# Ulf Adelsohn

Ulf Adelsohn (born 4 October 1941) is a Swedish politician, leader of the Moderate Party from 1981 to 1986 and Governor of Stockholm County from 1992 to 2001. He was a member of the Riksdag from 1982 to 1988 and served as Chairman of the Board of SJ AB 2001–2011, from where he resigned due to quarrels with the Reinfeldt cabinet on its railway deregulation policies.

## Early life

Adelsohn was born on 4 October 1941 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of the deputy director (kansliråd) in the Ministry of Justice Oskar Adelsohn [sv] and his wife Margareta (née Halling). His paternal grandparents were Polish Jews and his mother was of Swedish descent. On the side of his mother, he is a descendant (great-great-great-great-grandson) of Jacob Johan Anckarström; the assassin of Gustav III who was convicted for regicide and executed.
Adelsohn studied law at Stockholm University, earning a Candidate of Law degree in 1968. Adelsohn was chairman of the Swedish Union of Conservative Students from 1966 to 1968, opposed the occupation of the Student Union Building in Stockholm in 1968 and was a co-founder of Borgerliga Studenter – Opposition '68 later in the same year.

## Career

Adelsohn worked as ombudsman for Fastighets AB Stockholm City from 1968 to 1970, and was deputy chairman of the Moderate Party in Stockholm from 1968 to 1973. He was assistant director at Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations from 1970 to 1973, gatuborgarråd from 1973 to 1976, and Commissioner of the Finance in the Department of the Stockholm City Administration from 1976 to 1979. He served as minister of communications (transport) in the Fälldin II cabinet centre-right government from 1979 to 1981. He was leader of the Swedish Moderate Party from 1981 to 1986, the second largest party (after the dominant Social Democrats) and was thus the leader of the main opposition party in the 1985 election.
Adelsohn was a member of parliament from 1982 to 1988, and served as Governor of Stockholm County from 1992 to 2001.
Adelsohn was a member of the municipal council from 1966 to 1979, chairman of the ice hockey section of Djurgårdens IF from 1974 to 1977, a member of the Council of the Swedish Sports Federation (Riksidrottsstyrelsen) from 1977 to 1979, board member of Wasa Insurance Company from 1990 to 1992, the Swedish Tourist Council (Sveriges turistråd) from 1995 to 2000, and the Riksdag Remunerations Board (Riksdagens arvodesnämnd) from 1999. Furthermore, he was chairman of Gröna Lund from 1987 to 1991, Bohusbanken [sv] from 1990 to 1992, Styrelsen för Sverigebilden from 1992 to 1995, Stockholm County Development Fund (Utvecklingsfonden Stockholms län) from 1992 to 1995, Stockholm Water Festival AB from 1992 to 1996, the Archipelago Foundation (Skärgårdsstiftelsen) from 1992 to 1998, the Civil Aviation Administration from 1992, the County (Regional) Employment Board in Stockholm County (Länsarbetsnämnden i Stockholms län) from 1992, Almi Stockholm from 1995, and Skansen from 1997. From 2001 to 2011 was he chairman of the board for SJ. In 2005 he decided to stand for election for Stockholm City Council again, declaring himself to be a candidate for Speaker of the Council. His candidacy was however withdrawn before the elections in 2006.

## Personal life

In 1981, Adelsohn married the then journalist Lena Liljeroth, the daughter of Hans Liljeroth and Inger (née Arlon). Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth later served as minister for culture in the Reinfeldt cabinet. They have two children, Erik and Ebba.
An avid supporter of Djurgårdens IF, Adelsohn was at one point chairman of the club's ice hockey department.

## Awards and decorations

* Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria (1997)
* 1st Class of the Order of the White Star (8 September 1995)