Gustaf Weidel

{{Infobox gymnast

| name = Gustaf Weidel

| image = Weidel, Nils Gustaf (from Malmö nation i Lund 1905-1913).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Weidel during his time as a student at Lund University

| full_name = Nils Gustaf Weidel

| altname = Nils Gustaf Johnsson

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1890|03|07|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Malmö, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1959|12|11|1890|03|07|df=yes}}

| death_place = Haverford, Pennsylvania, US

| discipline = MAG

| country = Sweden

| natlteam =

| club = Malmö Gymnastik- och Fäktklubb

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{SWE}}}}

}}

Nils Gustaf Weidel, né Johnsson (7 March 1890 – 11 December 1959) was a Swedish gymnast who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and was later a diplomat.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/31096 |title=Gustaf Weidel |work=Olympedia |access-date=1 March 2021}}

Early life

Gustaf Weidel was born as Gustaf Johnsson{{cite book |title=Malmö nation vid universitetet i Lund 1905-1913: porträtt och biografiska uppgifter |year=1913 |location=Malmö |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|2203931}} |page=60}} on 7 March 1890 in Malmö, Sweden as the son of police sergeant (polisöverkonstapel) Nils Johnsson and his wife Kersti Jönsson. Weidel passed mogenhetsexamen in Malmö in 1909 after passing in school in both Sweden and England.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/smok/8/0271.html |editor-last=Dahl |editor-first=Torsten |editor-last2=Bohman |editor-first2=Nils |title=Svenska män och kvinnor: biografisk uppslagsbok. 8 Toffteen-Ö |year=1955 |publisher=Bonnier |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|53807}} |page=241}} As a youngster Weidel was a gymnast and was part of the Swedish team at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, which was able to win the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team event. He was enrolled as a student at Lund University in 1909, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1910 and a Candidate of Law degree in 1914. It was during his time at the university that he changed his last name to Weidel.{{cite web |url=http://sok.se/idrottare/idrottare/g/gustaf-johnsson.html |publisher=Swedish Olympic Committee |title=Gustaf Johnsson |access-date=18 November 2016 |language=sv}} After this, he studied political economy in Germany and engaged in commercial activities, including working as the CEO of Continental Trading Company. During this time, he conducted an in-depth study of Sweden's trade relations with the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, as well as certain European countries such as France, England, and Spain, which he traveled through.

Career

In 1921, Weidel became employed by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs as an acting vice consul. He was a commercial attaché and commercial counsellor in Washington, D.C. from 1922 to 1933. He was then consul general in New York City from 1933 to 1935 and Sweden's envoy in Rio de Janeiro from 1936 to 1943 and in Lisbon from 1943 to 1951. Weidel was envoy in Cairo, also accredited to Beirut and Damascus, from 1951 to 1955.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/1957/1044.html |editor-last=Burling |editor-first=Ingeborg |year=1956 |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1957 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1957 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Norstedt |language=sv |page=1020}}

Personal life

In 1921, Weidel married Louise Pape (1892–1979), who was born in Marietta, Ohio, United States.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1979-03-02/16/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=dödsfall: Louise Weidel |trans-title=deaths: Louise Weidel |page=16 |date=1979-03-02 |access-date=21 August 2024 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}

Death

He died on 11 December 1959 in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States. He had been ill for an extended period under the care of Dr. S. L. Bartlett, who was the son of Mrs. Weidel from her previous marriage.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1959-12-12/17/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Gustaf Weidel † |page=A17 |date=1959-12-12 |access-date=29 October 2024 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}

Awards and decorations

50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (6 June 1955){{cite web |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/E0000847_00068#?c=&m=&s=&cv=67&xywh=-235%2C-84%2C3431%2C1881 |publisher=Royal Court of Sweden |work=Kungl. Maj:ts Ordens arkiv |title=Matriklar (D 1) |trans-title=Directory (D 1) |volume=12 |page=118 |date=1950–1959 |access-date=18 December 2024 |language=sv |via=National Archives of Sweden |url-access=registration}}
50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Knight of the Order of Vasa{{cite book |year=1955 |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1955 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |language=sv |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1955/0308.html |page=308}}
50x50px {{flagicon|Brazil}} Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
50x50px {{flagicon|Portugal}} Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ (27 May 1948){{cite web |url=https://www.ordens.presidencia.pt/?idc=154&list=1 |publisher=Grand Master of Portuguese Honorary Orders |title=ENTIDADES ESTRANGEIRAS AGRACIADAS COM ORDENS PORTUGUESAS |trans-title=FOREIGN ENTITIES AWARDED WITH PORTUGUESE ORDERS |access-date=14 April 2025 |language=pt}}
50x50px {{flagicon|Hungary}} Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary