Born: 1880 (Julita, Södermanlands län)
Biography:
Elisabeth Tamm, known in the Swedish parliament as Tamm i Fogelstad (‘Tamm of Fogelstad’), was a renowned Swedish liberal politician and women’s rights activist. She was born on June 30, 1880, at the Fogelstad Manor in Julita, Södermanlands län. Elisabeth was the eldest daughter and heiress of August Tamm, a Parliamentarian and landowner, and Baroness Emma Åkerhielm af Margrethelund.
Elisabeth, along with her younger sister Märta, received their education at home from a governess. However, their father also played a significant role in their education, teaching them how to manage an estate. Despite her interest in academics, Elisabeth had to abandon her plans to study at Uppsala University in 1905 when she inherited the Fogelstad Manor from her father. She decided to focus on managing the estate instead. Elisabeth never married.
Having a father who was involved in politics, Elisabeth developed an early interest in the field and the growing women’s movement. As an unmarried woman with legal majority status and a wealthy property owner, she fulfilled the criteria to vote in municipal elections as per the 1862 law. When women became eligible for municipal elections in 1909, Elisabeth became actively engaged in local politics. She served as the deputy chairman of the Communal Council of Julita in 1913, the chairman in 1916, and a member of the city council’s board of directors from 1919 to 1930. From 1922 to 1931, she held the position of chairman of the independent women’s organization Frisinnade kvinnors riksförbund of Södermanland. Additionally, Elisabeth served as the municipal communal speaker for Julita between 1933 and 1936.
In 1921, Elisabeth made history by becoming one of the first five women to be elected to the Swedish Parliament after women gained suffrage rights. She served as a member of the Lower House (Andra kammaren) alongside Nelly Thüring, Agda Östlund, and Bertha Wellin, all representing different parties. Kerstin Hesselgren represented women in the Upper House (Första kammaren). During her time in parliament, Elisabeth advocated for women’s rights, specifically focusing on issues such as equal salaries for women and equal access to all official professions for both sexes. The Behörighetslagen, a law addressing the latter issue, was passed between 1919 and 1925.
Initially associated with the Liberal Party, Elisabeth became independent in 1924. She served as a member of parliament until 1924 but continued her involvement in municipal politics even after leaving parliament. Unfortunately, she retired from politics due to health reasons in 1936.
Elisabeth Tamm was not only a prominent figure in politics but also an active participant in the women’s rights movement. She contributed as a writer for women’s rights papers such as Tidevarvet and Vi kvinnor. Elisabeth also founded and financed Tidevarvet, as well as a Norwegian women’s magazine called Kvinnen og Tiden, which was active between 1945 and 1955.
In 1925, Elisabeth initiated the Kvinnliga Medborgarskolan (‘Citizens’ School for Women’) on her estate, Fogelstad. She served as the chairman and fostered the growth of the school, which aimed to empower women and promote their active participation in society. Additionally, Elisabeth was passionate about ecology and even wrote a book titled Fred med jorden (‘Peace with the Earth’).
Throughout her life, Elisabeth Tamm dedicated herself to fighting for women’s rights and actively engaging in politics. Her contributions have had a lasting impact on Swedish society, making her an influential figure in women’s history.