Anders Dahl
Early life and education
Early life and education
------------------------

Andreas (Anders) Dahl was the son of Christoffer Dahl, a preacher, and his wife, Johanna Helena Enegren. He was probably christened "Andreas" but was known as "Anders". He had an older brother Erik who was born in 1749, also in Varnhem.Mejier, B.; Westrin, Th., eds., Nordisk familjebok, konversationslexikon och realencyklopedi, femte bandet, Stockholm, 1906\.

In 1755, the family moved from Varnhem to the parish of [Saleby](/wiki/Saleby%2C_Sweden "Saleby, Sweden") outside [Lidköping](/wiki/Lidk%C3%B6ping "Lidköping") where his father became the parish priest; Anders' younger brother Kristoffer was born there in 1758\. His mother died in 1760, and two years later, Christoffer married Helena Elisabeth Kolmodin, daughter of the poet Olof Kolmodin. A half\-brother, Olof Kolmodin Dahl, was born in 1766\. After his stepmother's death in 1768, his father married for a third time; Anna Christina Svinhufvud, in 1770\. Christoffer Dahl died a year later, in 1771\.

From an early age Dahl was interested in botany. Anders Tidström, a disciple of pioneering [botanist](/wiki/Botanist "Botanist") and [taxonomist](/wiki/Taxonomist "Taxonomist") [Carl Linnaeus](/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus "Carl Linnaeus"), met the nine\-year\-old Dahl during his second journey through Västergötland in 1760, and mentions in his travel diary both young Anders' interest in botany, and his collection of plants (received from his uncle Anders Silvius, a [chemist](/wiki/Chemist "Chemist") in Skara).Kilander, S., "Anders Dahl som botanist och topograf i Västergötland", *Västgötalitteratur*, 1988, p. 3\-27\.

In 1761 Dahl began school in Skara, and found several schoolmates who shared his interest in natural science. In conjunction with the parish priest and naturalist [Clas Bjerkander](/wiki/Clas_Bjerkander "Clas Bjerkander"), Dahl, Johan Abraham, entomologist [Leonard Gyllenhaal](/wiki/Leonard_Gyllenhaal "Leonard Gyllenhaal"),Franzén, Olle, "Gyllenhaal, Leonard", *[Svenskt biografiskt lexikon](/wiki/Svenskt_biografiskt_lexikon "Svenskt biografiskt lexikon")*, Vol. 17, pp. 558\-561\. chemist [Johan Afzelius](/wiki/Johan_Afzelius "Johan Afzelius"), [Daniel Næzén](/wiki/Daniel_Erik_N%C3%A6z%C3%A9n "Daniel Erik Næzén") and Olof Knös founded "The Swedish Topographic Society in Skara" on 13 December 1769\. The members reported on plant and animal life, geography, topography, historical monuments and economic life, mostly in the Västergötland area. During this time Dahl wrote several essays in these subjects; most of them are still unpublished.

On 3 April 1770 Dahl entered [Uppsala University](/wiki/Uppsala_University "Uppsala University"), where he became one of Linnaeus's students. After his father's death in 1771, Dahl's family fell into financial straits and he had to leave school; prematurely ending his formal education. On 1 May 1776 he passed a preliminary candidate exam for medicine, the equivalent of a bachelor's degree.


What was the impact of Anders' father's death on the family's finances?