Barbro Hörberg
Ballad singer and composer Barbro Hörberg was one of the first female ballad singers in Sweden, and would renew the ballad genre in the 1960s and 70s, in a time when the scene was dominated mainly by male troubadours and lyrics writers.
About the archive
Barbro Hörberg's personal archive (H 2023:17) includes a rich photographic material, as well as biographical documents, family letters, drawings and prints of various kinds. The archive was donated to the Gothenburg University Library in 2023, and an additional accession was made in the same year. At present, the archive has undergone a preliminary overview, and all in all, the materials amount to 17 volumes.
Biography
Barbro Hörberg (1932–1976) was born in Gothenburg, the daughter of merchant Torsten Hörberg and Signe Hörberg (née Gustafsson). Barbro studied at the Kjellbergska school for girls in Gothenburg, and at the Gösta Terserus school of performing arts in Stockholm. She would later work as a troubadour, vaudeville artist and actress, and among her collaboration partners were Lasse Dahlquist, Povel Ramel and Owe Törnqvist. Barbro lived in France from time to time, including with her second husband, artist Jan Stenvinkel (1933–1989). During her time in France, she was strongly influenced by French chanson singer Barbara (Monique Serf) who sang about feelings from a female point of view. In connection with this. Barbro began writing her own literary lyrics about the experiences and everyday yearning of women, issues that had not previously been given any room in Swedish lyrics.
The above text i partially based on the article Barbro Christel Hörberg, by Alexandra Sundqvist.
Locate the archive
The archive has not been inventoried. Please contact the Manuscripts Section at the Humanities Library if you have any further questions about the Barbro Hörberg archive.
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Gothenburg University Library Manuscripts Section
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Read more
Barbro Hörberg in the Biographical Dictionary of Swedish Women
Barbro Hörberg in the Swedish Music Hall of Fame
Sundqvist, Alexandra / Barbro Hörberg : med ögon känsliga för grönt