Carl Olof Gisle

Gisle was born on 22 September 1900 in Gothenburg, Sweden,^[1] the son of industrialist and forestry advocate Edwin Ohlsson [sv] (1866–1956) and Torinna (Tora) Ferm (1865–1936).^[2] His father rose from modest beginnings to become a leading figure in the Swedish timber and sawmill industry. He founded and led several major companies and was the driving force behind the creation of Skogssällskapet [sv], significantly shaping modern Swedish forest management.^[2]

Carl Olof was the brother of Major Hakon Gisle of Åryd and Margit Gisle, proprietor of Vallens farm in Våxtorp, Halland.^[3] He completed his studentexamen (upper-secondary final exam) in 1919, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Uppsala University in 1922, and a Candidate of Law degree in 1924.^[1]

Gisle served his judicial apprenticeship in the Östra Värend [sv] and Sunnerbo [sv] judicial districts from 1924 to 1927, worked at the Svea Court of Appeal in 1928, and became an attaché at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs later that year. He served in Madrid and Lisbon in 1929, London in 1930, Warsaw in 1931, and then returned to the Foreign Ministry in 1932. He was appointed acting second secretary in 1934, second secretary in 1935, and acting first secretary in 1936. In 1938 he became first secretary of the Swedish legation in Berlin, and in 1939 he served as acting commercial counsellor in London, where he was appointed legation Counsellor in 1944 (acting since 1941).^[1] While in London, he took part in all wartime negotiations with the British government.^[4]

He served as envoy in Buenos Aires, Asunción, and Montevideo in 1946, and in Pretoria in 1949. He chaired the Swedish delegation at the Torquay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) from 1950 to 1951, and became envoy in Prague and Budapest in 1954. He also served as secretary or representative in trade policy negotiations with numerous countries.^[1] At his own request, Gisle left active service on 30 September 1959 and was placed on reserve.^[1][5]

In 1936, Gisle married Cecilia Lilliehöök (1913–2006), the daughter of Colonel Bertil Lilliehöök [sv] and Eleonor Berndes [sv]. They had four children: Peter (born 1937), Catharina (born 1938), Anna (born 1941), and Caroline (born 1948).^[1]

Gisle died on 4 June 1964 in Åryd, Sweden. The funeral service was held on 10 June 1964 in Hemmesjö Church [sv].^[6]

In an obituary, Ambassador Gunnar Hägglöf described him as "a man of sharp intelligence and great sensitivity. He did not like to be in the spotlight. He preferred to hide his rich personality and warm heart behind a reserved exterior. But to his friends he revealed his true self — a distinctive and richly nuanced character, seasoned with a peppery sense of humor and irony."^[4]