Karl Hjorth

Karl Hjorth began his military career as a second lieutenant in the Horse Guards in 1897 and as a lieutenant in the Svea Trängkår (supply unit) in 1899. Subsequently, he completed a gymnastics director course at the Central Gymnastics Institute. There, he worked as an additional teacher (1902-10) and later as a regular teacher (1910-23), taking over additional administrative tasks. In between, he was seconded to Joinville-le-Pont in France to study French fencing at the Centre of Physical Education (1903/04) and received a state scholarship to study at the 1908 London Olympics. He was transferred to the reserve in 1913.

Hjorth was also an accomplished athlete, who, according to his résumé, took part in the 1900 Olympics as a gymnast, which could not be confirmed. He did compete, however, in the individual foil at the 1906 Intercalated Games but was eliminated in round one. During his study trip to the London Games two years later, he acted as a member of the jury in fencing. On home ground in Stockholm in 1912, he advanced to round two in the individual foil competition. In 1910, he was co-author of the “Handbook of Foil Fencing”. He also won medals in shooting.

Hjorth became manager of the Stockholm stadium in 1912 and held this position until 1916. In the following year, he was head of the petrol office of the State Industrial Commission. After World War I, he ran a physiotherapy institute in Hamburg for a number of years. Hjorth was appointed Knight of the Order of Vasa and of the Order of the Sword and received foreign orders from France and Japan.

In 1900, Karl Hjorth married Ellen Vilhelmina (née Markstadt), with whom he had one daughter and one son.