Commandant General in Stockholm

Commandant General in Stockholm[1] (Swedish: Överkommendanten i Stockholm) is a military position in Sweden with responsibility for state ceremonial activities. Lieutenant General Michael Claesson, Chief of Joint Operations is the Commandant General in Stockholm since 2020.

Commandant General in Stockholm Överkommendanten i Stockholm
Incumbent LTG Michael Claesson, Swedish Army since 10 September 2020
Reports to	Supreme Commander
Seat	Stockholm Palace
Appointer	Supreme Commander
Constituting instrument	FFS 2018:3 FFS 2018:6
Formation	1818
First holder	Georg Henrik Jägerhorn
Deputy	Commandant in Stockholm

History

The King's Adjutant General was tasked with, among other things, commanding the troops in Stockholm. In 1810 a commanding Adjutant General of Stockholm Garrison was appointed. In 1818, this position was referred to as the Commandant General of Stockholm Garrison (Swedish: Överkommendant för Stockholms garnison).[2] Prior to November 1905, the Commandant General was a specially appointed general officer, after which the position was taken over by the commanding officer of the IV Army Division (1905–1927),[3] Eastern Army Division (1928–1936), IV Army Division (1937–1942), then by the military commander of the Eastern Military District (Milo Ö) (1942–1991), then by the commanding officer of the Middle Military District (Milo M) (1991–2000), and finally by the commanding officer of the Middle Military District (MD M) (2000–2005).[4] After 2005, when the military districts were discontinued, a three-star general or flag officer of the Swedish Armed Forces has held the position as the Commandant General. The position was held by the Chief of Joint Operations (2005–2012) and by the Chief of Defence Staff (2012–2018).[2] Since 30 November 2018, the Supreme Commander has appointed the Commandant General in Stockholm.[5]

Tasks

2005–2018

According to the Swedish Armed Forces Code of Statutes 2005:6, the Commandant General in Stockholm is the chief representative of the state ceremonial activities of the Swedish Armed Forces. The Commandant General shall advise the Supreme Commander in matters relating to state ceremonial activities. The Commandant General is appointed by Supreme Commander and must be a minimum of major general. The Commandant General in Stockholm and the Commandant are:[6]

1. The Commandant General or the Commandant shall, if necessary, participate in state ceremonies or at other ceremonies organized in conjunction with national ceremonies or foreign official visits in Sweden or on similar occasions. They will also participate in receptions or visits if the King, the Regent ad interim, the Speaker of the Riksdag, the Prime Minister, the Marshal of the Realm, a Minister or the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters request it.
2. It is the responsibility of the Commandant General or when he is prevented from attending, the Commandant, to receive such heads of foreign states' military units on an official visit in Stockholm, in the Royal Guards Wing of the Stockholm Palace.

2018–present

According to the Swedish Armed Forces Code of Statutes 2018:3, the Commandant General shall:[7]

1. brief the Supreme Commander on matters relating to state ceremonial activities
2. coordinate the Swedish Armed Forces' participation in state ceremonial activities
3. at the request of the Speaker of the Riksdag, the Prime Minister, the Marshal of the Realm, a Minister or the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, give the Commandant Staff (Kommendantstaben) the task of planning and implementing the participation of the Royal Guards, honorary forces, parading troops and military music
4. cooperate with the Speaker of the Riksdag, the Prime Minister, the Marshal of the Realm and the Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff in matters concerning state ceremonies
5. collaborate with other authorities and organizations in joint ceremonies
6. establish rules of procedure for the Commandant Staff
7. if necessary, attend state ceremonies and ceremonies organized in connection with domestic ceremonies or foreign official visits or on similar occasions
8. participate in receptions or visits if the head of state, Deputy Regent (Riksföreståndare), the Speaker of the Riksdag, the Prime Minister, the Marshal of the Realm, a Minister or the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters so request
9. in the Royal Guards Wing at Stockholm Palace receive heads of foreign states' military units who are on an official visit to Stockholm.

The Commandant General in Stockholm may delegate the tasks to the Commandant in Stockholm.

Uniform

The Commandant General is wearing a staff (m/1793) that is steel blue and sprinkled with gold crowns and fitted with a gold knob and chape.[2] The staff is provided with a twist in gold and black silk with a hard braided tuft.[8] At the deposing of King Gustav IV Adolf in March 1809, the staff played an important symbolic role as the one who held the staff is also associated with the person who was in charge in Stockholm.[4]

Heraldry

The coat of arms of the Commandant General in Stockholm. Blazon: "Azure, powdered with open crowns and charged with the badge of Stockholm, the crowned head of Saint Eric couped, all or. The shield surmounted a sword bendwise and a baton bendwise sinister in saltire, both or, the baton charged with open crowns azure placed two and one".[9]

List of Officeholders

Commandant General Anders Lindström in 2010.

