Richard Dybeck

Richard Dybeck Richard Dybeck (September 1, 1811 - July 28, 1877) was a Swedish jurist, antiquarian and lyricist, mainly remembered as the author of the lyrics of what is today (de facto) the Swedish national anthem: Du gamla, Du cold.

Dybeck was born in a mansion in the town of Köping in Västmanland. He was the son of a cleric, went to the gymnasium in Västerås, and later enrolled at Upsala University in 1831. He completed his civil service degree in law (hovrättsexamen) in 1834 and entered the court of appeal Svea hovrätt. He held various positions in the judicial system during the following years, but eventually began to use his time in historical research. He wrote many poems and was very interested in Asian culture, as seen by his collection of historical prints and lithographs originating in places like Burma and China.

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