Bertil Tallberg

Bertil Tallberg graduated from high school in 1903 and studied in England and France until 1906. After returning to Finland, he entered the company of his father, the merchant Julius Tallberg. In 1921, after his father’s death, he took over the company together with his brother Gunnar. At first, Bertil managed the hardware and building supplies trading activities, but was appointed managing director in 1929, when his brother stepped down for health reasons. After leading the company through the difficult war times, he retired in 1949 as managing director but served as chairman of the company’s board until his death in 1963. He was additionally a member of the board of other companies and of business associations.

With his brother Gunnar as a member of the crew, Bertil Tallberg was the skipper of the Finnish boat “Lucky Girl” in the 8 metres class at the 1912 Olympic Games. After placing fifth and second in the first two races, the boat lost the match-race for second place against the Swedish yacht “Sans Atout” by one minute. The crew had to settle for bronze. “Lucky Girl” was built in 1910 at a shipyard in Turku as one of the first Finnish yachts in the 8-meter class. She was raffled off among the members of Nyländska Jaktklubben (NJK). Gunnar Tallberg’s 3-year-old daughter Lucy drew the lucky ticket for her father. “Lucky Girl” was subsequently owned by the Tallberg family and was sailed on trips and regattas. After her whereabouts after the Second World War were unknown, she was discovered in Stockholm in 2002 and extensively restored. Owned by a Swiss owner, she is still actively sailed on Lake Constance.

Bertil Tallberg and Greta Helena Stråhle married in 1908 and had two sons and two daughters. One of the sons died of injuries sustained in the Winter War in 1940. Three of Tallberg’s grandsons and one of his great-grandsons were Olympians as sailors.