Hjalmar Leo Mehr (19 November 1910 – 26 December 1979) was a Swedish Social Democratic politician, mayor of Stockholm (1958–1966, 1970–1971) and governor of Stockholm County (1971–1977). He promoted many radical socialist welfare state policies but is mostly remembered and criticized for the redevelopment of Norrmalm, where a significant part of the old Stockholm was demolished.[1][2]

Hjalmar Mehr
Hjalmar Mehr (right) with former Borgarråd Yngve Larsson inside Stockholm City Hall 1963
8th Mayor of Stockholm
In office
15 October 1958 – 15 October 1966
MonarchGustaf VI Adolf
Preceded byErik Huss
Succeeded byPer-Olof Hansson
In office
15 October 1970 – 30 September 1971
MonarchGustaf VI Adolf
Preceded byThorsten Sundström
Succeeded byAlbert Aronsson
Governor of Stockholm County
In office
1971–1977
MonarchsGustaf VI Adolf
Carl XVI Gustaf
Preceded byAllan Nordenstam
Succeeded byGunnar Helén
Personal details
Born(1910-11-19)19 November 1910
Sankt Matteus församling
Died26 December 1979(1979-12-26) (aged 69)
Adelsö församling
Political partySocial Democrats
Spouse
Liselotte Lina Meyer
(m. 1937)
OccupationPolitician

In 1969, Mehr was elected president of the newly established Swedish Association of Local Authorities (Svenska Kommunförbundet), an association that existed from 1969 to 2007 (now the Swedish Association of Regions) to interact with the Riksdag of Sweden.

Mehr's parents, Sara and Bernhard Meyerowitch, were Russian-Jewish revolutionaries (mensheviks) who after the failed 1905 Russian Revolution fled to Sweden, where Hjalmar was born and named after Hjalmar Branting.[citation needed]

A man sitting in a chair.
Hjalmar Mehr
Preceded by
created in 1969
President of the
Swedish Association of Local Authorities

1969–1971
Succeeded by
Inge Hörlén


References edit

  1. ^ Thomas Hall (1983). "City under Lex Norrmalm" (PDF) (in Swedish). Nordic Journal of Settlement History and Built Heritage. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  2. ^ Daniel Suhonen (22 March 2010). "Mer av Mehr!" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 16 December 2022.