Sophie Adlersparre

Carin Sophie Adlersparre (née Leijonhufvud; 6 July 1823 – 27 June 1895), In 1869, she married the nobleman commander Axel Adlersparre (1812–1879) and became the stepmother of his five children. Her husband was described as supportive of her social reform work.

In 1866, she co-founded of the Stockholm Reading Parlor (Stockholms läsesalong), Adlersparre was an early member of the women's association Nya Idun, joining in 1885, the same year it was founded.

Other work In 1864–1865, she participated in the founding of the Swedish Red Cross.

In 1874, Adlersparre co-founded Friends of Handicraft (Handarbetets vänner) with Hanna Winge and served as its chairperson until 1887. The purpose of the organisation was to raise the quality and thereby the status of women's handicraft work, which at the time was a very important source of income for women in need of self-support.

Adlersparre was involved in the Swedish literary scene. She was an admirer of Viktoria Benedictsson and she supported Selma Lagerlöf financially during her work. During the last years of her life, she worked on a biography of Fredrika Bremer, but was not able to complete it.

Fredrika Bremer Association Sophie Adlersparre is perhaps best known as the founder of the Fredrika Bremer Association (Fredrika-Bremer-Förbundet, FBF) in 1884, the first women's rights organisation in Sweden, named for feminist author Fredrika Bremer. Formally, the women's rights supporter Hans Hildebrand was made the official chair of the FBF, because Adlersparre believed that it would be taken more seriously if it was headed by a man. However, Adlersparre acted as the de facto chairperson until her death in 1895, when she was succeeded by Agda Montelius. Adlersparre felt that it was important for men to be a part of the work for equality, and in addition to women such as Ellen Anckarsvärd (referred to as her successor in the Swedish women's rights movement), Ellen Fries, Gertrud Adelborg and Fredrika Limnell, she welcomed men such as Hans Hildebrand and Gustav Sjöberg. The purpose of the organization was to "work for a healthy and calm progress in elevating women morally and intellectually as well as socially and economically". One of the FBF's functions was to offer scholarships, which were arranged by Mathilda Silow.

Recognition Sophie Adlersparre was awarded the Illis quorum meruere labores medal in 1895 for her contributions to Swedish society.