List of ambassadors of Sweden to Bulgaria

The Ambassador of Sweden to Bulgaria (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Bulgaria) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the president of Bulgaria and government of Bulgaria. Since 2010, the ambassador is based in Stockholm.

Ambassador of Sweden to Bulgaria
Lesser coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sweden
Incumbent Katarina Rangnitt since September 2020
Ministry for Foreign Affairs Swedish Embassy, Sofia
Style	His or Her Excellency (formal) Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal)
Reports to	Minister for Foreign Affairs
Residence	Shipchenski Prohod 16[a]
Seat	Stockholm, Sweden[b]
Appointer	Government of Sweden
Term length	No fixed term
Inaugural holder	Cossva Anckarsvärd
Formation	8 April 1914
Website	Swedish Embassy, Sofia

History

Sweden's representation in Bulgaria began on 26 October 1906, with the establishment of an honorary consulate in Sofia. Initially, the consulate operated under the jurisdiction of the consulate general in Constantinople, but on 26 April 1907, it was upgraded to an independent consulate general.^[3] Diplomatic relations between Sweden and Bulgaria were officially established in 1909.^[4]

On 6 May 1914, the Swedish minister in Constantinople, Cossva Anckarsvärd, was also appointed as minister to the Bulgarian court.^[5] On 19 June 1914, Anckarsvärd presented his credentials to King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria in Sofia.^[6]

In 1935, the accreditation for Sofia was transferred from the Swedish minister in Constantinople to the Swedish minister in Bucharest.^[7] In January 1951, it was reported that the position of head of mission in Bucharest would be discontinued. The responsibility for Sweden's representation in Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary would thereafter be divided between Belgrade, Moscow, and Prague, with Sweden being represented in those countries by lower-ranking personnel for the time being.^[8] The Swedish ambassador in Moscow was subsequently accredited to Sofia.

In January 1964, a statement from the Committee of Supply proposed the establishment of a new diplomatic mission in Sofia.^[9] The proposal was approved in March of the same year.^[10]

On 21 January 2010, the Reinfeldt cabinet announced the closure of six Swedish embassies, including the one in Bulgaria.^[11] The embassy in Sofia was closed on 30 September 2010. Instead, a Stockholm-based ambassador was accredited to Bulgaria and visits the country regularly.^[2]

List of representatives

Name	Period	Title	Notes	Ref
Kingdom of Bulgaria (–1946)
Cossva Anckarsvärd	8 April 1914 – 1920	Envoy	Resident in Ankara.	[12]
Gustaf Wallenberg	1921–1930	Envoy	Resident in Ankara.	[13]
Carl von Heidenstam	14 July 1930 – 1931	Envoy	Resident in Ankara.	[14]
Erik Boheman	1931–1934	Envoy	Resident in Ankara.	[15]
Wilhelm Winther	1934–1935	Envoy	Resident in Ankara.	[16][17]
Patrik Reuterswärd	1 July 1935 – 1948	Envoy	Resident in Bucharest.	[7][18]
People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)
Sven Allard	1949–1951	Envoy	Resident in Bucharest.	[19]
Rolf Sohlman	19 October 1951[c] – 1963	Envoy	Resident in Moscow.	[20]
Alma Grünthal	1951–1953	Chargé d'affaires		[21]
Gunnar Gerring	1964–1969	Ambassador		[22]
Olof Ripa	1969–1974	Ambassador		[23]
Gunnar Ljungdahl	1974–1978	Ambassador		[24]
Manfred Nilsson	1978–1981	Ambassador		[25]
Hans Andén	1981–1985	Ambassador		[26]
Åke Berg	1985–1989	Ambassador		[27]
Republic of Bulgaria (1990–present)
Hans-Olle Olsson	1990–1993	Ambassador		[28]
Bertil Lund	1993–1998	Ambassador		[29]
Sten Ask	1998–2003	Ambassador		[30]
Bertil Roth	2003–2008	Ambassador		[31]
Paul Beijer	2008–2010	Ambassador		[32]
Helena Pilsas Ahlin	2010–2015	Ambassador	Resident in Stockholm.	[33]
Louise Bergholm	2015–2020	Ambassador	Resident in Stockholm.	[34]
Katarina Rangnitt	September 2020 – present	Ambassador	Resident in Stockholm.	[35]

Footnotes

1. During the period when Sweden maintained a diplomatic mission in Sofia, the ambassador's residence was located at Shipchenski Prohod 16.^[1]
2. Since 2010, Sweden has had a Stockholm-based ambassador to Bulgaria.^[2]
3. Appointed on 1 September 1951.^[20]

