Embassy of Sweden, Washington, D.C. | |
---|---|
Location | Washington, D.C. |
Address | Postal address: Embassy of Sweden 2900 K Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20007-5118 USA Visiting address: Embassy of Sweden 2900 K Street, N.W. Washington |
Ambassador | Urban Ahlin |
Website | Official website |
The Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C., is Sweden's diplomatic mission in the United States. The Swedish Embassy in Washington, D.C., is one of Sweden's largest diplomatic missions with more than fifty employees. [1] Ambassador since 2023 is Urban Ahlin. Sweden also has a Consulate General in New York City and in San Francisco [2] and a number of Honorary Consulates General in the United States. [3] Since 2006, the chancery is located in the House of Sweden building on the Potomac River.
Swedish-American relations have a long history stretching back to the 17th century when Sweden in 1638 established the colony of New Sweden in the state of Delaware. In 1782, diplomatic relations were established by Samuel Gustaf Hermelin. [4] Sweden was the first country, in addition to the states that were directly involved in the American Revolutionary War (the United Kingdom and France), to recognize the United States in 1783. [5] In 1783 the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Sweden and the United States was signed.
A break in diplomatic relations occurred in 1973 when the then Ambassador Hubert de Bèsche and his newly elected successor Yngve Möller were declared undesirable in the United States as a result of a diplomatic crisis that followed Olof Palme's statement about the Hanoi bombings in December 1972. [6] In 1974 the new Swedish Ambassador Wilhelm Wachtmeister took office and held the post until 1989. Wachtmeister was eventually given the title Dean of the Diplomatic Corps (Doyen) as the longest serving Ambassador in Washington, D.C. [7] Other famous diplomats who held the Ambassador post are Jan Eliasson, Rolf Ekéus and Anders Thunborg.
The former embassy building was located at 2006 N Street, N.W., [8] in a Victorian building at 2249 R Street, N.W., [9] from 1921 to 1971 and in Suite 1200, Watergate Six Hundred, 600 New Hampshire Avenue [10] along the banks of the Potomac River. The move to the Watergate complex represented a temporary solution to the embassy's space issues. The new premises were rented primarily for five years, pending a decision on the possible construction of a new embassy building on the government-owned plot at Nebraska Avenue, where the residence was located. [11] In May 1987, it was reported that the annual fee for the 2,500 square meters the embassy rented in the Watergate complex was 7,000,000 SEK. At the same time, the embassy were also renting around forty residences in Washington for its staff. [12]
When the rent in the Watergate complex became too high, the embassy was moved to a couple of floors at 1501 M Street, N.W. in Downtown. [13] [14] The idea had been for several decades to acquire an own embassy building but the idea had come unstuck because of few suitable sites. [14] In August 2006, the embassy returned to the banks of the Potomac River when the new embassy building, the House of Sweden, opened on the waterfront in Georgetown. The site was bought by the National Property Board of Sweden from the Swede Kate Novak's husband Alan Novak's development company. [14]
From 1 December 1913 to 1920, the chancery was located at 2006 N Street N.W. [15] [16] From 1921 to 1922, the chancery was located at 1201 16th Street, N.W. [17] [18] From 1923 to 30 June 1971, the chancery was located at 2249 R Street, N.W. [19] [20] When the villa at 3900 Nebraska Avenue was purchased by the Swedish state in 1950 as the residence for the ambassador, the building on R Street was converted to serve solely as the chancery. Until then, it had also served as the residence. All chancery offices were relocated there, and consequently, the previous chancery building on 24th Street was put up for sale. Up to that point, the Swedish mission had office spaces at three different locations in Washington. [21] From 1 July 1971 to 1994, the chancery was located in Suite 1200, Watergate Six Hundred at 600 New Hampshire Avenue. [20] [22] Upon moving in 1971, the interior design of the premises was estimated to cost 590,000 SEK, and the design of the space was overseen by the architect Björn Hultén from Gothenburg. The annual rent and operating costs amounted to approximately 900,000 SEK. [11] On 17 June 1994, the chancery moved to 1501 M Street, N.W. Suite 900, where it remained until 2006. [23] [24] [25]
