SIRI WERKELIN

– housekeeper and friend

Siri Werkelin, born and bred on Fårö, was Ingmar Bergman’s housekeeper for four years. She took care of his youngest daughter Linn when her parents were away on travels or busy doing film work. Siri is one of the Fåröese that Ingmar Bergman remained in touch with throughout the forty years that he lived partially or permanently on Fårö. Siri has fond memories of working for Bergman and his family – Liv Ullmann and daughter Linn. Siri got to know Ingmar Bergman in the 1960s, when her husband Adolf Kalström was employed by him. Kalström also helped building Bergman’s house at Hammars.

AN OFFER

Ingmar Bergman and his assistant Lars-Owe Carlberg called on Siri one day in 1967.

– It was a Sunday. They had chartered a plane from Stockholm. Carlberg explained that Bergman was moving to Fårö and wondered if I would work as his housekeeper. Bergman wanted an answer straightaway. I was aware of the layout at Hammars, as I had been there with Adolf when they were building it, so I felt that I would manage. So, I immediately agreed. But then I began to have second thoughts and said ”What if I’m not up to it?” ”You’ll do just fine”, Bergman replied. ”Yes, but you never know. If I feel I’m not good enough, I’ll leave straightaway!” That’s what I said, but then Bergman thumped the table with his fist, saying ”Stone me if you’re not the most forthright women I’ve ever met!”. He really gave my table a heavy chumping, Siri says, chuckling at the memory of her first meeting with her future employer.

GRANDMA’S FOOD, PLEASE!

Siri’s memories from the time she was Ingmar Bergman’s housekeeper are still vivid.

– He needed help with all sorts of things… Cleaning, cooking, window cleaning. And then he wanted me to pick rose hips and make soup, just as his grandmother had done. And Adolf caught flounder, Ingmar was fond of fried flounder. This had been another of his grandmother’s dishes. He had spent a lot of time with her. I always cooked, every day of the week, including Saturdays and Sundays.

Sometimes I got time off at weekends, but then I prepared food in advance, so he only needed to reheat it.

Whenever Bergman went to Stockholm, he always wanted home-made meatballs when he returned to Fårö. ”Don’t forget, Siri”, he would say. Sometimes he could go to Stockholm three times in a week, but he always came back in the evening. There were an awful lot of meatballs those weeks….

– Fridays were always house-cleaning day, but Rosa Olofsson often helped out. Rosa had run a general store, known locally as ”Rosa’s store”. We did the cleaning together and sometimes my sister Viktoria gave a helping hand. It was a a large house. Occasionally all the books had to be dusted. We took them out, put hem on the stone wall and flicked through the pages a few times.

AN OLDER SISTER FOR LINN

– I also took care of their daughter Linn when her parents were away or filming. Then she would stay here with me. Once she stayed for en entire month. She when had her own bed and bed linen, that Ingmar had bought for her. She was always here on Sundays, when she spent time with my daughter Kicka. They were such good friends, though Kicka was older. She looked after Linn as if she was her little sister.

– In the mornings when Ingmar wanted the house to be quiet, Linn and I went out to play in the meadows by a huge stone, not far from home. On occasions we would sit there, basking in the sun.

FOND MEMORIES

Siri stayed on as Ingmar Bergman’s housekeeper until he married Ingrid von Rosen in 1971. But she stayed in touch with the family and Adolf, Siri’s husband, continued to work for Bergman for many years.

Siri speaks of Ingmar Bergman with great fondness and often laughs when walking down memory lane. – It was always fun. And Bergman was so kind. I do miss him!

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Text & interview 2011: Gunilla Brogren. Siri Werkelin died in 2013 at the age of 88.