Knut Olivecrona and his ”Om dödsstraffet”. - Figuras

Besides from communicating information eventually ending up in scientific
and abolitionistic publications, at this time often not distinguished between,
there could be more popular approaches. One example is an action spread from
one part of Europe to another in 1874. Lucas wrote to Olivecrona on the
alarming situation in Italy. Through a proposed new penal code the penalty of
death would be reinstated in Tuscany, where it was abolished. In the Italian
press and in pamphlets abolitionists were conducting a campaign in which also
letters from foreign abolitionists, among them Lucas, were published. It was,
however, the opinion of Lucas that the struggle should not be confined to Italy.
Thus he had addressed an appeal to the liberal forces of Europe to participate in
the defence of Tuscan abolition. The appeal had been published in several
French newspapers and he was hopeful that it also would be published in
Belgium, the Netherlands, and England, and, possibly, Germany.1 Olivecrona
contributed with an article in Nya Dagligt Allehanda with the Italian situation
and a publication of Lucas as its subject.2 A common Italian penal code was not
approved until 1889, coming into force 1/1 1890. In it the penalty of death was
abolished for ordinary crimes. In an article in Tidsskrift for Retsvidenskab
Olivecrona presented the new law and its prehistory.3
Parliamentary actions were another reason to send information. When the
French chamber of deputies in 1881 decided to try the issue of abolition of the
penalty of death Olivecrona sent Lucas a continuation of his earlier tables on
those condemned to death and executions in Sweden, that he, if appropriate,
could communicate to Louis Blanc, who had brought the subject forward.4 In
the mid-1880’s Lucas contacted Olivecrona requesting information on the
penalty of death and capital sentences particularly for Sweden, but also for
Norway and Finland. Besides scientific use it would be employed in the
preparation of a petition to the French senate to abolish, primarily, the public
executions. 5 Lucas had earlier petitioned both for the abolition of the penalty of
death, in 1830, and for the abolition of public execution, which he thought was a
step on the road to total abolition, in 1867.6 Also Olivecrona saw intramural
1 Letters from Charles Lucas to Knut Olivecrona 21/4 and 12/5 1874 G 197 k:10 UUB.
2 Draft of letter from Knut Olivecrona to Charles Lucas 8/5 and 7/11 1874 G 197 k:17 UUB.
The publication of Lucas was intituled De la peine de mort et du l'unification pénale.
3 Soresina 1986 p 97, Olivecrona 1890a.
4 Letter from Charles Lucas to Knut Olivecrona 16/2 1881 G 197 k:10 UUB and draft of
letter from Knut Olivecrona to Charles Lucas 26/2 1881 G 197 k:18 UUB.
5 Letters from Charles Lucas to Knut Olivecrona 25/8 1884 and 27/1 1885 G 197 k:10 UUB,
draft of letter from Knut Olivecrona to Charles Lucas 4/8 1884 and 4/2 1885 (wrongly dated
”den 4 Febr. 1884”) G 197 k:19 UUB, Lucas 1888.
6 Lucas 1867.
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