Christian Eric Fahlcrantz

Who was Christian Eric Fahlcrantz?

Christian Eric Fahlcrantz, Swedish author, was born at Stora Tuna in Dalarna. His younger brothers, Carl Johan Fahlcrantz, the landscape painter, and Axel Magnus Fahlcrantz, the sculptor, are also notable.

In 1804 he entered the University of Uppsala; in 1821 he became tutor in Arabic, and in 1825 professor of Oriental languages. In 1828 he entered the church, but earlier than this, in 1825, he published his Noacks Ark, a successful satire on the literary and social life of his time, followed in 1826 by a second part. In 1835 Fahlcrantz brought out the first part of his epic of Ansgarius, which was completed in 1846, in 14 cantos. In 1842 he was made a member of the Swedish Academy, and in 1849 he was made bishop of Västerås, his next literary work being an archaeological study on the beautiful ancient cathedral of his diocese.

In the course of the years 1858-1861 appeared the five volumes of his Rom förr och nu, a theological polemic, mainly directed against the Jesuits. He died on the 6th of August 1866. His complete works were issued mainly under his own superintendence.