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Sweden mourns death of ‘Millennium’ star Michael Nyqvist

Michael Nyqvist, one of Sweden's most beloved actors and the star of the original Millennium trilogy, has died at the age of 56.

Published: 28 June 2017 06:41 CEST
Sweden mourns death of 'Millennium' star Michael Nyqvist
Michael Nyqvist at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival. Photo: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

“On behalf of Michael Nyqvist's representatives and family, it is with deep sadness that I can confirm that our beloved Michael, one of Sweden's most respected and accomplished actors, has passed away quietly surrounded by family after a year-long battle with lung cancer,” Alissa Goodman said in a statement to AFP.

“Michael's joy and passion were infectious to those who knew and loved him. His charm and charisma were undeniable, and his love for the arts was felt by all who had the pleasure of working with him.”

Known internationally for starring opposite Noomi Rapace in the movie trilogy based on Stieg Larsson's 'Millennium' novels, Nyqvist had in fact been acting in his native Sweden since the early 1980s and was famous for his roles in iconic Swedish movies such as Oscar-nominated 'Så som i himmelen' ('As it is in Heaven'), 'Tillsammans' ('Together') and romantic comedy 'Grabben i graven bredvid'.

READ ALSO: Remembering Michael Nyqvist's life in pictures

But it was 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' and its two sequels, all released in 2009 and making more than $215 million at box offices worldwide, that won him global fame.

He played Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative reporter who teamed up with rebel hacker-turned-detective Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) in the first movie as they searched for the disappeared niece of a business tycoon.

Nyqvist, who had more than 50 film credits, went on to forge a successful career in Hollywood, starring in 'Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol', 'John Wick' and 'Frank and Lola'.

In 2010, Nyqvist published 'När barnet lagt sig' ('Just After Dreaming'), an acclaimed memoir detailing his earlies childhood memories after his adoption, experiences at theatre school and tracking down his biological parents at age 30.

He is survived by his wife Catharina, and their children Ellen and Arthur.

CAR

‘The opposite of our modern technical world’: The Trabi turns 60

The first ‘Trabi’ was produced in the east German city of Zwickau on November 7th, 1957. Six decades years later, the iconic car has a loyal fan base worldwide that’s still going strong.

Published: 7 November 2017 10:35 CET
‘The opposite of our modern technical world': The Trabi turns 60
Trabis crossing the border from east Germany into west Germany on November 11th, 1989. Photo: DPA.

Despite the vehicle’s reputation for unreliable performance and inefficiency, there’s no denying it has enduring appeal.

Around three million Trabants, the full name for Trabis, rolled off production lines until 1991. Now, though production has long since stopped, around 34,500 Trabis are currently in use all across Germany.

“The Trabi is simply a car that stands out,” said Frank Hofmann, the owner of an online mail order business for Trabant spare parts. Hofmann himself is the proud owner of a yellow P601 – the best-known Trabant model.

READ ALSO: Trabi project aims to electrify 'Ostalgia'

When he started his business in 2003, many people predicted a quick end to it, Hofmann explained. “At the time, we were only two employees in total and had three boxes full of parts in the basement,” he said.

Now his company employs eight people and sells 1,500 articles ranging from small screws to the vehicle’s complete engine. Interest in the iconic car goes beyond German borders, Hofmann adds.

Hofmann has sent Trabant parts to countries such as the UK, Belgium, Hungary, Russia, Australia and the US. He has even sent a brake cylinder to Namibia.

“The Trabi is not just an east German product,” said Wolfgang Kießling, chairman of the International Trabant Register, an association which holds all trademark rights to the cult automobile.

Kießling thinks an increasing interest in the iconic vehicle – especially among younger people – doesn’t only have to do with its nostalgia factor.

Hofmann agrees. “The Trabant is the opposite of our modern technical world,” he said.

SEE ALSO: Here's a little-known East German vehicle that's actually amazing

Back in the mid 1950s, this is exactly what council ministers in east Germany wanted: a small, robust, economical and inexpensive car. The Trabant then quickly became the most common vehicle in east Germany.

Nowadays thousands of Germans and non-Germans alike are still driving an east German “travelling cardbox box.”

Meanwhile those who don’t own a Trabi can at least get up close and personal with one.

The history of the cult car will soon be told in the same place it began to rattle off production lines 60 years ago; at the August Horch Museum in Zwickau, a new permanent exhibition dedicated to the Trabi opens on November 10th.

The museum has recently undergone an expansion and three quarters of the new space will in future belong to the Trabant alone, said museum spokeswoman Annett Kannhäuser.