Bergman, Hjalmar

Hjalmar Bergman was born in Örebro as the son of a bank manager, Claes Bergman, and his wife Fredrique, born Elgérus. As a little boy, he played mainly with his two older sisters, Elna and Ester, and he was very attached to his mother. His childhood was characterized by isolation and fear, which means that he created and developed a fantasy world, a safe place of refuge, already as a child. During his school years he was teased by the other children, and his fear of teachers made it still more difficult for him to concentrate on his studies. His parents placed him with a private teacher in Västerås, and he obtained his degree in May 1900. Next he devoted himself to the study of philosophy in Uppsala. He also traveled to Florence, a city which he fell in love with and often would return to.