Richard Dybeck

He is mainly remembered as the author of the lyrics to what is now the de facto Swedish national anthem, Du gamla, Du fria.

Richard Dybeck
Richard Dybeck, portrayed by L.W. Herrlin
Born	1 September 1811 Köping Municipality, Sweden
Died	28 July 1877(1877-07-28) (aged 65) Södertälje, Sweden
Nationality	Swedish
Known for	Poetry
Notable work	De facto Swedish national anthem, Du gamla, Du fria
Spouse	Maria Charlotte Forsbom (1824-1865)

Dybeck was born in the rectory of Odensvi parish, just outside the town of Köping in Västmanland, Sweden. He was the son of a clergyman, went to gymnasium in Västerås, and later matriculated at Uppsala University in 1831 with a law degree. He completed his civil service degree in law (hovrättsexamen) in 1834 and entered the Svea Court of Appeal (Svea hovrätt). He held a number of positions in the court system during the following years, but eventually began to spend all his time on his antiquarian and historical research, not least in the field of runestones. Dybeck wrote many poems. He was also known to have a keen interest in Asian culture, as was seen by his collection of historic prints and lithographs which originated from places like Myanmar and China. Dybeck died in 1877 at Södertälje and was buried at Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.

At Dybecksgården in Odensvi, Richard Dybeck's bust is in bronze by Signe Ehrenborg-Lorichs, which was unveiled by Prince Wilhelm in 1937.