The Svedberg, 1884-1971

Abstract

The (Theodor) Svedberg, the only child of Elias Svedberg and Augusta Alstermark, was born on 30 August 1884, at Fleräng in the parish of Valbo near Gävle, Sweden. His father was manager at different ironworks in Sweden and Norway, and the family lived at various places in Scandinavia. From his father, who often took him on excursions, he inherited his love for nature and his deep interest in botany. He spent some years, 1900-1903, at the well-known grammar school in Örebro, Karolinska Läroverket, and had there two prominent and understanding teachers, K. Melander and E. Alderz, who allowed him to study by himself in the physical and chemical laboratories of the school in the afternoons after the ordinary lessons. He built a Marconi-transmitter and a Tesla-transformer and arranged some public demonstrations including wireless telegraphy between the two buildings of the school. Later this experience became useful in his first experiments to prepare colloids by oscillating discharges. He was thrilled by all the new discoveries and inventions in physics and chemistry. This made him finally decide to study chemistry and not biology, especially botany, although this subject also had his intense interest.