References

1. Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1968 (PDF) (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1968. p. 315.
2. "Bulgarien" [Bulgaria] (in Swedish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 4 March 2008. Archived from the original on 20 March 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
3. Almquist, Johan Axel (1914). Kommerskollegium och Riksens Ständers Manufakturkontor samt konsulsstaten 1651-1910: administrativa och biografiska anteckningar (PDF). Meddelanden från svenska Riksarkivet, Ny följd. Ser. 2, 99-0506720-5 ; 4 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 371. SELIBR 844316.
4. "Bulgarien" [Bulgaria] (in Swedish). Government Offices of Sweden. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
5. "Våra beskickningar" [Our diplomatic missions]. Sydsvenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). No. 122. 7 May 1914. p. 7. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
6. "Minister Ankarsvärd hos kung Ferdinand" [Minister Ankarsvärd to King Ferdinand]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). No. 164. Sofia. 20 June 1914. p. 9. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
7. "Omplaceringar inom den högre diplomatien" [Reassignments within the higher diplomacy]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 27 April 1935. p. A7. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
8. "Tredje huvudtiteln: Representationen utomlands minskas" [Third main title: Representation abroad is reduced]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 12 January 1951. p. 6A. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
9. "Sverigeinformationen utomlands skall öka". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 12 January 1964. p. 22A. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
10. "Riksdagsbeslut i korthet". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 5 March 1964. p. A7. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
11. Sjöqvist, Maria (21 January 2010). "Skarp kritik mot ambassadnedläggning" [Strong criticism of the embassy closure] (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
12. Elgenstierna, Gustaf, ed. (1925). Den introducerade svenska adelns ättartavlor (in Swedish). Vol. 1 Abrahamsson-Celsing. Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 126. SELIBR 10076137.
13. Sveriges statskalender för året 1930 (PDF) (in Swedish). Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksell. 1930. pp. 187, 192.
14. Wahlbäck, Krister (1969–1971). "Carl G Heidenstam, von". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 18. National Archives of Sweden. p. 536. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
15. Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1939 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1939] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. 1939. p. 107. SELIBR 3681516.
16. Sveriges statskalender för året 1935 (PDF) (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1935. p. 196.
17. Sveriges statskalender för året 1937 (PDF) (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1937. pp. 207, 211.
18. Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1948 (PDF) (in Swedish). Uppsala: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. 1948. pp. 263, 269.
19. Lagerström, Sten, ed. (1968). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1969 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1969] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 19. SELIBR 3681519.
20. Kronvall, Olof (2003–2006). "Rolf R Sohlman". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 32. National Archives of Sweden. p. 635. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
21. "Alma Grünthal". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 11 February 1975. p. 11. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
22. Uddling, Hans; Paabo, Katrin, eds. (1992). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1993 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1993] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 375. ISBN 91-1-914072-X. SELIBR 8261513.
23. Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1985 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1985] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. 1984. p. 927. ISBN 91-1-843222-0. SELIBR 3681527.
24. Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1985 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1985] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. 1984. p. 703. ISBN 91-1-843222-0. SELIBR 3681527.
25. Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1985 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1985] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. 1984. p. 807. ISBN 91-1-843222-0. SELIBR 3681527.
26. Uddling, Hans; Paabo, Katrin, eds. (1994). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1995 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1995] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 49. ISBN 91-1-943202-X. SELIBR 8261514.
27. Uddling, Hans; Paabo, Katrin, eds. (1992). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1993 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1993] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 100. ISBN 91-1-914072-X. SELIBR 8261513.
28. Jönsson, Lena, ed. (2000). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 2001 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 2001] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 877. ISBN 9172850426. SELIBR 8261515.
29. Jönsson, Lena, ed. (2000). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 2001 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 2001] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 731. ISBN 9172850426. SELIBR 8261515.
30. Spiegelberg, Christina, ed. (2003). Sveriges statskalender 2003 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes. p. 167. ISBN 91-38-32045-2. SELIBR 8869747.
31. Henriksson, Maria, ed. (2008). Sveriges statskalender 2008 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedts Juridik AB/Fritzes. p. 176. ISBN 978-91-38-32405-9. SELIBR 10900526.
32. Sveriges statskalender 2010 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedts Juridik AB/Fritzes. 2010. p. 176. ISBN 978-91-38-32520-9. SELIBR 11846164.
33. "Nya ambassadörer får stanna hemma" [New ambassadors will remain at home]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). TT. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
34. "Ny ambassadör i Bulgarien" [New ambassador in Bulgaria] (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
35. "Ny ambassadör i Bulgarien" [New ambassador in Bulgaria] (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2025.

External links

• Embassy of Sweden, Sofia, official website