Historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar (History's 100 Most Important Swedes) is a book by Niklas Ekdal and Petter Karlsson, published in 2009. Before the book was released, the list was published by Dagens Nyheter between 14 April and 6 May. The book is a list of the 100 Swedes that according to the authors have had "the greatest influence on Swedish people's lives, and also people's lives around the world". There are 84 men and 16 women on the list. Around 40 of them lived in the previous century, and 16 were still alive as of the book's publication. __NOTOC__ Selection criteria The selection criteria were:"How much, how long, and how many people has the person influenced – primarily domestically but also internationally – with his thoughts, his reign, his deeds or his example? And how much does this person mean to us living here today, in 2009?"

The list Gustav I of Sweden (1496–1560), king (reigned 1523–1560), the founding father of modern Sweden Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002), author, writer of children's books including the Pippi Longstocking series Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654), statesman, Lord High Chancellor from 1612–1654. Confidant of both Gustavus Adolphus and Queen Christina. Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), inventor, founder of the Nobel Prize Olof Palme (1927–1986), socialist politician, Prime Minister (1969–1976 and 1982–1986) Marcus Wallenberg (1899–1982), industrialist and banker Evert Taube (1890–1976), composer Lars Magnus Ericsson (1846–1926), inventor, entrepreneur and founder of telephone equipment manufacturer Ericsson Charles XIV John (1763–1844), king (reigned 1818–1844) Carl Larsson (1853–1919), painter St. Bridget (1303–1373), saint Johan August Gripenstedt (1813–1874), Finance Minister (1856–1866), liberal reformer and free trader Odin (170–240), king, later considered the chief god in Norse paganism August Strindberg (1849–1912), playwright and writer Charles XI (1655–1697), king (reigned 1660–1697) Carl Michael Bellman (1740–1795), poet and composer Anders Chydenius (1729–1803), priest, early Classical Liberal theorist Ingvar Kamprad (1926–2018), entrepreneur, founder of IKEA Ingmar Bergman (1918–2007), director Gustav III (1746–1792), king (reigned 1771–1792) Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), botanist, founder of the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature Charles XII (1682–1718), king (reigned 1697–1718), skilled military leader and tactician of the Great Northern War Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940), author Rutger Macklean II (1742–1816), land reformist Albert Bonnier (1820–1900), publicist Dag Hammarskjöld (1905–1961), diplomat, Secretary-General of the United Nations 1953–1961 Per Albin Hansson (1885–1946), Prime Minister (1932–1946) Ellen Key (1849–1926), writer Lennart Hyland (1919–1993), TV-show host and journalist Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (1778–1837), king (reigned 1792–1809) Assar Gabrielsson (1891–1962), industrialist, co-founder of Volvo Björn Borg (1956– ), tennis legend, winner of five consecutive Wimbledon tournaments 1976–1980 John Ericsson (1803–1889), mechanical engineer, inventor of the two screw-propeller and iron warship USS Monitor Hans Alfredson (1931—2017), entertainer Tage Danielsson (1928–1985), entertainer Jonas Wenström (1855–1893), engineer, inventor of the three-phase electric power system, the basis for ASEA (later ABB Group) Karl Staaff (1860–1915), Prime Minister, chairman of the Liberal Coalition Party 1907–1915 and champion of universal suffrage Vilhelm Moberg (1898–1973), author Erik Gustaf Geijer (1783–1847), historian Raoul Wallenberg (1912–?), diplomat Carl Olof Rosenius (1816–1868), preacher Christopher Polhem (1661–1751), scientist, inventor and industrialist, significant contributor to industrial development, particularly in mining Olaus Petri (1493–1552), reformist Hjalmar Branting (1860–1925), Prime Minister Gustavus Adolphus (1594–1632), king (reigned 1611–1632), founder of the Swedish Empire and the Golden Age of Sweden. Fredrika Bremer (1801–1865), author Oscar I (1799–1859), king (reigned 1844–1859) Jan Stenbeck (1942–2002), capitalist, founder of MTG, Tele2, Millicom and leading global free newspaper company Metro Anna Maria Roos (1862–1938), author Stig Anderson (1931–1997), music producer, manager of ABBA Ivar Kreuger (1880–1932), financier and industrialist Carl Edvard Johansson (1864–1943), scientist, inventor of the gauge block set Birger Jarl (1210–1266), statesman, played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden, founded Stockholm in 1250 Urban Hjärne (1641–1724), physician Lennart Nilsson (1922—2017), photographer Olaus Rudbeck (1630–1702), scientist and writer Greta Garbo (1905–1990), actress Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (1390–1436), rebel leader and statesman Lars Johan Hierta (1801–1872), newspaperman Alice Tegnér (1864–1943), composer Carl Jonas Love Almqvist (1793–1866), author Gunnar Myrdal (1898–1987), professor Alva Myrdal (1902–1986), politician Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742–1786), pharmaceutical chemist Arvid Horn (1664–1742), politician, President of the Privy Council Chancellery (1710–1719 and 1720–1738) Cajsa Warg (1703–1769), cookbook author Anders Celsius (1701–1744), scientist Benny Andersson (1946– ), musician and composer, member of ABBA Björn Ulvaeus (1945– ), musician and composer, member of ABBA Carl Grimberg (1875–1941), historian Sven Hedin (1865–1952), explorer Jöns Jakob Berzelius (1779–1848), chemist, worked out the modern technique of chemical formula notation, and considered one of the fathers of modern chemistry Erik Johan Stagnelius (1793–1823), poet Gunnar Sträng (1906–1992), Finance Minister (1955–1976) Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), scientist, philosopher and theologian Gustaf Fröding (1860–1911), poet and writer Zlatan Ibrahimović (1981– ), soccer player Eva Ekeblad (1724–1786), agronomist and scientist Carl-Adam Nycop (1909–2006), newspaper editor Bruno Liljefors (1860–1939), artist, influential wildlife painter of the late 19th and early 20th century Jan Guillou (1944– ), journalist Esaias Tegnér (1782–1846), poet Peter Wieselgren (1800–1873), temperance movement leader Lars Norén (1944–2021), playwright, novelist and poet Anita Ekberg (1931–2015), actress Carl af Forsell (1783–1848), statistician Karl Gerhard (1891–1964), entertainer Georg Stiernhielm (1598–1672), polymath August Palm (1849–1922), agitator, key socialist and labour movement activist Barbro Svensson (1938–2018), singer Viktor Balck (1844–1928), original IOC member and "the father of Swedish sports" Kjell-Olof Feldt (1931– ), Finance Minister Magnus Eriksson (1316–1374), king (reigned 1319–1374) Nathan Söderblom (1866–1931), Archbishop, one of the principal founders of the ecumenical movement Inga-Britt Ahlenius (1939– ), auditor Gustaf de Laval (1845–1913), inventor Sven-Göran Eriksson (1948–2024), soccer manager Elin Wägner (1882–1949), writer Jan Carlzon (1941– ), management guru Queen Christina (1626–1689), monarch (reigned 1632–1654)

