Herman Kling

Erik Herman Kling (12 July 1913 – 13 June 1985) was a Swedish politician and diplomat. He served as a member of the Riksdag for the Swedish Social Democratic Party and as minister for justice from 1959 to 1969. Kling served as ambassador in Copenhagen from 1969 to 1973 and in Lisbon from 1973 to 1979.

Early life Kling was born on 12 July 1913 in Västanfors, Sweden, the son of August Kling and his wife Hilda (née Östling). He passed studentexamen in 1933 and received a Candidate of Law degree in Stockholm in 1938.

Career Kling worked as an extraordinary notary in Stockholm City Court in 1938 and he became an assistant (amanuens) in 1941. He then worked as acting assessor in 1942, as vice assessor in 1946 and as head of the Lagbyrå in the Ministry of Agriculture in 1945. Kling worked as an acting director general for administrative affairs (expeditionschef) in 1947 and as State Secretary in the Ministry for Civil Service Affairs in 1950. He was then Director General and head of the Swedish Agency for Administrative Development (Statskontoret) from 1956, minister without portfolio from 1957 to 1959 and minister for justice and head of the Ministry of Justice from 1959 to 1969. Kling then served as ambassador and head of the Embassy of Sweden in Copenhagen from 1969 to 1973 and as ambassador in Lisbon from 1973 to 1979.

Kling served as chairman of the Board of Governors (Riksgäldsfullmäktige) of the Swedish National Debt Office from 1952 to 1956, of AB Atomenergi from 1956, as vice chairman of Sveriges allmänna hypoteksbank from 1954 to 1957 and as a member of the Första kammaren from 1962 to 1969.