Martin Kastengren

Johan Martin Kastengren (7 June 1891 – 22 February 1972), was a Swedish diplomat. He graduated from the Stockholm School of Economics and Stockholm University College before starting as an assistant lawyer. In 1917, he joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where he served in various roles including attaché, vice-consul, and first legation secretary. He was appointed Consul General in Calcutta in 1931, and in New York City in 1935. Following a decade in the United States, he became Envoy to Lima in 1945, with additional accreditation to La Paz and Quito. In 1951, he was assigned as Envoy to Canberra with dual accreditation to Wellington. Kastengren retired on 30 June 1957, after a long career in international diplomacy.

Early life Kastengren was born on 7 June 1891 in Eskilstuna, Sweden, the son of the Provost August Kastengren and his wife Karolina (née Mellin). His cousin was the CEO of Svenska AB Philips, Herbert Kastengren (born 1896).

He passed studentexamen in Örebro in 1910. Kastengren graduated from the Stockholm School of Economics in 1912 and received a Candidate of Law degree from Stockholm University College in 1916. and was treasurer of the Stockholm University College Student Union.

Career Kastengren worked as an assistant lawyer at a law firm in Stockholm from 1916 to 1917, before being employed as an attaché at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1917. He served at the Consulate General in New York City in 1918, was appointed vice-consul at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1923 (acting vice-consul in 1919), and became the first legation secretary in Bern in 1923. He then became first secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1924. From 1925 to 1928, he had a special assignment to draft regulations and instructions for foreign representations, and in 1930, he became the head of the legal office at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (acting head in 1928). In 1935, he was appointed Consul General in New York City. After spending 10 years in the United States, he was appointed Envoy to Lima in 1945, with dual accreditation to La Paz and Quito.

In 1951, he was appointed Envoy to Canberra with dual accreditation to Wellington. After six years in Australia, Kastengren was granted retirement on 30 June 1957, and thus entered retirement.

Personal life In 1922, Kastengren married Gunny Jepson (11 June 1893 – 27 November 1972), the daughter of Gunnar Jepson and Anna Jepson. They had one son named Bengt Kastengren (1924–2014), CEO of the insurance company Återförsäkrings AB Atlas. His wife died later that same year.

Awards and decorations

Swedish

Foreign

Grand Officer of the Hungarian Order of Merit

Honours Honorary juris doctor, Upsala College, New Jersey (1944)