Peter Karlsson, Markus Osterwalder and Dr. Christian Wacker at the archive of Ove Karlsson.
By Dr. Christian Wacker
Our Swedish colleague and friend Ove Karlsson, who passed away on 24 April 2021, was a founding member of ISOH and a member of the Executive Committee from 2004 to 2008.
He was also a prolific sports journalist and a tireless collector of material on the history of the Olympic Games, its athletes, organisation and results.
Ove’s very extensive archive was inherited by his sons Anders and Peter.
The archive constitutes an immense and in parts unfathomable source of knowledge on Swedish sport in particular and Olympic sport in general.
His heirs have spared no effort and time to invite as many potential interested parties as possible to take over parts of the archive.
The ISOH was happy to accept this invitation.
Dr. Christian Wacker and Markus Osterwalder have now sifted through all the material and secured nine substantial boxes containing important documents and books.
As a result of their commitment and dedication, his heirs have succeeded in finding an appropriate home for the materials contained in Ove’s archive and for the transparent and very professional manner in which they have passed on their father’s legacy they deserve our greatest thanks.
The archive is of particular importance to the ISOH, as Ove collected, researched, and commented on material during his own life.
In addition, his collection was supplemented by material from the estates of Erich Kamper and Ture Widlund, and a large section from Wolf Lyberg’s archive. All three were closely connected to the founding of the ISOH and its history.
Erich Kamper was the first Olympic lexicographer.
He first published a lexicon of the Olympic Winter Games in the 1960s, then a first directory of Olympic medallists in the 1970s. This work was continued by a number of ISOH members, including Ove Karlsson.
For these reasons, it is a considerable stroke of luck that we have been able to secure the relevant parts of the estate and to preserve the history of the ISOH, but also of Olympic lexicography. These documents will of course be made available to all interested parties on request.
Ove Karlsson will be remembered in this way!
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