Olof Ripa
{{Short description|Swedish diplomat (1909–1992)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Olof Ripa
| image = Olof Ripa (1909–1992).jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|1|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = Stockholm, Sweden
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|1|18|1909|1|15|df=y}}
| death_place = Stockholm, Sweden
| other_names =
| occupation = Diplomat
| years_active = 1937–1974
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| spouse = {{marriage|Margit Siwertz-Norling|1949|1990|end=died}}
| children =
| education = Saltsjöbadens Samskola
| alma_mater = Uppsala University
}}
Olof Ripa (15 January 1909 – 18 January 1992) was a Swedish diplomat. Ripa began his diplomatic career in 1937, serving in Helsinki, London, and The Hague, where he was cut off from Stockholm during the German invasion in 1940. He later became chargé d'affaires in Tehran in 1941, playing a key role in a prisoner exchange between Germany and the United Kingdom. His career continued with postings in Ankara, Tokyo, and at the Allied Headquarters in Japan. From 1950 onward, he held various high-ranking positions, including consul general in Montreal and envoy in Wellington. In the 1960s, he served as ambassador in multiple African nations before his final posting as ambassador in Sofia from 1969 to 1974.
Early life
Ripa was born on 15 January 1909, in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of Edvin Ripa, a bank cashier, and his wife Edla (née Åbom).{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/1993/0924.html |editor1-last=Uddling |editor1-first=Hans |editor2-last=Paabo |editor2-first=Katrin |year=1992 |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1993 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1993 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Norstedt |isbn=91-1-914072-X |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|8261513}} |page=924}} He passed his studentexamen at {{ill|Saltsjöbadens Samskola|sv}} in Saltsjöbaden in 1928.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/vemarvem/norr68/0907.html |editor1-last=Davidsson |editor1-first=Åke |date=1968 |title=Vem är vem? |volume=5, Norrland : supplement, register |trans-title=Who's Who? |edition=2nd |location=Stockholm |publisher=Vem är vem bokförlag |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|53513}} |pages=883-884}} He worked as an amanuensis at the Swedish Institute of International Law (Svenska institutet för internationell rätt) from 1934 to 1937 and as a temporary staff member at the Secretariat of the League of Nations in Geneva in 1936 before earning his Candidate of Law degree at Uppsala University in 1937.
Career
Ripa joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm as an attaché in 1937. He served in Helsinki in 1938, London in 1939, and The Hague (as chargé d'affaires ad interim) in 1940. Ripa, along with a secretary, was the only Swedish representative on duty at the legation in The Hague on 10 May 1940, when Germany invaded the Netherlands. He was then cut off from contact with Stockholm for over a month.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1992-01-28/19/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Olof Ripa död: Medaktör i nutidshistorien |trans-title=Olof Ripa dead: Co-actor in contemporary history |first=Valter |last=Ersson |page=19 |date=1992-01-28 |access-date=30 January 2025 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} He also witnessed the German bombing of Rotterdam.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1990-05-10/1/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Bombanfall |trans-title=Bombing |page=1 |number=125 |date=1990-05-10 |access-date=30 January 2025 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
Ripa returned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs the same year. Ripa was then appointed chargé d'affaires ad interim in Tehran in 1941. During his service in Tehran, he took part in a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war between Germany and the United Kingdom as Sweden's representative in its role as a protecting power. The urgency of the situation meant that he had to carry out this difficult task without the possibility of receiving instructions from home. In 1942, Ripa served in Ankara. In 1943, he became second secretary at the ministry. In 1945, he was posted to Tokyo, where he was promoted to first legation secretary in 1947 (acting in 1945). He also served as the diplomatic representative at the Allied Headquarters in Japan from 1946 to 1949. In 1949, he became first secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
From 1950 to 1953, Ripa was first vice-consul in London, and from 1953 to 1954, he worked as a deputy mediator in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea. In 1954, he became first secretary at the embassy in Tokyo, and in 1955, he served as chargé d'affaires ad interim in Wellington. From 1956 to 1959, he held the position of consul and acting consul general in Montreal,{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1956-04-28/4/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Utnämningar inom diplomatiska kåren |trans-title=Appointments within the diplomatic corps |page=4A |date=1956-04-28 |access-date=30 January 2025 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} and was chargé d'affaires ad interim in Ottawa from 1957 to 1958.