	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Ref
	Lieutenant general Georg Henrik Jägerhorn (1747–1826)	1812	1812	0 years	Army	-
	Major general[note 1] Carl Fredrik Lorichs (1780–1851)	28 May 1838	?	-	Army	[10]
	Lieutenant general Johan Lefrén (1784–1862)	25 November 1852	16 December 1857	5 years, 21 days	Army	[11]
	Major general Samuel Wilhelm Nauckhoff (1795–1889) Acting	1857	1866	8–9 years	Army	[12]
	Major general Ulrik Fabian Sandels (1812–1898)	1866	1871	4–5 years	Army	-
	Major general Samuel August Sandels (1810–1892) Acting	25 September 1871	16 January 1882	10 years, 113 days	Army	[13]
	Major general Sven Lagerberg (1822–1905) Acting	14 July 1876	?	-	Army	[14]
	Lieutenant general Sven Lagerberg (1822–1905)	21 January 1882	25 March 1905	23 years, 63 days	Army	[14]
	Lieutenant general Hemming Gadd (1837–1915)	March 1905	November 1905	0 years	Army	[15][16]
	Lieutenant general Casten Warberg (1845–1910)	November 1905	16 October 1910	4–5 years	Army	[16][17]
	Major general Hugo Jungstedt (1854–1936)	28 October 1910	1916	5–6 years	Army	[18]
	Major general J.G.F. Wrangel (1858–1923)	1 January 1917	1918	0–1 years	Army	[19]
	Major general Karl Toll (1862–1936)	3 September 1918	31 December 1927	9 years, 119 days	Army	[20]
	Major general Ludvig Hammarskiöld (1869–1958)	1928	1929	0–1 years	Army	-
	Major general Bo Boustedt (1868–1939)	1929	1930	0–1 years	Army	[21]
	Major general Gösta Lilliehöök (1871–1952)	23 April 1930[note 2]	1936	5–6 years	Army	[22]
	Major general Erik Testrup (1878–1972)	1936	1943	5–6 years	Army	-
	Major general Gösta Lilliehöök (1871–1952)	April 1940	December 1940	0 years	Army	[22]
	Major general Helge Jung (1886–1978)	1943	1944	0–1 years	Army	-
	Major general Axel Rappe (1884–1945)	1 April 1944[note 3]	-	-	Army	[24]
	Major general Arvid Moberg (1885–1949) Acting	1944	1945	0–1 years	Army	[25]
	Major general Gustaf Dyrssen (1891–1981)	1945	1957	11–12 years	Army	-
	Major general Bert Carpelan (1895–1981)	1957	1961	3–4 years	Army	-
	Major general Gustav Åkerman (1901–1988)	1961	1966	4–5 years	Army	-
	Major general Carl Eric Almgren (1913–2001)	1967	1969	1–2 years	Army	-
	Lieutenant general Ove Ljung (1918–1997)	1969	1974	4–5 years	Army	-
	Lieutenant general Nils Sköld (1921–1996)	1974	1976	1–2 years	Army	-
	Lieutenant general Gunnar Eklund (1920–2010)	1976	1982	5–6 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	-
	Lieutenant general Bengt Lehander (1925–1994)	1982	1988	5–6 years	Air Force	-
	Vice admiral Bror Stefenson (1929–2018)	1988	1991	2–3 years	Navy	-
	Lieutenant general Torsten Engberg (1934–2018)	1991	1994	2–3 years	Navy (Coastal Artillery)	-
	Vice admiral Dick Börjesson (born 1938)	1994	1998	3–4 years	Navy	-
	Lieutenant general Percurt Green (born 1939)	1998	2000	1–2 years	Army	-
	Major general Kjell Koserius (1943–2002)	2000	2001	0–1 years	Air Force	-
	Major general Curt Westberg (born 1943)	2001	2003	1–2 years	Air Force	-
	Major general Bo Waldemarsson (born 1949)	2003	2005	1–2 years	Air Force	-
	Lieutenant general Jan Jonsson (born 1952)	2005	2007	1–2 years	Air Force	-
	Lieutenant general Anders Lindström (born 1955)	2007	2011	3–4 years	Army	-
	Lieutenant general Jan Salestrand (born 1954)	2012	2014	1–2 years	Air Force	-
	Lieutenant general Dennis Gyllensporre (born 1964)	2014	2018	3–4 years	Army	-
	Vice admiral Jonas Haggren (born 1964)	2018	2019	0–1 years	Navy	-
	Vice admiral Jan Thörnqvist (born 1959)	2019	2020	0–1 years	Navy	-
	Lieutenant general Michael Claesson (born 1965)	10 September 2020	Incumbent	-	Army	[26]

