Jonas Alströmer

Jonas Alströmer ( born January 7, 1685 in Alingsås, † June 2, 1761 ) was a Swedish agricultural and industrial pioneer and co-founder of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Life

Alströmer began his career as an employee of a shipping company in London. Back in Sweden in 1724, he opened in his birthplace of a wool factory. Later he founded in Gothenburg, a sugar refinery and led the Swedish East India Company as one of the first directors. Wealthy and prosperous, he supported other young entrepreneurs financially and with his know -how. In addition, he promoted farms and convinced them to plant potatoes. His greatest successes he achieved with the promotion of sheep farming in Sweden.

Jonas Alströmer was married twice and had three sons, among whom Claes Alströmer an important naturalist was.

For his services Alströmer has been honored in his lifetime. So it ennobled the Swedish royal court and awarded him in 1748 the North Star Medal. The Swedish Post has created in his honor a stamp and his image is found on the original Lant chips from IKEA.