Ripa became consul general in Montreal from 1959 to 1960,{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1959-05-02/5/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=OFFICIELLT |trans-title=OFFICIALLY |page=A5 |date=1959-05-02 |access-date=30 January 2025 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} envoy in Wellington in 1960, and consul general in Antwerp in 1962. He was appointed ambassador in Monrovia, Accra (until 1967), Conakry, and Freetown in 1964, and later in Abidjan in 1967. His final diplomatic posting was as ambassador in Sofia from 1969 to 1974.
Personal life
One 21 May 1949, Ripa married to Margit Siwertz-Norling (1909–1990), the daughter of the author Sigfrid Siwertz and Elsa (née Ohlsson).{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1949-05-22/14/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Bröllop |trans-title=Weddings |page=14A |date=1949-05-22 |access-date=30 January 2025 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
Death
Ripa died on 18 January 1992 in Stockholm. The funeral service took place in Liljan's Chapel (Liljans kapell) at Råcksta cemetery in Stockholm on 4 February 1992.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1992-01-28/19/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Döda |trans-title=Deaths |page=19 |date=1992-01-28 |access-date=30 January 2025 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} He was interred on 15 May 1992 at Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.{{cite web |url=https://www.svenskagravar.se/gravsatt/ccfbee6a-69a1-404e-8951-09710585edfc |website=www.svenskagravar.se |title=Ripa, OLOF |access-date=30 January 2025 |language=sv}}
Awards and decorations
- 55px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Commander of the Order of the Polar Star (November 1969){{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1969-11-18/10/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Nordstjärneorden |trans-title=Order of the Polar Star |page=10 |date=1969-11-18 |access-date=30 January 2025 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
- 55px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Knight of the Order of the Polar Star
- 55px {{flagicon|Italy}} 2nd Class / Commander of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1955/0310.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1955 |year=1955 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Stockholm |language=sv |page=310}}
- 55px {{flagicon|Belgium}} Officer of the Order of the Crown
- 55px {{flagicon|Greece}} Officer of the Order of the Phoenix
- 55px {{flagicon|Persia}} Officer of the Order of Homayoun
- 55px {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- 55px {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} 3rd Class of the Order of the German Eagle
- 55px {{flagicon|Hungary}} Officer of the Hungarian Order of Merit
- 55px {{flagicon|Denmark}} Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog
- 55px {{flagicon|Finland}} Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-dip}}
{{succession box |before=August von Hartmansdorff |title=Consul/Consul General of Sweden to Montreal |years=1956–1960 |after=Ingvar Grauers}}
{{succession box |before=Hugo Ärnfast |title=Envoy of Sweden to New Zealand |years=1960–1962 |after=Olof Kaijser}}
{{succession box |before=Louis De Geer |title=Consul General of Sweden to Antwerp |years=1962–1964 |after=Sture Johanson}}
{{succession box |before=Bo Järnstedt |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Liberia |years=1964–1968 |after=Hans-Efraim Sköld}}
{{succession box |before=Bo Järnstedt |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Guinea |years=1964–1968 |after=Hans-Efraim Sköld}}
{{succession box |before=Bo Järnstedt |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Sierra Leone |years=1964–1968 |after=Hans-Efraim Sköld}}
{{succession box |before=Bo Järnstedt |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Ghana |years=1964–1967 |after=Carl Swartz}}
{{succession box |before=Karl Henrik Andersson |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Ivory Coast |years=1967–1968 |after=Hans-Efraim Sköld}}
{{succession box |before=Gunnar Gerring |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Bulgaria |years=1969–1974 |after=Gunnar Ljungdahl}}
{{s-end}}
{{Auth}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ripa, Olof}}
Category:Consuls-general for Sweden
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to New Zealand
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Liberia
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Ghana
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Guinea
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Sierra Leone
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Ivory Coast
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Bulgaria
Category:Uppsala University alumni
Category:Diplomats from Stockholm