Journey at the Turn of the Century

Abstract

On the evening of December 15, 1899, Professor Gösta Mittag-Leffler, along with his wife Signe and his personal physician, Dr. Wettervik, left Stockholm on the Continental train. It was bitterly cold, and during the night the water turned to ice in the sleeping compartment. Mittag-Leffler developed stomach pains, and in the morning, as they passed Lund, he was so weak that he couldn’t get up without assistance. It was these stomach pains, combined with rheumatism, that were the very reason for this journey. Having endured years of suffering, and in order to relax after an intense period of hard work, he was on his way to Egypt, hoping that a lengthy recuperative stay in that country would help. He was pinning his faith on sunshine and clean air, along with daily exercise and massage, hoping for a miracle, or at least that this would restore his health and make him better equipped for his future endeavors. He was 53 years old, a professor of mathematics at Stockholm College, and a distinguished figure in both the Swedish and international scientific communities. His wife, Signe, had just turned 38.