Euphrosyne Leman was born in Stockholm on 24 March 1836. Her parents were the merchant John Leman and Emma Jacobson, who were Jews of German origin. Euphrosyne became an opera singer (soprano) and made her debut as Pamina in The Magic Flute at the Royal Theatre in 1855. She then studied for three years in Paris, singing for Gilbert Duprez, Henri Panofka, and Charpentier. [1]
After completing her studies and a brief visit to her homeland, she was employed at the Teatro de Oriente in Madrid, where she made her debut in September 1858 and achieved great success as Elvira in Verdi’s Ernani. The following year, she performed with great success in Vienna. On 4 October 1859, she married August Abrahamson in the synagogue in Stockholm. Letters reveal that Euphrosyne loved her work as an opera singer. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the preserved letters to indicate why she chose to marry August or why at that particular time. Her career was relatively short. Anna-Lena Telander, who wrote a comprehensive essay about Euphrosyne in 1993/94, speculates that she may have intended to continue her career as a married woman, which would not have been socially impossible at that time, but that it did not turn out that way after all. In the 1850s, an opera singer was a well-educated professional woman who was accustomed to taking care of herself and determining her own life. However, perhaps her family and August Abrahamson had other ideas. We do not know today.
Upon marriage, Euphrosyne settled in August Abrahamson’s house at Stora Nygatan 17 1/2 in Gothenburg. With her marriage, she ended her public career and devoted herself to charity and the arts. Among other things, she established a girls’ school in the Gamlestan district east of Gothenburg.
Euphrosyne Abrahamson was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1868. When she died on 7 February 1869, only 32 years old, her husband established a gift fund in her memory at the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm for 25,000 kronor, the proceeds of which were to go to students at the music conservatory. Euphrosyne was a personal friend of Prince Oscar, later King Oscar II.
In 1874, August Abrahamson established a work school for girls in memory of Euphrosyne. The school was housed in the Vänhem building at Nääs. Vänhem had been moved from the couple’s old country estate in Gamlestan. Euphrosyne had loved Vänhem, and after her death, August established “Euphrosyne Abrahamson’s Foundation – Nääs Work School for Girls”. The school was inaugurated on 25 March 1874, on Euphrosyne’s birthday, which also became the school’s examination day.
Euphrosyne is buried at the Old Jewish Cemetery in Gothenburg. Her gravestone remains.
Euphrosyne was involved in the purchase of the Nääs estate in 1868 and certainly influenced the purchase and the interior design. A suite of three rooms was furnished for her. To this day, objects used by her remain. These can be seen during a guided tour of the castle.
