She born in 1855 at Rödslegård in Törnsfall, Kalmar County, to Colonel Patrik Constantin Fries and Beata Maria Borgström.

[2] She studied at the Åhlinska flickskolan, and graduated with a professional degree from Wallinska skolan in Stockholm 19 May 1874.

She studied history, Nordic language and political science and was given the scholarship Kraemerska stipendiet.

[3] In 1884, she was one of six to summon the first meeting of the feminist movement the Fredrika Bremer Association; she initiated the foundation of the National Council of Swedish Women (Svenska kvinnors nationalförbund) in 1896, and one of the five co-founders of the Nya Idun society.

She contributed with articles as a freelancer to various papers, such as Dagny 1886–1895, Framåt 1886, Verdandi 1888, Hemåt 1892, Nya Idun 1891–1892, Stockholms Dagblad 1884–1885 and Aftonbladet 1885 as well as in the dictionary Nordisk Familjebok.