Olof Ripa

Olof Ripa (15 January 1909 – 18 January 1992) was a Swedish diplomat. Ripa began his diplomatic career in 1937, serving in Helsinki, London, and The Hague, where he was cut off from Stockholm during the German invasion in 1940. He later became chargé d'affaires in Tehran in 1941, playing a key role in a prisoner exchange between Germany and the United Kingdom. His career continued with postings in Ankara, Tokyo, and at the Allied Headquarters in Japan. From 1950 onward, he held various high-ranking positions, including consul general in Montreal and envoy in Wellington. In the 1960s, he served as ambassador in multiple African nations before his final posting as ambassador in Sofia from 1969 to 1974.

Early life Ripa was born on 15 January 1909, in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of Edvin Ripa, a bank cashier, and his wife Edla (née Åbom). He passed his studentexamen at in Saltsjöbaden in 1928. He worked as an amanuensis at the Swedish Institute of International Law (Svenska institutet för internationell rätt) from 1934 to 1937 and as a temporary staff member at the Secretariat of the League of Nations in Geneva in 1936 before earning his Candidate of Law degree at Uppsala University in 1937. He also witnessed the German bombing of Rotterdam.

Ripa returned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs the same year. Ripa was then appointed chargé d'affaires ad interim in Tehran in 1941. and was chargé d'affaires ad interim in Ottawa from 1957 to 1958. envoy in Wellington in 1960, and consul general in Antwerp in 1962. He was appointed ambassador in Monrovia, Accra (until 1967), Conakry, and Freetown in 1964, and later in Abidjan in 1967. His final diplomatic posting was as ambassador in Sofia from 1969 to 1974.

Death Ripa died on 18 January 1992 in Stockholm. The funeral service took place in Liljan's Chapel (Liljans kapell) at Råcksta cemetery in Stockholm on 4 February 1992. He was interred on 15 May 1992 at Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.

Awards and decorations