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Rosenbom

Rosenbom is a life-size wooden figure associated with the Admiralty Church in Karlskrona, Sweden. The original figure dates from at least the late 18th century and is now kept inside the church, while the outdoor copy was made in 1956. It serves as a collection box for the poor: visitors lift the hat to drop in a coin. The figure is famous from Selma Lagerlöf’s novel The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. A popular legend links it to a beggar named Mats Hindriksson Rosenbom, though the historical basis for that story is doubtful. The sculpture’s clothing suggests a Blekinge boatswain around 1750, and its precise origin remains uncertain.

Rosenbom, a wooden bearded figure in a hat holding out one hand and a sign.
Rosenbom, the wooden beggar figure outside Amiralitetskyrkan in Karlskrona.
© not provided · Public domain
Rosenbom, a wooden statue of a bearded man in a broad-brimmed hat and coat, holding a sign and extending one hand.
Rosenbom, the wooden begging figure at Amiralitetskyrkan in Karlskrona.
© not provided · Public domain
Rosenbom, a life-size wooden figure of a bearded man in historical clothing, holding out one hand and a scroll.
Rosenbom stands outside Amiralitetskyrkan in Karlskrona.
June 2004 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Rosenbom, a wooden statue of an old man with a beard and dark hat holding a sign across his chest.
Rosenbom wooden statue outside the Amirality Church in Karlskrona.
© · CC BY 2.5
Rosenbom, a wooden statue of a bearded man in a hat and coat, holds out one hand with a scroll and bag beside him.
Rosenbom, the wooden figure outside the Admiralty Church in Karlskrona.
© · CC BY 2.5

Identification

TitleRosenbom
Pronunciation/ˈgʉbˈbən ˈruːsənˈbum/
TypeLife-sized wooden alms box sculpture
Style / typeFattiggubbe type
Alternative namesDer Alte Rosenbom; Gubben Rosenbom (Old Man Rosenbom)

Historical context

DateProbably mid-18th century; documented by 1793
Comparable traditionHuman-shaped donation boxes were popular in 18th-century Finland

Creator

MakerUnknown; attributed variously to Finnish carpenters at the Karlskrona naval shipyard, an Admiralty carver, or in legend to a carver surnamed Kolbe
Replica makerKarl Karlsson (1902–1989), known as Hestö-Kalle

Discovery and provenance

Legendary maker storyLegend says the sculpture was made by sculptor Kolbe after mistreating Rosenbom and later repenting
Earliest documentary evidenceA wooden figure named Gubben Rosenbom in front of the Admiralty Church is documented from 1793
Historical associationTraditionally linked to Mats Hindriksson Rosenbom, a sailor / lower naval officer from the Åland Islands who was among Karlskrona's early settlers
Legendary death storyPopular legend says he froze to death in front of the Admiralty Church; the account is considered unlikely
Legendary model biographyAccording to legend, Mats Rosenbom moved to Karlskrona in 1679, lived in Björkholmen with his family, held a lower naval rank, later became impoverished, and died on New Year's Eve 1717 / 1 January 1718
Probable place of manufactureKarlskrona shipyard

Physical characteristics

SizeLife-sized
DepictsA human figure

Materials

Main materialWood
Replica materialTeak wood
Replica material noteDurable rot-resistant teak was chosen for the replica

Appearance

ClothingBlekinge boatswain's clothing, circa 1750
AccessoriesHolds a placard

Technique

MechanismA coin can be inserted by lifting the hat; the slot is under the hat

Iconography and meaning

FunctionCollecting box for alms for the poor
Annual donationsAbout 6,000 euros per year
InscriptionOld-fashioned Swedish placard with a rhymed four-line text and a Bible quotation; text includes an appeal to passersby to lift the hat and insert a coin, ending with 'Blessed is the one who thinks of the poor' (Psalm 40:2) / Psalm 41:2 in one source
Inscription languageOld-fashioned Swedish
Bible quotation sourcePsalm 40:2; one source gives Psalm 41:2

Location and ownership

Associated churchAdmiralty Church of Karlskrona
Current locationInside the Admiralty Church on Trossö in Karlskrona, Sweden
Original locationIn front of the Admiralty Church on Trossö in Karlskrona, Sweden

History and restoration

ReplacementThe original outdoor figure was replaced by a copy in 1956
Preservation moveIn 1956 the original was moved to an interior room of the church for preservation
Replica locationInstalled in the original outdoor place
VandalismIn August 2019 the outdoor copy was vandalized; the hat was damaged and then broken off
RepairDuring the repair, the figure's eyes were renewed
Copy notesThe 1956 replica is not the only Rosenbom figure made by Karl Karlsson

Significance

Literary connectionFeatured in Selma Lagerlöf's The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, where the title character meets and speaks with Rosenbom in Karlskrona
Cultural significanceWell known because of its appearance in The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
Animation adaptationIn The Enchanted Boy cartoon based on the book, the church is replaced by a tavern and the sculpture stands without a sign