Carl August Hagberg

Who was Carl August Hagberg?

Carl August Hagberg, was a Swedish linguist and translator. He was a member of the Swedish Academy, occupying seat 7 from 1851 until his death. He was the son of Carl Peter Hagberg.

Hagberg is most famous for being the first person to produce a Swedish translation of the Complete Works of Shakespeare, the twelve volumes of his translation was issued between 1847 and 1851. Several of his translations were, however, based on the work of Johan Henrik Thomander, who had produced a collected edition of Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Richard II and Twelfth Night in 1825.

Hagberg was a student at Uppsala University, and became a professor of Ancient Greek there in 1833. Upon his father's advice, he spent 1835 and 1836 travelling in Germany and France. During this time he met notable writers from both countries, including: Victor Hugo, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Ludwig Tieck. Upon his return to Sweden, Hagberg became a strong advocate of English and French literature – at the time Swedish universities were dominated by German influences. In 1837 he wrote Om den nya franska vitterheten, an essay surveying contemporary French literature.