Fredrica Löf
| Fredrica Löf | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Johanna Fredrika Löf October 1760 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 17 July 1813 (aged 52) Torsåker, Södermanland, Sweden |
| Other names | Fredrique Löwen, Jeanette Fredrique Löf, Fredrique Löven, Fredrika Löven, Mamsell Löven |
Fredrica Löf, also known as Fredrique Löwen (née Johanna Fredrika Löf; Stockholm, October 1760 – Torsåker, Södermanland, 17 July 1813), was a Swedish stage actress. She was the first female star at the newly founded national stage Royal Dramatic Theater, which was founded the year of her debut.
Fredrica Löf was the daughter of Johan Gottfrid Löf and Catharina Charlotta Stålhammar (or Stålhand). Her father was employed as a löpare, munskänk and taffeltäckare at the royal court, and had earlier been a footman of Lovisa Meijerfeldt. Originally named Löwe, he changed his name to Löf. Her date of birth is usually given as 4 December, but as she was baptized 7 October, she is believed to have been born in October shortly before her baptism. She was the godchild of the nobles Hedvig Catharina De la Gardie, Hans Henrik von Liewen and Hans Fredrik Ramel. The family was poor and lived and Fredrica had seven sisters and one brother. Fredrica Löf and her sisters was early on, under the name "The Löven girls", known to be a part of "The more refined Stockholm demimonde"; high class prostitutes. Her sisters Charlotta and Lovisa both married Baron Axel Adam Hierta, and Lovisa later married Baron Victor von Stedingk. Fredrica Löf had her first child, out of wedlock, in 1779, and the year after she is registered as living alone in her own residence with her daughter Johanna Fredrika.
Likely from about 1780, Fredrica Löf was educated as a student in the French Theatre at Bollhuset in Stockholm under Jacques Marie Boutet de Monvel.Anne Marie Milan Desguillons was likely also a mentor of hers. She probably performed in smaller parts, like other Swedish students, such as Lars Hjortsberg did. It was common for French actors of this period to adopt a stage name. This was not as common in Sweden, but Fredrica Löf, who was educated in the French Theatre, adopted the French version of her first name as a stage name and changed her surname to her father's original name, and called herself "Fredrique Löwen". Commonly however, she was still referred to as Fredrica Löf, and this is also the most common name by which she is referred to in literature.
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