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Arwit Rönnegren

Arwit (also Arved, Arwitt) Rönnegren was born in Halmstad around 1680 and was recruited to the Northern Scanian Cavalry Regiment around 1700 and quite immediately sent to Swedish Pomerania. He participated in battles against Saxony/Poland and also in king Charles XII:s campaign in Russia after which he along with some 20.000 other Swedish soldiers ended up as prisoners of war in Russia. Rönnegren came back to Sweden May 8th 1722 and had probably learned violin making in captivity along with his friend Johan Georg Mothe. Rönnegren continued to work in the army, despite being injured during the war, and built instrument as a side business. "Arwit Rönnegren i Katarp i Lugede Herat anno 1737" is written in one of his violins. Rönnegrens wife Anna Gabrielsdotter was 22 years older than Arwit but both of them died in 1737 when Anna was 79 and Arwit 57. Despite this, Arwit managed to remarry after the death of Anna, and had a son with 31 year old Hanna Ingemansdotter. However Arwit died before Hanna gave birth to Arfved Arvedson 19th of May 1738.