The chancery has since 2006 been housed on the second floor of the then newly built and later the award-winning office and residential complex House of Sweden on 2900 K Street, N.W. on the Potomac River in Georgetown. House of Sweden is the result after an architectural competition which the National Property Board of Sweden announced in June 2002. The winning entry was selected by the jury in January 2003 and construction began in August 2004. [26] In August 2006 the embassy staff moved in. The opening ceremony was held on 23 October 2006, in the presence of the King and Queen of Sweden. [27]
The building was designed by architects Gert Wingårdh and Tomas Hansen and Wingårdh received the Architects Sweden's (Sveriges Arkitekter) Kasper Salin Prize in 2007 for the building. The Washington Post named the House of Sweden the "Venue of the Year" in 2008. The cost of construction amounted to 482 million SEK. [28] House of Sweden houses the embassy building, embassy offices, 19 apartments and a 700 square metres (7,500 sq ft) event center with conference facilities and exhibition spaces. The building is about 6,400 square metres (69,000 sq ft) and is managed by the National Property Board of Sweden. [27] In 2009 Sweden and Iceland signed a 15-year long contract for office and a residential apartment for the Embassy of Iceland in the House of Sweden. [29]
The residence at 3900 Nebraska Avenue was acquired by Ambassador Erik Boheman with his own money [30] in 1950, and after interior work overseen by Mrs Boheman, the transfer took place in early May. As soon as the transfer was complete, renovations on the old residence on R Street began. [21] The Spanish-influenced residence on Nebraska Avenue was designed by American architect Arthur B. Heaton. For several years, the building housed David F. Lawrence, one of the Washington's more well-known newspaper publishers. [31] The residence was decorated with Swedish classics, including rugs by Märta Måås-Fjetterström, Gustavian furniture, art by Stellan Mörner , Olle Bærtling and Fredrik Reuterswärd. The gallery has French woven wallpapers from the late 1600s and early 1700s with landscape motifs. [31] The residence featured a garden, greenhouse, and tennis court. There, former Ambassador Wilhelm Wachtmeister used to play tennis with President George H. W. Bush. [31]
On the night between 20-21 February 1973, eleven paintings, including works by Anders Zorn and Hugo Zuhr , were stolen during a break-in at the residence on Nebraska Avenue. Ambassador Hubert de Bèsche had moved out during a restoration. The thieves had lifted a newly glazed window to gain entry to the house. The theft was discovered the next morning by an architect involved in the restoration of the residence. The stolen paintings included, among others: Anders Zorn's "Braskulla," Hugo Zuhr's "Nämforsen," Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller's "Amor as Bacchus," Frans Timén 's "Vårvinter," Gunnar Svenson 's "Norrländskt landskap," Bertil Landelius 's "Röda lador," an unknown artist's portrait of Adolf Frederick, and a large painting of Charles XII. [32]
In June 2019, a decision was taken to sell the residence and that the Swedish ambassador would move into House of Sweden. [33]
Name | Period | Title | Refs/Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Johan Albert Kantzow | 1812–1819 | Resident Minister | |
Berndt Robert Gustaf Stackelberg | 1819–1831 | Chargé d'affaires | |
David Gustaf Anckarloo | 1831–1833 | Chargé d'affaires | |
Severin Lorich | 1834–1837 | Chargé d'affaires | |
Gustaf af Nordin | 1838–1845 | Chargé d'affaires | |
Adam Christopher Lövenskiöld | 1845–1850 | Chargé d'affaires | |
Georg Sibbern | 1850–1854 | Chargé d'affaires | |
Georg Sibbern | 1854–1858 | Resident Minister | |
Nils Erik Wilhelm af Wetterstedt | 1858–1860 | Resident Minister | |
Carl Edward Vilhelm Piper | 1861–1864 | Resident Minister | |
