The story of a deaf girl – Swedish Historia newspaper

Edith Ågsson (1901-1915) from the parish of Ryda in Västergötland had just turned 14 when she died of tuberculous encephalitis. Her short life might have passed completely unnoticed and her fate consigned to the shadows of history had it not been for the diary she kept during her time studying at the District 4 School for the Deaf in Vänersborg – today's Vänerskolan School.

Based on Edith’s own story, readers can follow her daily life at school with everything from her daily routine and social interactions with teachers and peers, her striving to be a good and organized girl to the joy when she has to go on trips or organize parties. Through the editing, a door is also opened to knowledge of early deaf education in Sweden.

In this book about liberation, a deeper look is given into how teaching and life at a boarding school worked for many children who were deaf or had hearing loss. A large number of illustrations, many of which have never been published before, enhance the picture of Edith's life, both at school and at home.

Here, Greta Åberg depicts the poignant human fate as well as the lives of students and staff at a private school and boarding school for the deaf at the beginning of the 20th century – in something as unusual as the autobiography of a 14-year-old girl.

Greta Åberg is a museum educator at Vänersborg Museum.

Greta Aberg:
Editing notes. The story of the deaf girl
Vanersborg Museum
Released in 2024