During the outbreak of World War I, Elsa Brändström volunteered as a nurse in the Imperial Russian Army, eventually transitioning into a life of humanitarian service. Her intervention in Siberian prisoner of war camps, where mortality rates from cold and disease reached 80 percent, earned her the enduring title of the Angel of Siberia.
Service in Siberia
In 1915, Brändström traveled to Siberia alongside nurse Ethel von Heidenstam to provide medical aid for German and Austrian prisoners of war. Confronted with the severe conditions in these camps, she remained committed to the welfare of the captives even after the 1917 Russian Revolution. Following the Bolshevik coup, her work became increasingly hazardous. In 1920, authorities in Omsk arrested her on charges of espionage and issued a death sentence, which was later commuted to internment.
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After her release, Brändström returned to Sweden and subsequently relocated to Germany. She utilized the revenues from her book, Among prisoners of war in Russia & Siberia, to establish a rehabilitation sanatorium in Saxony. She also purchased the Schreibermühle mill in Uckermark, converting it into a center for the social reintegration of former soldiers. In 1924, she opened the Neusorge children's home in Mittweida to support the families of deceased and traumatized veterans.
Emigration and Final Years
In 1929, she married Professor Heinrich Gottlob Robert Ulich, with whom she had a daughter, Brita, in 1932. Following her husband's appointment at Harvard University, the family moved to the United States in 1933. Brändström continued her philanthropic efforts by opening the Window Shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to provide employment for refugees. During World War II, she raised funds for relief organizations like CARE and CRALOG. She died of bone cancer in 1948.
Fast facts
- Born: 1888, Saint Petersburg
- Died: 1948, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Known as: Angel of Siberia
- Notable Awards: Seraphim Medal (1919), Prince Carl Medal (1946)
- Academic Honors: Honorary doctorate from the University of Tübingen
- Key Publication: Among prisoners of war in Russia & Siberia
- Family: Married to Robert Ulich; daughter Brita born 1932
Questions readers ask
What was the purpose of the Window Shop?
Opened in 1939 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the restaurant provided employment opportunities for German and Austrian refugees.
Why was she awarded the Seraphim Medal?
The Seraphim Medal was among the numerous honors she received in recognition of her extensive philanthropic work and commitment to prisoners of war.
Achievements
- Seraphim Medal — 1919
- Prince Carl Medal — 1946
- Fields: philanthropy, nursing and World War I
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