Cossva Anckarsvärd

Career

Anckarsvärd was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and was the son of intendant Theodor Anckarsvärd (1816–1878) and Ellen Nyström (1833–1898). He passed his maturity examination in 1884 and became a student in Uppsala in 1885, where he passed his preliminary examination in 1886 and completed his civil service degree in law (hovrättsexamen) in 1889. Anckarsvärd was an extraordinary notary in Svea Court of Appeal in 1889 and became a valet de chambre in 1890 and attaché at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs the same year. Anckarsvärd became acting second secretary at the Foreign Ministry in 1894 and regular second secretary at the Foreign Ministry in 1896. He became chamberlain in 1899 and was the herald at the Orders of His Majesty the King from 1900 to 1906 and was appointed first secretary in 1901.

Anckarsvärd was then legation secretary in Berlin in 1903, becoming deputy director and head of the Foreign Ministry's consulate department in 1904. He was appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary as well as consul general in Constantinople in 1906, consular judge there in 1909 and envoy in Sofia in 1914 (accredited from Constantinople). Anckarsvärd was Swedish envoy in Constantinople during the Armenian Genocide, and thus one of its eyewitnesses. During the events, Anckarsvärd highlighted the aim of the Young Turk government and its policies to "exterminate the Armenian nation". He left Constantinople in 1920 to serve as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary in Warsaw from 1920 to 1931. Anckarsvärd declared his availability in 1931 and retired in 1932.

Personal life

On 29 November 1900 Anckarsvärd married in New York Maude Marie Agnes Duryea (1880–1949), the daughter of Peter Duryea and Mathilde Filkins. They had three children: Carl Magnus Cossva (born 1 December 1901 in Stockholm), Ellen Maude (born 19 June 1904 in Berlin) and Dagmar Maria (born 10 January 1909 in Constantinople).

Awards and decorations

Anckarsvärd's awards: