Ture Nerman

Ture Nerman (1886 ? 1969) was a Swedish Communist politician, and as a journalist and author, he was one of the most well-known political activists in his time. He also wrote poems and songs.

Political Awakening

The year 1905, which saw a revolution in Russia and revolutionary tendency in Scandinavia as Norway declared itself independent from the rule of the Swedish crown, radicalized Ture Nerman politically to the left. He had already started reading August Strindberg, Leo Tolstoy and Ellen Key. Soon he would discover Karl Marx, (even if it took many years until he fully started to study and understand Marxism), and Nerman started going to socialist youth meetings in Uppsala.

Related Topics:
1905 - Revolution - Norway - August Strindberg - Leo Tolstoy - Ellen Key - Karl Marx - Marxism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1907 Nerman was conscripted to do military serves, and by his own request he got medical training.

Related Topics:
1907 - Medical training

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ture Nerman had already developed an anti-militarist standpoint and in 1908 he was caught by the secrete police handing out illegal anti-militarist leaflets. He was first convicted to jail, but the penalty was altered to a 300 kronor fine. His father sent him the money, but the rebellious son however used it to finance a trip to Paris where he stayed a couple of weeks. Upon returning to Sweden he was once again sent money by his father to pay off the fine to avoid going to jail.

Related Topics:
1908 - Kronor - Paris

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1909 Nerman moved to the northern city of Sundsvall where he started working as a writer for a Social Democratic newspaper called Nya Samhället, (New Society). At this point Nerman had already gotten a couple of poetry books published. Many of these were radical, provocative poems, aimed against the church, the Swedish king and the bourgeoisie.

Related Topics:
1909 - Sundsvall - Bourgeoisie

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ture Nerman joined the Swedish Social Democratic Party and soon became part of the left wing together with Zeth Höglund. He became one of the leaders of the left opposition of the party against its reformist leader Hjalmar Branting.

Related Topics:
Swedish Social Democratic Party - Zeth Höglund - Reformist - Hjalmar Branting

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On New Year's 1911 ? 1912 and the following weeks, Ture Nerman and some of his Swedish comrades went to Germany to follow Karl Liebknecht during his election campaign. Nerman had met Liebknecht briefly a couple of years earlier on a socialist gathering in Stockholm, but this time they got to know each other well. In his self-biography, Nerman writes that he was surprised and impressed when Liebknecht started singing songs by Bellman in Swedish.

Related Topics:
1911 - 1912 - Germany - Karl Liebknecht - Stockholm - Bellman

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~