Profile of Karl Staaff on Famous Like Me

Karl Albert Staaff (21 January 1860 – 4 October 1915), liberal politician and lawyer, member of the Swedish parliament's second chamber 1896-1915 , chairman of Liberala samlingspartiet 1907-15, prime minister 1905-06 and 1911-14.

Staaff was active in the Swedish movement for universal suffrage, and as the Liberal party's prime minister he presided in 1905 over the introduction of a limited democratic vote for men. His successor Nils Edén eventually managed to carry this further into universal suffrage in 1918.

Staaff ran into sharp conflict with the conservative Swedish establishment, and became a hated figure in the Conservative, pro-Monarchic and anti-Democratic establishment. An intense smear campaign was launched against him, picturing him as the destroyer of Swedish tradition and society: wealthy Stockholmers could even buy ash-trays shaped as his head.

In 1914 Staaff stepped down from government in protest, after Conservatives had summoned a farmers' demonstration at the Royal castle's court in Stockholm, where the king - who was supposed to stay out of politics - denounced Staaffs Pacifist defence policies.

The contemporary Swedish Liberal party Folkpartiet Liberalerna counts him as its first leader.

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