Lars Vilhelm Henschen

Lars Vilhelm Henschen (1 June 1805 – 27 January 1885) was a Swedish jurist and politician and involved in the free church movement. He was the father of doctor Salomon Eberhard Henschen, educator Maria Henschen (von Bergen), and publicist , and grandfather of museum curator .

Life

Upbringing Henschen was the son of priest Wilhelm Peter Henschen and Anna Catharina (Carin) Abelin. He had three brothers, Salomon, Sven, and Peter (Pelle) and two sisters. Their father died in 1816 when Henschen was young. He then went to live with his aunt Beata Abelin and her husband, shipbuilder Lars Daniel af Thunberg. He got along well with the family and their niece, Sofia Sjöborg, described Henschen's life in her writings. Henschen grew up in a religiously and politically active environment.

Education, family, and beliefs Having a keen interest in law, he went to Lund in 1820 to study. He completed his degree in 1824, before the age of nineteen. He worked in several different places, including for his future father-in-law Johan Munck af Rosenschöld sometime after 1828. He ended up in Norra Ångermanland, one of the centers of the Pietistic läsare (Reader) movement, from 1829 to 1831. There, in 1830, he had a conversion experience, potentially connected to revivalist preachers in the area such as Pehr Brandell. His belief was initially said to have had a "Schartauan character".

Death Henschen died 27 January 1885 in his sleep with his son Esaias nearby. He is buried at Uppsala old cemetery.