Johan Gabriel Sparwenfeld

Johan Gabriel Sparwenfeld (Latin: Ioannes Gabriel Sparvenfeldius; (17 July, 1655 – 2 June, 1727) was a 17th-century Swedish diplomat, linguist, polyglot and diarist.[1][2][3]

Johan Gabriel Sparwenfeld
Johan Gabriel Sparwenfeld, portrait by Lukas von Breda (1722).
Coat of arms
Born17 July 1655
Åmål, Sweden
Died2 June 1727
Åbylund, Sweden
Noble familySparwenfeld
OccupationLinguist
Master of ceremonies
Diplomat
Diarist

Biography

Johan Gabriel Sparwenfeld was born to Johan Sparwenfeld (1618–1698) and Christina Uggla. Sparwenfeld began his studies at the age of eight in Uppsala. Some researchers believe that he studied law, history and languages. And after he had finished studying Sparwenfeld went to search for old Swedish manuscripts in The Netherlands, France and Italy.

In 1674, he was brought by his uncle, amiral Claes Uggla, on a voyage to the Duchy of Holstein. And during the Scanian War (1675–1679) he was captured and brought to England when a Danish corsair caused the ship to sink. It was not until three years later that he was given permission to return to Sweden.[4]

In 1684, Sparwenfeld was sent to the Swedish embassy in Moscow. It was during this time that he wrote his diary portraying life and culture in Russia. During his visit to Russia, Sparwenfeld became interested in Slavic languages, he began to learn Russian and did so really well. He later started with lexicographical studies in Slavic languages and held on to that work for almost 20 years. His work later made him publish the Lexicon Slavonicum.[5]

Sparwenfeld had a strong interest in Arabic. He is known to have acquired the Barthélémy d'Herbelots Bibliothéque Ori-entale in 1697 from Paris. In which several notes had been made by him showing his interest and knowledge in Arabic. Sparwenfeld had a special interest in Syrian Arabic.[5]

Sparwenfeld is known to have been able to speak 14 languages.[6] Including Spanish, Arabic, Latin, Russian and Greek.

Personal life

Sparwenfeld married Antoinetta Sophia Hildebrand in 1695. In the following eight years, Sparwenfeld and Hildebrand had a total of eight children.

In September 2020 Sparwenfeld and his estate Åbylund in the parish of Romfartuna in Sweden were depicted in the SVT-series Det sitter I väggarna.[7]

Publications

References
  1. Andrew Valls. Race and racism in modern philosophy. On January 29, 1697, Leibniz writes the following to Johan Gabriel Sparwenfeld, a Swedish scholar with whom he conducted an extensive correspondence about ...
  2. Kritikon litterarum (in German). 13. 1989. Retrieved 2009-10-10. JG Sparwenfeld (1655-1727) war ein weitgereister Diplomat und versierter Kenner vieler Sprachen (pp. 3-4), der sich von 1684 bis 1687 zwecks Sprachstudium ...
  3. Johan Gabriel Sparwenfeld (2002). J.G. Sparwenfeld's diary of a journey to Russia 1684-87. ISBN 9789174023244.
  4. Tarkiainen, Kari (2019-03-14). "När terrorn slog till i Stockholms skärgård". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  5. "Johan Gabriel Sparwenfeld". sok.riksarkivet.se. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  6. S, G. A. (1853). Förteckning öfver porträtt- och taflesamlingen på Gripsholms Kongl. Lustslott, upprättad af G. A. S[turnegk] (in Swedish).
  7. Det sitter i väggarna - Säteriet Åbylund, Västmanland (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 October 2020.
Honorary titles
Preceded by
 Master of ceremonies to the King of Sweden
1701–1712		 Succeeded by
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