Gustaf Weidel

Nils Gustaf Weidel, né Johnsson (7 March 1890 – 11 December 1959) was a Swedish diplomat and gymnast who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.

Career
Gustaf Weidel was born as Gustaf Johnsson in Malmö, Sweden as the son of a local police chief inspector. As a youngster Weidel was a gymnast and was part of the Swedish team at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, which was able to win the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team event. He was enrolled as a student at Lund University in 1909, becoming a Bachelor of Arts in 1910 and a Candidate of Law in 1914. It was during his time at the university that he changed his last name to Weidel.

In 1921 Weidel became employed by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs as an acting vice consul. He was commercial attaché and commercial counsellor in Washington, D.C. from 1922 to 1933. He was then consul general in New York City from 1933 to 1935 and Sweden's envoy in Rio de Janeiro from 1936 to 1943 and in Lisbon from 1943 to 1951. Weidel was envoy in Cairo, also accredited to Beirut and Damascus, from 1951 to 1955.

Personal life
Gustaf Weidel was from 1921 married to Louisa Pape. He died in Washington, D.C.

Awards and decorations
Commander First Class of the Order of the Polar Star
Knight of the Order of Vasa
Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
Grand Cross of the Order of Christ
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary

References

Notes

Sources
 Malmö nation vid Universitetet i Lund - Porträtt och biografiska uppgifter (Malmö 1913), page 60.
 Lunds Kungl. Universitets katalog, various issues 1909-1914.

External links
profile

Category:1890 births
Category:1959 deaths
Category:Consuls-general of Sweden
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Brazil
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Portugal
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Egypt
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Lebanon
Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Syria
Category:Swedish male artistic gymnasts
Category:Gymnasts at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic gymnasts of Sweden
Category:Olympic gold medalists for Sweden
Category:Olympic medalists in gymnastics
Category:Medalists at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Category:Swedish expatriates in the United States
Category:People from Malmö
Category:Commanders First Class of the Order of the Polar Star
Category:Knights of the Order of Vasa