Nils Erik Wilhelm af Wetterstedt | 1864–1870 | Envoy | |
Oluf Stenersen | 1870–1875 | Envoy | |
Carl Lewenhaupt | 6 March 1876 – 1884 | Envoy | Also Acting Consul General there from 10 March 1876. [34] |
Gustaf Lennart Reuterskiöld | 1884–1888 | Envoy | |
Johan Anton Wolff Grip | 1889–1906 | Envoy | |
Herman Lagercrantz | 25 January 1907 – 4 June 1907 | Acting Envoy | [35] |
Herman Lagercrantz | 5 June 1907–1910 | Envoy | [35] |
Albert Ehrensvärd | 8 October 1910 – 1911 | Envoy | [36] |
August Ekengren | 1912–1920 | Envoy | |
Axel Wallenberg | 1921–1925 | Envoy | |
Wollmar Boström | 1925–1945 | Envoy | |
Herman Eriksson | 1 October 1945 – 8 December 1947 | Envoy | [37] |
Herman Eriksson | 9 December 1947 – 1948 | Ambassador | [37] |
Erik Boheman | 1948–1958 | Ambassador | |
Gunnar Jarring | 1958–1964 | Ambassador | |
Hubert de Bèsche | 1964–1973 | Ambassador | |
Yngve Möller | 1972–1972 | Never took office [note 1] | |
Wilhelm Wachtmeister | 1974–1989 | Ambassador | |
Anders Thunborg | 1989–1993 | Ambassador | |
Henrik Liljegren | 1993–1997 | Ambassador | |
Rolf Ekéus | 1997–2000 | Ambassador | |
Jan Eliasson | 2000–2005 | Ambassador | |
Gunnar Lund | 2005–2007 | Ambassador | |
Jonas Hafström | 2007–2013 | Ambassador | |
Björn Lyrvall | 2013–2017 | Ambassador | |
Karin Olofsdotter | 2017–2023 | Ambassador | |
Urban Ahlin [39] | 15 August 2023–present | Ambassador |
Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Thailand. The ambassador is also accredited to Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Sweden also has four honorary consulates in Thailand: in Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin.
The Embassy of Sweden in Rome is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Italy. The Swedish embassy in Rome dates back to the 1450s and is thus the oldest in the world. Birger Månsson was sent to Rome because the Swedish government wanted to improve the relationship with the Pope. Today, the embassy is also a representation at the UN agencies in Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The ambassador has a dual accreditation in San Marino.
The Embassy of Sweden in Paris is Sweden's diplomatic mission in France.
The Embassy of Sweden in Mexico City is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Mexico. The mission of the embassy is to represent Swedish interests in Mexico, as well as to strengthen bilateral relations within the governmental, commercial, business, academic, cultural and civil society spheres, with a particular emphasis on cooperation for sustainable development.
The Embassy of Sweden in Athens, is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Greece. The mission opened in 1945 and was elevated to an embassy in 1956. Sweden also has five honorary consulates in Chania, Heraklion, Corfu, Rhodes, and in Thessaloniki
The Embassy of Sweden in Copenhagen is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Denmark. It's located on Amaliegade 5A, close to Amalienborg. The embassy is tasked with representing Sweden and the Swedish government in Denmark and promoting Sweden's interests.
The Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi is Sweden's diplomatic mission in India. The embassy is headed by the ambassador of Sweden to India. The embassy is situated in Chanakyapuri, the diplomatic enclave of New Delhi, where most of the embassies in India are located. The Swedish embassy is responsible for the honorary consulates in India, located in Kolkata and Chennai, and the Swedish consulate general in Mumbai. The ambassador of New Delhi is also accredited to Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives.
The Consulate General of Sweden is the diplomatic mission of Sweden in New York City. It is located at One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza in Turtle Bay, Manhattan, near the headquarters of the United Nations.
The Embassy of Sweden in Ottawa is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Canada. The Swedish embassy in Canada represents the Swedish government in Canada and The Bahamas. The embassy is located in ByWard Market in the downtown core of the capital of Ottawa. Ambassador since 2019 is Urban Ahlin. Sweden also has nine honorary consulates in Canada.