Criticism Criticism has been voiced over the list, both in terms of selection and ranking.

Selection It has been argued that the following people should have made it to the list: Ernst Wigforss (1881–1977), Finance Minister (1925–1926, 1932–1936 and 1936–1949) and socialist ideologue Charles X Gustav of Sweden (1622–1660), king (reigned 1656–1660), marched across the Belts to conquer the eastern half of Denmark which has remained Swedish ever since Erik Dahlbergh (1625–1703), engineer, painter, and field marshal, the "Vauban of Sweden" Nicodemus Tessin (1654–1728), Baroque architect, city planner, and administrator Elise Ottesen-Jensen (1886–1973), sex educator, journalist, anarchist agitator and women's rights activist Arne Beurling (1905–1986), mathematician, single-handedly deciphered the Nazi Germany Geheimfernschreiber Ingemar Johansson (1932–2008), heavyweight boxing champion of the world (1959–1960) Ingemar Stenmark (1956–), the greatest slalom and giant slalom specialist of all time Bo Jonsson Grip (1330s–1386), head of the royal council, Sweden's (and Finland's) largest landowner ever Povel Ramel (1922–2007), singer, pianist, vaudeville artist, songwriter, author and novelty song composer Percy Barnevik (1941–), businessman, CEO/Chairman ASEA/ABB (1980–2002), GM board member (1996–2009) Carl Bildt (1949–), politician and diplomat, Prime Minister (1991–1994), EU/UN Special Envoy to the Balkans (1995–2001) Herman Bernhard Lundborg (1868–1943), physician, racialist and eugenicist Anders Retzius (1796–1860), anatomy professor credited with defining the cephalic index and retropubic space Tage Erlander (1901–1985), leader of the Social Democratic Party and Prime Minister (1946–1969) Bruno Mathsson (1907–1988), furniture designer and architect with ideas colored by functionalism/modernism Oscar II (1829–1907), king (reigned 1872–1907), renounced the Norwegian throne, ending the Sweden-Norway Union Anders Zorn (1860–1920), painter, sculptor and printmaker Carl Milles (1875–1955), sculptor Carl Olof Cronstedt (1756–1820), naval commander responsible for the overwhelming Swedish victory at the Svensksund, one of the largest naval battles in history Joe Hill (1879–1915), Swedish-American labor activist and songwriter Jenny Lind (1820–1887), opera singer known as the "Swedish Nightingale" Magnus Ladulås (1240–1290), king (reigned 1275–1290) Esaias Tegnér (1782–1846), writer, professor of Greek language, and bishop Tim Bergling (1989–2018), world-famous DJ and remixer, also known as "Avicii"

Ranking The ranking has been hotly contested and arguments include: The authors' liberal orientation has given undue prominence to other liberals such as Chydenius and Gripenstedt while downplaying the impact of socialists such as Branting, Palm and Per Albin Hansson. Internationally famous persons such as J. J. Berzelius, Queen Christina and John Ericsson have lost out to populist choices (Evert Taube, Astrid Lindgren), fads (Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kjell-Olof Feldt) and "overvalued dreamers" (Sven Hedin, Carl Grimberg). Inclusion of the authors' employer Albert Bonnier as number 25 undermines the credibility of the list.

See also 100 Greatest Britons – Television series

References

External links Dagens Nyheter: Historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar