Ellen Palmstierna
Swedish women's rights and peace activist
About Ellen Palmstierna
Lived 1869 – 1941 (aged 72). Ellen Palmstierna was a Swedish women's rights activist, peace activist and suffragist.
Eleonora Wilhelmina Palmstierna, generally known as Ellen Palmstierna, (1869–1941) was a Swedish activist. She was active in the women's suffrage and peace movements. In 1915, she was one of the Swedish delegates at the International Congress of Women held in The Hague, after which she travelled to St Petersburg for discussions and met the Russian foreign minister. She was one of the founders of the Internationella Kvinnokommittén för varaktig fred which became the Swedish branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. In 1919, Palmstiera founded and subsequently chaired Rädda Barnen, the Swedish chapter of Save the Children, also collaborating at the international level.
Early life Born in Stockholm on 7 April 1869, Eleonora Wilhelmina Palmstierna was the daughter of the nobleman and his wife Sofia Charlotta Wilhelmina née Blomstedt. She was one of the family's five children. In 1896, she married Baron and moved with him to Jönköping. The marriage was dissolved in 1911.
In 1919, Palmstiera was one of the founders of Rädda Barnen, the Swedish chapter of Save the Children. Serving as chair of the Swedish organization, she also collaborated at the international level, travelling to Berlin, Vienna and Budapest to monitor the need for assistance. She reported on her findings in the Swedish journal Rädda Barnen and her 1920 book Några intryck av nöden i Österrike och Ungern (Impressions of Requirements in Austria and Hungary). She served the Swedish organization until 1932. For her services, she was awarded the Illis quorum medal.
Ellen Palmstierna died on 2 December 1941 in Stockholm and was buried in Solna's Norra begravningsplatsen.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ellen Palmstierna's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ellen Palmstierna?
Swedish women's rights and peace activist
When was Ellen Palmstierna born?
Ellen Palmstierna was born on 7 August 1869 in Hedvig Eleonora parish.
When did Ellen Palmstierna die?
Ellen Palmstierna died on 2 December 1941 in S:t Görans church parish.
What was Ellen Palmstierna's occupation?
Ellen Palmstierna was a women's rights activist, peace activist and suffragist.
What nationality was Ellen Palmstierna?
Ellen Palmstierna was Swedish.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Ellen Palmstierna
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ellen Palmstierna. https://biography.guide/ellen-palmstierna/
MLA: "Ellen Palmstierna." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ellen-palmstierna/.
Chicago: "Ellen Palmstierna." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ellen-palmstierna/.
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