The Story of Gösta Berling · Character

Beerencreutz

A colonel with thick white moustaches and an unshakable calm, Beerencreutz leads the Ekeby pensioners with the ease of a man who has long stopped being surprised.

supporting

Also known as Colonel Beerencreutz, old Beerencreutz

First appearance: part i i the landscape

As a supporting figure in The Story of Gösta Berling, Beerencreutz is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A colonel and one of the cavaliers at Ekeby, who takes Gösta under his wing.

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Colonel Beerencreutz is the steady center of the pensioners' company, the old soldier whose composure holds even when his companions are drunk, brawling, or plotting. He is Gösta Berling's friend and sometime accomplice, and his dry, unhurried authority gives the vagabond brotherhood at Ekeby its peculiar dignity. As the pensioners' de facto leader, he stands at the hinge of the household's reckless freedom and its coming reckoning.

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Character Web

22 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Ekeby Pensioners Core
Protagonist
Simple and Noble Souls
Gentle Support Characters

+17 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Marianne’s act of burning her letters and diaries signifies an emotional and psychological peak where she cons…

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In the story

Beerencreutz appears across 15 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Story of Gösta Berling
A colonel and one of the cavaliers at Ekeby, who takes Gösta under his wing.
The Priest
Mentioned as one of Gösta's drinking companions at the public house.
Christmas Eve
Invites the devil to a game of cards and joins in the wild dance around the kettle.
V: La Cachucha
Implied as present among the pensioners; shouts encouragement to Örneclou.
VI: The Ball at Ekeby
Drives Gösta and Marianne home after the ball, lets the horse go its own way while staring at the Pleiades.
VIII: The Great Bear in Gurlitta Cliff
Swears at Gösta's failure to shoot; participates in the bear hunt.
The Young Countess
Defends the pensioners' actions, drives the sledge during the abduction, and helps free the major's wife.
VIII: Madame Musica
Colonel who helps orchestrate the musical evening and retrieves Löwenborg's wooden table from the pensioners' wing.
Patron Julius
Mentioned as a possible participant in the prank of swapping the horse for an ox.
XIII: The Churchyard
Leads the expedition to Acquilon's grave, plays cards with the dead man, and shows loyalty to his fallen comrade.
XVII: The Child’s Mother
Implied as one of the pensioners at Ekeby who are aware of the marriage but not directly involved.
XIX: The Broom-Girl
One of the pensioners who helps pacify the crowd with food and drink.
Kevenhüller
Not directly mentioned in excerpts, but as a pensioner at Ekeby, he is part of the group that serves the wood-nymph; referenced indirectly.
Broby Fair
Colonel who accompanies Captain Lennart home and confesses his guilt in the prank that led to Lennart's banishment.
The Forest Cottage
One of the pensioners at Ekeby, who speaks with Anna Lisa about the shame heap and the state of the estate.

Chapter companion notes

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See Beerencreutz in part i i the landscape

See Beerencreutz in The Story of Gösta Berling