Engwall family
The Engwall family is a prominent Swedish family descended from Jonas Engwall, an inventor and engineer. The Engwalls are noted as merchants, industrialists, scholars, bankers, politicians, activists, bureaucrats, military officials, philanthropists, economists, and diplomats.
The earliest known patrilineal member of the Engwall family is Anders Jönsson, a peasant farmer who, before his enrollment in the Jämtlandsdragon regiment in 1746, during the Age of Liberty was granted knighthood. Due to constant famine during the 18th century the family relocated to Karlberg Palace.
In the early 19th century the family relocated to Gävle after the royal supervisors of the Karlberg Palace Court chased out Jonas II, Anders Jönsson's grandchild, due to the fear that he would disrupt the Swedish Royal Courts monopoly on row-traffic between Karlberg and Kungsholmen.
In Gävle the family established themselves as Engwall. Victor Theodor Engwall son of Jonas Engwall opened the trade house Vict. Th. Engwall Co. in 1853. The trade house later established the coffee brand Gevalia, today the largest coffee brand in Sweden.
In the early 20th century the family saw exponential growth with the rise of Kreuger & Toll. Paul Toll the 50% shareholder of Kreuger & Toll and owner of Hufvudstaden AB later married Gunhild Engwall the oldest daughter of the Engwall family.
In the early 20th century the Engwall family founded the Middle Swedish Chamber of Commerce, an investment arm that currently encompasses a $14 billion logistics network.
The Engwall family, through the Engwall Foundations, allocate annually SEK 1 billion towards poverty alleviation, cancer research, and educational programs. The Jacob Engwall Donation Foundation, managed by the Middle Swedish Chamber of Commerce, has since 1987 committed over SEK 1.8 billion towards various charitable endeavors.
Early history
The earliest known patrilineal member of the Engwall family is Anders Jönsson Hanström, a peasant farmer who, after his enrollment in the Jämtlandsdragon regiment in 1746, during the Age of Liberty, was granted knighthood. He married baroness Ulrika Lovisa Leijonsköld, whose father was Mårten Leijonsköld. Anders Jönsson was assigned the newly founded settlement Gastsjön after his military service. In 1778, the eldest son of Anders Jönsson, Olof Andersson Hanström af Gastsjö married Märta Bymark, daughter of boatswain Olof Bymark af Alanäset and granddaughter of Per Jönsson Frisk. Upon Anders Jönssons passing, his estate was passed down to Olof Hanström. Olof Hanström had five children between 1780 and 1790; Ingegärd Olofsdotter af Revsund o Brunflo, who married into the Jämtlandsdragon regiment knighthood, Ingeborg Olofsdotter, Brita Olofsdotter af Ragunda, Olof Olofsson, Anders Olofsson. In 1794, Jöns Olofsson, the family's third son was declared dead due to malnutrition following the Great Famine of 1770. In an attempt to invoke prosperity and better times the forthcoming child was to be named Engwall, symbolizing "meadow field". In 1794, in the parish of Ragunda in Jämtland, Jonas Olsson Engwall was born, the first Engwall.Länsmuseet presents a slightly divergent narrative of Jonas Engwall's life. Länsmuseet claims that Jonas Engwall initially started his professional career as a farrier, and swiftly progressed to the rank of journeyman before relocating to Gävle. In 1825, upon returning to Gävle from Stockholm Jonas Engwall achieved the coveted status of a master farrier. After settling in Gävle, Jonas Engwall purchased a farm and took the vow of marriage.
Jonas Engwall lost 6,000 Riksdaler, equivalent to SEK 3,000,000 as of 2000, due to failed shipbuilding ventures. To recover the financial losses he conducted mechanical experiments. Jonas Engwall was scouted and later employed by P.C. Rettig & Co. At P.C. Rettig & Co, a company specializing in manufacturing tobacco machines, Jonas Engwall built machinery for the factory in Gävle and in Finland. In 1835, Jonas Engwall began experimenting with water-powered "perpetuum mobile".
Jonas Engwall decided to relocate to Stockholm. In Stockholm, an employer had promised him a certain freedom to experiment while engineering machinery. The company later failed to fulfill the promise, resulting in Jonas Engwall only producing one machine before resigning. In 1836, he discovered a suitable opportunity in Southern Sweden.
In the 1830s, Jonas Engwall faced setbacks while venturing into new markets. He faced bankruptcy after an unscrupulous supplier failed to deliver cannon bearings to the artillery. In 1837, he secured a position as a blacksmith at Karlberg. Jonas Engwall obtained a patent for his propeller invention. The following year, he successfully constructed a smaller boat with the assistance of a newly formed company. Jonas Engwall then acquired Karlberg Palace Western Wing and obtained affluence. The Royal Court of Sweden which had held a monopoly on rowing traffic between Karlberg and Kungsholmen, orchestrated Engwall's dismissal due to fear of competition. Drawings and patent documents for Jonas Engwall's propeller innovation are preserved in the Patent and Registration Office.
In 1839, the Engwall family fled Stockholm. The family, accompanied by their 12-year-old son, Victor Theodor Engwall, returned to Gävle.
Third generation (late 19th–mid 20th century)
Epoch of Sven Victor Engwall
, born in 1891, was the oldest son of Ernst Victor Engwall. In 1912, Sven Engwall graduated as a naval officer. In 1914, he actively participated in World War I. After the war, in 1918, Sven Engwall joined Vict. Th. Engwall & Co. He assumed the position of CEO at Vict. Th. Engwall & Co after his uncle, Knut Emil Engwall, transitioned to a more passive role on the family board. In 1945, Sven Engwall actively participated in World War II at the same time as he managed the family business. He remained a Captain of the Navy, in the reserve, after the wars.In 1916, Sven Victor Engwall was appointed chairman of Gefle Manufaktur AB. He served as chairman of Engwall, Hellberg AB and Fastigh AB Enghell. Sven acquired Furuviksparken AB together with Gustaf Hjalmar Nygren and served as chairman from 1920. He served on the board of Korsnäs AB, a company majority owned by John Rettig. In the early 1920s, he served as chairman of the Gävle Merchant Association, an organization founded by his father Ernst Victor Engwall and his uncles, Knut Emil Engwall and Carl Fredrik Engwall. Sven Victor Engwall contributed to the Gefle Sailing Society and competed in sailing.
Expansion in Sweden
Swedish media
In 1909 Astrid Christina Wallberg, daughter of Hulda Beata Christina Engwall, married Mauritz Serrander.Mauritz Serrander acted as a negotiator for the Engwall family and the Serrander family. In 1910, the Engwalls acquired principal ownership in of Norrlands-posten, Bollnäs Tidning, Allehanda För Folket, and Serranderstryckeri. The printed press publications had all previously been owned by Otto Serrander, Mauritz Serrander's father.
In 1911, the Engwall family also acquired the newspaper Boden, also called Boden / Organ för Bodens municipalsamhälle med omnäjd, from Johan Gustaf Helin and Johan Gustaf Helin: Bo in Stockholm.
Industrial sphere
In 1909, Gerda Marghareta Engwall, the second daughter of Hulda Breata Christina Engwall, married the military official Nils Adolf Fredrik Wilhelm Ahlström. In 1918, nine years after the initial marriage, the Engwalls was able to obtain approval for the insurance company Försäkrings AB. On the supervisory board of approval was Olof Christian Ahlström, Nils Adolf's father, who was a Member of the Second Chamber, Mayor of Malmö, and Member of Parliament in the constituency of Malmö ;. and Herman Fredrik Ahlström, Nils Adolfo's brother, who was the chairman of the Remuneration Board of Malmö, Magistrate, and vice-chairman of the Regulations Board.In 1916, the Engwall family acquired Gefle Manufaktur AB from the families of Lars Johan Hierta and Per Murén. The family appointed Sven Engwall as chairman and extended Elam Höglund's term as CEO.
In 1916, Carl Fredrik Engwall initiated government-founded projects in the Gävleborg County. The projects regarded industrialization as well as the construction of residential buildings. The company Fastigh AB Enghell managed these constructions. Sven Engwall was appointed as chairman of both Fastigh AB Enghell and Engwall, Hellberg AB in 1918.
In 1920, the members of the Engwall family acquired principal shareholder positions in Korsnäs AB and served on the company's board with the Rettig family.
Expansion in Europe
The Engwall family was offered positions at the Warsaw Stock Exchange and industrial group Górnośląskie Zjednoczone Huty Królewska i Laura Spółka Akcyjna Górniczo-Hutnicza.In 1917, Emil Engwall traveled to Germany to acquire Hollandsche Koopmans Bank. The family initially demanded a position as majority shareholders, but later settled and acquired a 17% stake. The Engwall family was the third largest shareholder. The largest shareholder was the duo Ivar Kreuger and Paul Toll, which also was the majority shareholders at the time. The second largest shareholder was the Wallenberg family at 20%.
In 1918, the Engwalls acquired principal shareholder positions in Banku Śląskiego and Banku Dyskontowego from Stefan Przanowski.
The Engwall family was active in the founding of the Polish Postal Savings Bank in 1919. The family worked close with the Minister of Food and Control Stefan Przanowski.
The Kreuger Epoch
Gunhild Maria Engwall, the eldest daughter of Ernst Victor Engwall, married Paul Toll in 1913. Paul Toll was the majority shareholder of Kreuger & Toll constructions.Ruth Christina Engwall, the third child of Ernst Victor Engwall, married Axel Erik Skoglund in 1924. Axel Erik Skoglund was the son of Erik Gustaf Skoglund, the founder of Skoglund & Olson. In the 1930s, the company had 260 employees.
In the early 1910s, the Engwall family obtained principal shareholder-ship in Stockholms Rederi Svea and AB Finnboda Varv. In the 1920s, Sven Engwall was appointed vice-chairman of Stockholms Rederi Svea and AB Finnboda Varv. He served under the chairmanship of Torsten Kreuger.
After the Kreuger-crash of 1929, Sven Victor Engwall together with Wilhelm Klingspor, Hugo Stenbeck, B. Barkman, and Tage Cervin acquired Hemisphere Steamship, Rederi AB Amphion, Rederi AB Bellis and Rederi AB Ceres. The shipping group after acquiring Korsnäs AB from Rettig Group, later became Kinnevik AB.