace," a building next to the Grand Hôtel. This apartment and free meals were part of the agreement when she left her job as managing director in 1910.
After selling Villa Foresta, she was almost out of money. In her last years, she sometimes needed help from old friends. Wilhelmina passed away early in the morning on June 18, 1926.
Wilhelmina Skogh received two important awards for her work. She was given the Order of Vasa in 1896 and H.M. The King's Medal in 1909.
Images for kids
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Storvik railroad station and the hotel to the far right. Postcard, around 1880.
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Bollnäs railroad hotel & station. Postcard, around 1880.
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Villa Foresta on the cliff of Herserud, Lidingö.
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Villa Foresta with the electric driven elevator up to Herserud. Photo: 1915.
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The original lower part of Foresta inspired by old castles in the Rhine Valley.
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Grand Hôtel Royal, entrance on the backside of Grand Hôtel. Photo: 1909.
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Grand Hôtel Royal, interior. Photo: 1909.