The Embassy of Sweden in Algiers is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Algeria. The first Swedish ambassador was accredited to Algiers in 1963. The ambassador since 2021 is Björn Häggmark.
The Embassy of Sweden in Luanda was Sweden's diplomatic mission in Angola. The first Swedish ambassador was accredited to Luanda in 1976. The ambassador was also accredited to São Tomé. The embassy mainly focused on Sweden and trade promotion activities. The embassy closed in November 2022 following a decision by Sweden's government. The Swedish ambassador is from 1 December 2022 based in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Embassy of Sweden in Buenos Aires is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Argentina. The ambassador since 2019 is Anders Carlsson. The embassy is located in Puerto Madero and its staff consists of three people from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and six local employees. In addition to Argentina, the embassy's area of activity also includes Paraguay and Uruguay. The embassy's activities include trade promotion, culture and Sweden promotion, migration and consular affairs, as well as reporting on politics, human rights and the economy.
The Embassy of Sweden in Tokyo is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Japan. The mission was opened in 1906. It's located in the Roppongi district in Minato, Tokyo since 1959. The current embassy building was inaugurated in 1991. The ambassador since 2019 is Pereric Högberg. The ambassador has a dual accreditation to Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.
The Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria is Sweden's diplomatic mission in South Africa. The Swedish embassy in South Africa represents the Swedish government in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho. The embassy is located in the suburb of Hatfield in the capital of Pretoria. The ambassador since 2020 is Håkan Juholt.
The Embassy of Sweden in Dublin is Sweden's diplomatic mission in Ireland. When Ireland became independent, Sweden was one of the countries that early established diplomatic relations with Ireland. The embassy has its origins in the legation that was opened in 1946, which in turn has its origins in the Swedish consulate that was opened in 1926. The embassy closed in 2010 and reopened in 2023.
The Embassy of Sweden in Beijing is Sweden's diplomatic mission in China. The embassy's task is to represent Sweden, the Swedish government in China and to promote Swedish interests. Trade promotion and development cooperation are other tasks for the embassy, as well as press and culture issues and migration and consular services. The embassy's sphere of responsibility includes Mongolia. The ambassador has a dual accreditation to Ulaanbaatar.
The Consulate General of Sweden, Los Angeles was the diplomatic mission of Sweden in Los Angeles between 1980 and 1995, as well as between 1998 and 2009. The consulate general had its origins in the honorary vice consulate opened in 1910, which was transformed into an honorary consulate in 1955 and an honorary consulate general in 1969. The main tasks of the consulate general were to disseminate information about Sweden and Swedish collaboration opportunities, promote business activities through various events, and handle consular matters and assistance to Swedish citizens in the western United States.
The Consulate General of Sweden, Minneapolis was the diplomatic mission of Sweden in Minneapolis between 1963 and 1989. The consulate originated from the honorary vice consulate opened in 1908, which was converted into a consulate in 1934 and into a consulate general in 1963. Along with those in New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Chicago, and Houston, the consulate belonged to the so-called "heritage consulates" due to the large number of inheritance cases it handled.
The Consulate General of Sweden, Montreal was the diplomatic mission of Sweden in Montreal between 1916 and 1993. The consulate general originated from the consulate opened in 1906, which was converted into a consulate general in 1916. The consulate general tasks was to advance the interests of Sweden, and to serve and protect Swedes in Montreal and in different provinces and territories of Canada. Along with those in Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, New York City, and San Francisco, the consulate general belonged to the so-called "heritage consulates" due to the large number of inheritance cases it handled.
The Consulate General of Sweden, London was the diplomatic mission of Sweden in London between 1859 and 1973. The consulate general originated from the consulate opened in 1722, which was converted into a consulate general in 1850. The tasks of the consulate general included consular services, promotion of trade relations, cultural and political relations, matters concerning the maritime industry, and more.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)