Otto Ludvig Beckman

Otto Ludvig Beckman (29 April 1856 – 27 June 1909) was a Swedish Navy general and commanding officer of the Swedish Coastal Artillery. He was assassinated during czar Nicholas II's visit to Stockholm in 1909.

Otto Ludvig Beckman
Birth nameOtto Ludvig Beckman
Born(1856-04-29)29 April 1856
Stockholm, Sweden
Died27 June 1909(1909-06-27) (aged 53)
Stockholm, Sweden
Buried
Norra begravningsplatsen
Service/branchCoastal Artillery (Swedish Navy)
Years of service1876–1909
RankMajor General
Commands heldKarlskrona Coastal Artillery Regiment
Coastal Artillery
AwardsOrder of the Sword

Career

Beckman began his career as a sub-lieutenant in the Swedish Navy in 1876 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1881 and captain in 1888. He was a teacher at the Royal Swedish Naval Academy from 1889 to 1891 and was head of the Naval Mine Department at the naval station in Karlskrona from 1891 to 1901. Beckman was promoted to commander of second rank in 1897 and first rank in 1900. He was a member of the Executive Board of the Fleet's Retirement Fund from 1899.[1] Beckman was promoted to colonel and commander of Karlskrona Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 2) as well as artillery commander of Karlskrona Fortress in 1902. In 1907, Beckman was promoted to major general and became commander of the Coastal Artillery. He was a long-standing member of Karlskrona City Council and deputy chairman of the city treasury.[2]

He was a member of the Defence Committee in 1907.[3] Beckman was also an honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences.[4]

Assassination

During Czar Nicholas II's visit to Stockholm in 1909 the anarchist Hjalmar Wång tried to assassinate the czar. He failed, however, and killed Beckman instead.[5] It was after a banquet at the Royal Palace, when Beckman and his colleagues made a short visit to the Grand Hôtel. Ten minutes after midnight on the 27 June he walked, dressed in parade uniform, through Kungsträdgården. There he met Wång who shot him in the back.[6] Right after, the 22-year-old Wång shot himself in the head twice. Wång died the next morning from his injuries.[7] Commander P. Dahlgren who was walking with Beckman escaped without injures. The passer-by, feldsher Levander, was hit by a bullet but survived.[8] Beckman was buried on the 2 July 1909 at Norra begravningsplatsen in Solna Municipality.[9]

Personal life

Beckman was married to Olga Maria Högsted (born 1861), and together they had the sons, lieutenant colonel Per Evald Ottocar Beckman (1885–1962), commander Sven Alfred Ottocar Beckman (1887–1962),[10] and district judge Herbert Ottokar Beckman (1893-1981)[11] as well as the daughter, rector Olga Elsa Beckman (1888–1975).[9]

Awards and decorations

Honours

References
  1. Hildebrand, Albin; Nissen, Thorsten, eds. (1902). Svenskt porträttgalleri. 8, Kungliga flottan [Swedish portrait gallery. 8, Royal Navy] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Tullberg. p. 112.
  2. "Veckans porträttgalleri" [This week's portrait gallery]. Hvar 8 dag (in Swedish). Gothenburg: D. F. Bonniers boktryckeri A.-B. (40): 639. 4 July 1909. SELIBR 786775.
  3. Hildebrand, Albin, ed. (1913). Svenskt porträttgalleri. Generalregister [Swedish portrait gallery. General Directory] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Tullberg. p. 48.
  4. Svensk rikskalender 1909 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. 1908. p. 245.
  5. "Porträtt av Hjalmar Wång – anarkist och mördare" [Portrait of Hjalmar Wång - anarchist and murderer] (in Swedish). Stockholmskallan.se. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  6. Beckman, Åsa (2014-06-25). "Åsa Beckman: Vad hade hänt om min släkting inte kommit i vägen för den där kulan?" [Åsa Beckman: What if my relative did not come in the way of that bullet?]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  7. "Hjalmar Wång" (in Swedish). Stockholmskallan.se. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  8. "Ett fasaväckande blodsdåd" [A horrible butchery] (PDF). Social-Demokraten (in Swedish). 27 June 1909. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  9. "Norra begravningsplatsen, kvarter 11D, gravnummer 21" (in Swedish). Hittagraven.se. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  10. Harnesk, Paul, ed. (1945). Vem är vem?. D. 1, Stockholmsdelen [Who is Who?. D. 1, Stockholm part] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Vem är vem bokförlag. p. 52.
  11. Davidsson, Åke, ed. (1968). Vem är vem?. 5, Norrland : supplement, register [Who is Who?. 5, Norrland : supplements, directory] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Vem är vem. p. 25.
  12. Svensk rikskalender 1910 (in Swedish). Stockholm: P. A. Nordstedt & Söner. 1909. p. 616. SELIBR 498191.
  13. Svensk rikskalender 1909 (in Swedish). Stockholm: P. A. Nordstedt & Söner. 1908. p. 605. SELIBR 498191.
  14. Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1904 (in Swedish). Stockholm: P.A. Nordstedt & Söner. 1903. p. 451.
Military offices
Preceded by
Anders Fredrik Centerwall		 Swedish Coastal Artillery
1907–1909		 Succeeded by
Herman Wrangel
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