Carl Olof Gisle

Carl Olof Gisle (22 September 1900 – 4 June 1964) was a Swedish diplomat. He pursued a distinguished diplomatic career following his legal studies at Uppsala University. After completing his judicial apprenticeship in the mid-1920s, he joined the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1928. Over the next decade, he held postings in Madrid, Lisbon, London, and Warsaw, and gradually advanced through the ranks in Stockholm, becoming first secretary in 1936.

Gisle played an important role during the Second World War. Posted to London from 1939, he served as acting commercial counsellor and later legation counsellor, participating in all wartime negotiations between Sweden and the British government.

After the war he was appointed envoy to several regions: first to Buenos Aires, Asunción, and Montevideo (1946), then to Pretoria (1949). He chaired the Swedish delegation at the Torquay Round of GATT (1950–51), and in 1954 became envoy to Prague and Budapest. Throughout his career, he also served as a key figure in Sweden's trade policy negotiations with numerous countries. He left active service in 1959 at his own request.

Early life Gisle was born on 22 September 1900 in Gothenburg, Sweden, the son of industrialist and forestry advocate (1866–1956) and Torinna (Tora) Ferm (1865–1936). His father rose from modest beginnings to become a leading figure in the Swedish timber and sawmill industry. He founded and led several major companies and was the driving force behind the creation of , significantly shaping modern Swedish forest management. He completed his studentexamen (upper-secondary final exam) in 1919, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Uppsala University in 1922, and a Candidate of Law degree in 1924.

He served as envoy in Buenos Aires, Asunción, and Montevideo in 1946, and in Pretoria in 1949. He chaired the Swedish delegation at the Torquay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) from 1950 to 1951, and became envoy in Prague and Budapest in 1954. He also served as secretary or representative in trade policy negotiations with numerous countries.

Personal life In 1936, Gisle married Cecilia Lilliehöök (1913–2006), the daughter of Colonel and . They had four children: Peter (born 1937), Catharina (born 1938), Anna (born 1941), and Caroline (born 1948).

In an obituary, Ambassador Gunnar Hägglöf described him as "a man of sharp intelligence and great sensitivity. He did not like to be in the spotlight. He preferred to hide his rich personality and warm heart behind a reserved exterior. But to his friends he revealed his true self — a distinctive and richly nuanced character, seasoned with a peppery sense of humor and irony."

Foreign