Rolf Wirtén (original) (raw)

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Swedish politician (1931–2023)

Rolf Wirtén
Wirtén in 2013
Personal details
Born Rolf Gustav Stefan Wirtén(1931-05-04)4 May 1931
Died 19 February 2023(2023-02-19) (aged 91)
Political party Liberals

Rolf Gustav Stefan Wirtén (4 May 1931 – 19 February 2023) was a Swedish politician who held various ministerial posts, including the minister of economics and minister for the budget in the 1970s and 1980s.

Wirtén was born on 4 May 1931.[1] He started his career as a teacher in Jönköping in the 1950s.[1] He was a member of the Liberals[2] and was elected to the first chamber of the Parliament in 1966, serving there until 1970.[1] He was a member of Parliament from 1971 to 1985.[1]

On 7 March 1978 Wirtén was named the minister for gender equality and the minister of immigration.[1][3] His tenure ended on 18 October 1978.[3] He was the minister for employment between 1978 and 1980 in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Thorbjörn Fälldin.[1][4] In 1980 Wirtén was appointed minister for the budget, and next year he was made the minister of economics in the second cabinet led by Thorbjörn Fälldin.[5] He held both posts until 1982.[1] During his term Sweden experienced devaluation in 1981.[6] He reported that while serving as minister the Swedish economic policy had been designed on the Keynesian principles.[6]

Wirtén was the governor of Östergötland between 1987 and 1996.[7] In 1997 he was the head of a commission which investigated the allegations about the diamonds of Jewish people stolen by the Nazis and smuggled into Sweden.[8]

Wirtén died on 19 February 2023, at the age of 91.[9][10][11]

He established a foundation named the Wirtén Cultural Foundation.[12] It awards a cultural prize, Wirtén kulturpris, which has been given since 2000 on his birthday, 4 May.[13] The ceremony has taken place at the Linköping Castle.[13]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Förre ministern är död". Sändaren (in Swedish). 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  2. ^ Per T. Ohlsson (2021). Svensk politik (in Swedish). Lund: Historiska Media. p. 474. ISBN 978-91-7789-849-8.
  3. ^ a b Carl Dahlström (December 2007). "Rhetorical Objectives and Program Efficiency in Swedish Policy about Immigrants". Journal of Public Policy. 27 (3): 337. doi:10.1017/S0143814X07000736. JSTOR 40072029.
  4. ^ J. Paxton, ed. (2016). The Statesman's Year-Book 1978-79. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 1127. ISBN 978-0-230-27107-4.
  5. ^ J. Paxton, ed. (2016). The Statesman's Year-Book 1982-83. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 1138. ISBN 978-0-230-27111-1.
  6. ^ a b Johannes Lindvall (April 2006). "The Politics of Purpose: Swedish Economic Policy after the Golden Age". Comparative Politics. 38 (3): 264. doi:10.2307/20433997. JSTOR 20433997.
  7. ^ Anna Sjögren (20 February 2023). "Tidigare ministern Rolf Wirtén är död". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Nazis Reportedly Smuggled in Diamonds". Chicago Tribune. Stockholm. 22 October 1997.
  9. ^ "Tidigare landshövdingen Rolf Wirtén har avlidit". lansstyrelsen.se (in Swedish). 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Tidigare minister Rolf Wirtén är död" (in Swedish). Jnytt. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Tidigare ministern Rolf Wirtén har avlidit". Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  12. ^ Karin Hassler (3 May 2000). "Hans Lundgren fick kulturpris" (PDF). old.liu.se (in Swedish). Linköping. Norrköpings Tidningar. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  13. ^ a b