Ninna, Gunilla Knutsdotter Reppling, 1943 – 1995

Ninna

This is Ninna, demonstrating against the atom bomb at Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm in 1961. Photo: ©nini.tjader.1961

In Memory of Ninna – Gunilla Knutsdotter Reppling
Aug 24, 1943 – Oct 18, 1995

Ninna and I were close friends when we were in school and for some years after that. She died in breast cancer in 1995. By then we had lost contact long ago. I’ve heard she had 2 children and that she lived in some kind of community with a group of other people.

Ninna

Ninna some time in the beginning of the 60th. Photo: ©nini.tjader.1961

Ninna was a big fan of Strindberg (Swedish author) and later Bob Dylan and somewhere around there also the Beatles. In the 60ths she was always looking for kicks of one kind or another. The parties were wild and wet and everyone (except me) got drunk (and told me all their problems). We demonstrated against the nuclear bomb and for nuclear disarmament (but were not against nuclear energy as such). We had long and deep (as we considered it then..) philosophical discussions. Ninna was somewhat of a middle class snob (always new clothes, living in a villa, no lack of money). She tested about everything (including hash) and was constantly partying.

At some time (early 60ths) we considered ourselves to be twin souls. People around us thought we were very much alike and that we talked the same way (maybe we did considering the amount of time we were together). That passed though when were in Israel in 1963 and she stole my then boyfriend Elge.Ninna 1970

We had two common friends, Elge and Hans (see image below, right). After Israel 1963 Ninna and Elge continued to be a pair for about a year or so. That’s when we lost touch (though we met now and then). Her being with Elge meant I couldn’t be with either of them. She later moved to Uppsala (north of Stockholm) to study and then we couldn’t even bump into each other. I visited once in Uppsala. That was a total failure. We had absolutely nothing to say to each other.

ninna, nini

Ninna and Nini 1961

ninna, elge

Ninna and Elge, Israel 1963

When we had the 30-year reunion of our school class, she was not there. I’ve later heard (from others) that she didn’t come because she was not too well after chemotherapy against her cancer. We of course didn’t know that and thought that she didn’t come because it was beneath her in some way (she had such an attitude at times).

Ninna

Ninna, spring 1962

It is a pity we never got a chance to reconnect at a mature age and maybe make our old friendship work. That was possible with Elge as late as almost 30 years after we split up. I never got that chance with Ninna. I don’t know if it could have worked though. And I will never know.

Hans, Ninna, Elge

Hans, Ninna and Elge Spring 1963

Ninna, Nini

Ninna and Nini in Ninnas room some time around 1960. Photo by Pelle, Ninnas brother

Translate »
%d bloggers like this: