Carl Gustav Boberg Biography: Wife, Awards, Height, Daughter, Politics, Net Worth, Ethnicity, Poems, Death
Carl Gustav Boberg, a Swedish poet, preacher, and politician, created one of the most enduring Christian hymns in history through his 1885 poem “O Store Gud” (“O Great God”), which later became the beloved English hymn “How Great Thou Art.”
He worked as a sailor before turning to ministry and writing.
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His nine-stanza poem, inspired by a dramatic thunderstorm followed by serene calm, captured a profound sense of awe at God’s creation.
Over his lifetime, Boberg served as a lay preacher, newspaper editor, and member of the Swedish parliament, while publishing dozens of poems and hymns that influenced Swedish free-church traditions.
Quick Facts
- Full Name: Carl Gustav Boberg
- Stage Name: Carl Boberg
- Born: 16 August 1859
- Died: 7 January 1940
- Age: 80 years old
- Birthplace: Mönsterås, Kalmar County, Sweden
- Nationality: Swedish
- Occupation: Poet, Preacher, Editor, Member of Parliament
- Height: Unknown
- Parents: Nils Petter Jonsson Boberg, Hedvig Gustava Jonsdotter
- Siblings: Unknown
- Spouse: Anna Maria Elisabet Pettersson ; Selma Charlotta Elisabet Ydrén (m. 1915)
- Children: Aina
- Relationship: Married
- Net Worth: Unknown
Early Life and Education
Carl Gustav Boberg was born on 16 August 1859 in Mönsterås, Kalmar County, Sweden.
He was the son of carpenter Nils Petter Jonsson Boberg and Hedvig Gustava Jonsdotter. Details about his siblings remain unknown publicly.
At age 19 he experienced a personal conversion to Christian faith, left his work as a sailor, and attended Bible school in Kristinehamn from 1879 to 1882.
His ethnicity was Swedish (Caucasian), and his religion was Christianity within the Mission Covenant (free-church) tradition.
Career
Carl Gustav Boberg began his career as a lay preacher for the Mönsterås Mission Association from 1882 to 1889 while earning his living mainly as a sloyd (handicraft) teacher.
In 1885, after a powerful personal encounter with a thunderstorm and its peaceful aftermath near Mönsterås Bay, he wrote the nine-stanza poem “O Store Gud.”
The poem was first published in a local newspaper and later set to a traditional Swedish folk melody, gaining popularity in Swedish churches.
He also edited the free-church weekly Sanningsvittnet (Witness of the Truth) from 1890 to 1916, using the platform to share evangelical messages and his own writings.
Boberg expanded his influence through poetry and hymn writing, producing more than 60 poems, hymns, and gospel songs, some in collaboration with noted hymnist Lina Sandell.
He helped compile early hymnals for the Swedish Covenant church. His work blended personal devotion with calls for social reform.
In 1912 he entered politics and served in the Swedish parliament (Riksdag) until 1931, where he advocated for issues including temperance, pacifism, and church matters, often taking progressive stances that stirred debate.
Carl Gustav Boberg left a lasting legacy through his hymn “O Store Gud,” which traveled across languages and continents to become “How Great Thou Art,” one of the most widely sung Christian songs worldwide.
His writings and public service shaped Swedish religious and civic life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, even though he never witnessed the hymn’s global fame after his death.
Social Media
Carl Boberg does not have any social media accounts.
Personal Life
Carl Gustav Boberg first married Anna Maria Elisabet Pettersson on 5 January 1884; the couple later divorced. They had at least one daughter, Aina.
On 23 November 1915 he married Selma Charlotta Elisabet Ydrén.
He lived a life centered on faith, family, and public duty, balancing pastoral work with journalism and politics while maintaining a relatively private home life in southern Sweden.
Discography (Hymns and Poems)
- “O Store Gud” (1885) – basis for “How Great Thou Art”
- Various other hymns and gospel songs (over 60 published)
- Contributions to Swedish Covenant church hymnals
Net Worth
Carl Gustav Boberg, as a 19th- and early 20th-century Swedish preacher, editor, and parliamentarian, left no publicly documented modern net worth figure.
His income came primarily from modest earnings in ministry, teaching, newspaper editing, and government service.
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