Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad (1870 - 1957)

Born 4 Jun 1870 in Lindspång, Hudene, Älvsborgs län, Sverige

Ancestors

Died 24 Apr 1957 at age 86 in Rome, Italy

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Biography

Saint Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad was a Swedish nurse who converted to the Roman Catholic Church and founded a new branch of the Bridgettines known as the Bridgettine Sisters. Elizabeth Hesselblad is also recognized as Righteous Among the Nations due to her efforts saving the lives of Jews during the Holocaust.^[1]

Maria Elizabeth was born 4 June 1870 in Hudene parish in Västergötland. Her parents were the general store owner August Robert Hesselblad in Lindspång and his wife Cajsa Pettersdotter Dag. She was baptized in the Lutheran parish church 12 July.^[2][3]

The family moved to Falun in Dalarna in 1871.^[4] They lived in Prästtägten, where Hesselblad ran a store.^[5] The business in Falun foundered and the family moved back to Västergötland. They lived in Skövde, where Elizabeths father made an unsuccessfull attempt to start anew.^[6][7]

In order to be able to contribute to the family economy Elizabeth Hesselblad went to America at the age of 18.^[7] She departed from home in Skövde on June 19, 1888.^[8]

In America she worked as a nurse at the Roosevelt Hospital. Here she came in contact with the Catholic faith and eventually converted. In 1904, afflicted with a serious illness, Elizabeth Hesselblad went to Rome, in the belief that she would soon die. However she slowly recovered. Living with the nuns in a Carmelite convent, she was allowed to make her vows in the religious habit of the Bridgettines.^[7][1]

In February 1924 Elizabeth Hesselblad returned from Italy to Sweden. She founded a Bridgettine community in Danderyd, by name of Birgittahemmet - at the time the founding of new convents was illegal in Sweden, so the name was chosen to express its function as a rest home.^[9][10] The record notes that Elizabeth never had relinquished her Swedish citizenship.^[11]

As part of her work reviving the Bridgettines, Elizabeth Hesselblad had been able to acquire the house of Saint Bridget in Rome, where she worked for the poor and suffering during World War II. She gave refuge to a number of Jews in the convent, an in one incident used her Swedish citizenship to prevent the Nazis from searching the premises.

Elizabeth Hesselblad died in Rome 24 April 1957.^[7][1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Elizabeth Hesselblad in Wikipedia
2. ↑ Södra Björke kyrkoarkiv, Födelse- och dopböcker, SE/GLA/13530/C/3 (1860-1881), bildid: A0026251_00169 Riksarkivet SVAR
3. ↑ August Robert Hesselblad household 1862-1871, household examination book: Hudene (P) AI:8 (1862-1871) Bild 72 / sid 62 (AID: v43873a.b72.s62, NAD: SE/GLA/13224)
4. ↑ August Robert Hesselblad household: Falu Kristine (W) AI:29 (1867-1876) Bild 44 / Sida 16

   Arkiv Digital page info v129805.b44.s16 | To page (paywall) | Riksarkivet

5. ↑ August Robert Hesselblad household: Falu Kristine (W) AI:32 (1877-1883) Bild 234 / Sida 203

   Arkiv Digital page info v129808.b234.s203 | To page (paywall) | Riksarkivet

6. ↑ August Robert Hesselblad household: Skövde stadsförsamling (R) AI:15 (1880-1891) Bild 228 / Sida 221

   Arkiv Digital page info v25252.b228.s221 | To page (paywall) | Riksarkivet

7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Elisabeth Hesselblad in Swedish Wikipedia
8. ↑ Skövde stadsförsamling (R) AI:17 (1880-1891) Bild 215 / Sida 857

   Arkiv Digital page info v25254.b215.s857 | To page (paywall) | Riksarkivet

9. ↑ Danderyd (AB) AIIa:10 (1922-1929) Bild 2020 / Sida 191

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10. ↑ Danderyd (AB) AIIa:18 (1929-1939) Bild 2470 / Sida 233

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11. ↑ Danderyd (AB) AIIa:32 (1939-1946) Bild 3150 / Sida 293

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