Louis De Geer (1818-1896)
| Louis Gerhard De Geer | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st Prime Minister of Sweden | |
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In office 20 March 1876 – 19 April 1880 |
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| Monarch | Oscar II |
| Preceded by | Post established |
| Succeeded by | Arvid Posse |
| Minister for Justice | |
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In office 20 March 1876 – 6 June 1879 |
|
| Preceded by | Post established |
| Succeeded by | Ludvig Teodor Almqvist |
| Prime Minister for Justice | |
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In office 7 April 1858 – 3 June 1870 |
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| Preceded by | Claës Günther |
| Succeeded by | Axel Adlercreutz |
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In office 11 May 1875 – 20 March 1876 |
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| Preceded by | Edvard Carleson |
| Succeeded by | None |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Louis Gerard De Geer af Finspång 18 July 1818 Finspång Castle, Sweden |
| Died | 24 September 1896 (aged 78) Hanaskog Castle, Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Political party | Independent liberal |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline Wachtmeister |
| Children | 6 |
| Parents | Gerhard De Geer Henriette Charlotte Lagerstråle |
| Residence | Hanaskog Castle |
| Education | Linköpings Gymnasium |
| Alma mater | Uppsala universitet |
| Occupation | Statesman, lawyer |
Baron Louis Gerard De Geer of Finspång (18 July 1818 – 24 September 1896) was a Swedish statesman and writer. He was born at Finspång Castle in Risinge parish. He was a lawyer, and in 1855 became president of the Göta hovrätt, or lord justice for the appellate court of Götaland. From 7 April 1858 to 3 June 1870 he was Prime Minister for Justice and again from 11 May 1875 to 20 March 1876. As a member of the nobility, he took part in the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates from 1851 onwards. From 1867 to 1878 he was the member for in the first chamber in the New Riksdag, where he introduced and passed many useful reforms.
De Geer's greatest political achievement was the reform of the Swedish representative system. The reforms introduced a bi-cameral elected Riksdag replacing the existing cumbersome and less democratic Riksdag of the Estates, a hangover from the later Medieval Times. This measure was accepted by the Riksdag in December 1865, and received the royal sanction on 22 June 1866. For some time after this De Geer enjoyed considerable popularity. He retired from the ministry in 1870, but took office again, as Prime Minister of Justice in 1875.
In 1876 De Geer became the first Prime Minister of Sweden following a reform where the previous offices of Prime Minister for Justice (which he held at the time) and Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs where changed into Minister for Justice and a Minister for Foreign Affairs. He served until April 1880, when the failure of his repeated efforts to settle the armaments issue again induced him to resign. From 1881 to 1888 he was Chancellor for the Universities of Uppsala and Lund. He was an advocate of free trade and economic liberalism. Some argue that it was De Geer who laid the foundations for the strong economic growth in Sweden from 1870 to 1970.
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