Footnotes

1. Promoted to lieutenant general 6 months later, on 1 December 1838.[10]
2. Appointed on 16 April 1930.[22]
3. Rappe was appointed on 21 February 1944[23] and was supposed to take command on 1 April 1944. However, the nomination was recalled, most likely to keep Rappe on the post as commanding officer of the I Army Corps (Första armékåren)[24]

References

1. Gullberg, Ingvar E. (1977). Svensk-engelsk fackordbok för näringsliv, förvaltning, undervisning och forskning [A Swedish-English dictionary of technical terms used in business, industry, administration, education and research] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 1715. ISBN 91-1-775052-0. SELIBR 8345587.
2. "Handbok: parad 6: Traditionsvård : H PARAD 6 2016" (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Försvarsmakten. 2016. pp. 23, 44. 170529–027. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
3. Westrin, Theodor, ed. (1922). Nordisk familjebok: konversationslexikon och realencyklopedi (in Swedish). 34 (New, rev. and richly ill. ed.). Stockholm: Nordisk familjeboks förl. p. 34. SELIBR 8072220.
4. Försvarets traditioner i framtiden med översiktlig historik från 1500-talet (PDF) (in Swedish). Statens försvarshistoriska museer TradN. 2017. p. 43. ISBN 9789197859554. SELIBR 17552963. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-11-13. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
5. Bydén, Micael; Bratt, Carin (2018-11-26). "FÖRSVARETS FÖRFATTNINGSSAMLING (FFS 2018:6)" (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
6. Syrén, Håkan; Ryding-Berg, Stefan (2005-11-10). "Försvarsmaktens föreskrifter med instruktion för överkommendanten och kommendanten i Stockholm" (PDF). Försvarets författningssamling (in Swedish). Stockholm: FM LOG/TF-redaktionen. ISSN 0347-7576. SELIBR 3683131. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
7. Bydén, Micael; Bratt, Carin (27 April 2018). "Försvarsmaktens föreskrifter med instruktion för överkommendanten ochkommendanten i Stockholm". Försvarets författningssamling (in Swedish). Stockholm: Swedish Armed Forces. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
8. Reglemente: uniformsbestämmelser 2015 : Unibest FM 2015 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Försvarsmakten. 2015. p. 519. SELIBR 19513428. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
9. Braunstein, Christian (2006). Heraldiska vapen inom det svenska försvaret [Heraldry of the Swedish Armed Forces] (PDF). Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 9 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. p. 17. ISBN 91-971584-9-6. SELIBR 10099224.
10. Åberg, Alf (1982–1984). "Carl Fredrik Lorichs". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). 24. National Archives of Sweden. p. 120. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
11. Åberg, Alf (1977–1979). "Johan Peter Lefrén". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). 22. National Archives of Sweden. p. 442. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
12. Gillingstam, Hans (1987–1989). "Nauckhoff, släkt". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). 26. National Archives of Sweden. p. 453. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
13. "Sandels nr 124". www.adelsvapen.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 27 March 2019.
14. Broomé, Bertil (1977–1979). "C Sven A Lagerberg". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). 22. National Archives of Sweden. p. 54. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
15. "Öfverkommendant i Stockholm". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish) (12554). 1905-03-28. p. 1. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
16. "Allmänna nyheter". Göteborgs Aftonblad (in Swedish) (257). 1905-11-04. p. 2. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
17. Hildebrand, Albin, ed. (1913). Svenskt porträttgalleri. Generalregister [Swedish portrait gallery. General Register] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Tullberg. p. 780. SELIBR 384717.
18. Broomé, Bertil (1973–1975). "C A Hugo Jungstedt". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). 20. National Archives of Sweden. p. 475. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
19. "Wrangel nr 2092". www.adelsvapen.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 28 March 2019.
20. "Toll nr 314". www.adelsvapen.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 28 March 2019.
21. Kjellberg, H.E., ed. (1940). Svenska Dagbladets årsbok SJUTTONDE ÅRGÅNGEN (Händelserna 1939) [Svenska Dagbladet's Yearbook SEVENTEENTH VOLUME (Events of 1939)] (in Swedish). 17. Stockholm: Svenska Dagbladet. p. 268. SELIBR 283647.
22. Broomé, Bertil (1980–1981). "Gösta Lilliehöök". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). 23. National Archives of Sweden. p. 120. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
23. "Tre nya generalmajorer, ny chef för försvarsstaben". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish) (20). 22 January 1944. p. A7. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
24. Cronenberg, Arvid (1995–1997). "Axel O Rappe". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). 29. National Archives of Sweden. p. 694. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
25. Gillingstam, Hans (1985–1987). "Moberg, släkt". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). 25. National Archives of Sweden. p. 573. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
26. "PÅ NY POST" (PDF). Försvarets forum: Personaltidning för fast anställda och reservofficerare i svenska försvarsmakten (in Swedish). Stockholm: Försvarets forum (5): 8. 2020. SELIBR 4109339.