The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities also called simply the Royal Academy of Letters or Vitterhetsakademien abbreviated KVHAA (Swedish : Kungl. Vitterhetsakademien Historie och Antikvitets Akademien or Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien or Vitterhetsakademien) is the Swedish royal academy for the Humanities. [1] Its many publications include the archaeological and art historical journal Fornvännen , published since 1906.
Now located in Rettigska house at Villa Street 3 in Stockholm, the Academy had origins in the early 1700s Uppsala. It was founded in 1753 by Queen Louisa Ulrica, Queen of Sweden and the mother of King Gustav III and originally dedicated to literature. In 1786 when the Swedish Academy was founded it was reconstituted under its present name with new objectives, mainly dedicated to historical and antiquarian preservation. This included a close cooperation with the Swedish National Heritage Board (Swedish: "Riksantikvarieämbetet") whose director was, ex officio, the Academy's secretary. [2]
The Academy's purpose is "to promote research and other activities in the humanities, religious studies, jurisprudence and social science disciplines and cultural heritage". This is done primarily through financial support and through vibrant publishing. Among the academy's writings are Fornvännen. The Academy's responsibilities have grown to encompass the entire activity of the humanities field in the broad sense, including religion, law and social studies. At the request of the government or public authority, or on its own initiative, the Academy gives opinions on matters that affect its activity. [3]
The Academy owns and operates the Stjernsund Castle in Närke, Skånelaholm Castle in Uppland, Stensjö hamlet in Småland and Borg hamlet on the island of Öland. [4] Vitterhetsakademi's library is included in the Swedish National Heritage Board and operates public scientific special interest libraries. It is open to the public. [3]
Academy is composed of up to 30 executive members in each historical, antiquarian, philosophical, philological class and up to ten honorary members. Swedish and foreign "corresponding members" are not limited in number. When a working member reaches 70 years they can choose a new member, while 70-year-olds remain in the Academy as emeritus or emerita. Therefore, the Academy currently has around 130 members. [3]
Diploma, prizes, medals and awards distributed by the Academy at a formal gathering which takes place annually on 20 March. Academy awards several prizes such as the Gad Rausing's prize for outstanding humanistic research, Ann-Kersti and Carl-Hakon Swenson's Swenson prize and Rettigska price. The Academy also awards several medals such as the Gustaf Adolf Medal by the King's consent, the Academy's Medal of Merit in gold, Academy token in gold, Antiquarian medal and silver medal inscriptions in silver. [5]
Estrid of the Obotrites was Queen of Sweden in the Viking age, a West Slavic princess married to Olof Skötkonung, King of Sweden c. 1000–1022. She was the mother of King Anund Jacob of Sweden and the Kievan Rus' saint and grand princess Ingegerd Olofsdotter.
The Royal Academies are independent organizations, founded on Royal command, that act to promote the arts, culture, and science in Sweden. The Swedish Academy and Academy of Sciences are also responsible for the selection of Nobel Prize laureates in Literature, Physics, Chemistry, and the Prize in Economic Sciences. Also included in the Royal Academies are scientific societies that were granted Royal Charters.
Sveriges runinskrifter is a multi-volume catalog of rune inscriptions found in various Swedish provinces. The earliest volume of this ongoing series dates to 1900, and, by 1981, 15 volumes had been published.
Oscar Almgren was a Swedish archaeologist specializing in prehistoric archaeology. He published a dissertation on Nordic types of brooches in 1897. He was also the father of Bertil Almgren, who followed in his father's footsteps in also becoming a professor of Scandinavian and Comparative Archaeology at Uppsala University.
Bjärka-Säby Château is a baroque style château located 2 miles southeast of Linköping, 4 kilometers north of Bestorp in Östergötland County, Sweden. In Bjärka-Säby there are actually two châteaus, simply referred to as the old and the new château of Bjärka-Säby. The older building dates from 1632. The new one is owned by the local congregation of the Pentecostal Church Out of the château's common life, meetings and retreats an ecumenical community has been born, though not a monastery as stated in some articles. This community, Ekumeniska Kommuniteten i Bjärka-Säby (EKiBS), is a community with its members living scattered around Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries but having its main gatherings and heart at the château of Bjärka-Säby.
The Ministry of Culture is a ministry within the government of Sweden responsible for culture policy. The ministry is headed by the Minister for Culture, currently Parisa Liljestrand (m).
Count Mathias Rosenblad was a Swedish count, a Lord of the Realm, civil servant, politician, and minister of justice from 1829 to 1840.
Fornvännen, Journal of Swedish Antiquarian Research is a Swedish academic journal in the fields of archaeology and Medieval art. It is published quarterly by the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities in Stockholm, Sweden. The journal's contributions are written in the Scandinavian languages, English, or German with summaries in English. The editor-in-chief is Mats Roslund. The editorial board practices double blind peer review with external reviewers.
Adolf Ludvig Stierneld, Baron Stierneld was a Swedish nobleman, courtier and collector of historical documents. Recent historical research has revealed him to be one of best and most prolific document forgers in Swedish history.
Johan Rutger Sernander was a Swedish botanist, geologist and archaeologist. He was one of the founders of the study of palynology which would later be developed by Lennart von Post, as well as a pioneer in the early Swedish natural conservation and ecology movements. He was among other societies a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities and Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Sernander was one of the founders of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation in 1909, as well as its chairman during a number of the first years.
Johan(n) Gustav Stockenberg was a Swedish sculptor, wood carver and stonemason who worked in Sweden, Russia and mainly in Reval.
Gladsaxehus is a ruined castle in Gladsax parish, in the Simrishamn Municipality of Skåne in south-eastern Sweden. The ruins lie immediately to the east of the church and cemetery of Gladsax.
Sophia Eleonora Rosenhane, as married Jennings, was a Swedish patron and noblewoman. At the national portrait gallery at Gripsholm Castle, her portrait was featured amongst six of the most famous Swedish women in history. She became known as a financier and respected patron of the arts. After her death she was buried at the family grave in Husby-Oppunda.
Margareta Biörnstad, was a Swedish archaeologist. She was Sweden's first female National Antiquarian from 1987 to 1993.
Sune Lindqvist was a Swedish archaeologist and scholar. He worked at the Swedish History Museum, where he was responsible for the finds from the boat graves at Valsgärde, and later at Uppsala University, where he wrote two major works alongside several hundred other publications.
Knut Martin Stjerna was a Swedish archaeologist and scholar. He is notable for a number of papers analyzing Beowulf from an archaeological perspective. He was a lecturer at Uppsala University, where he taught, among others, Birger Nerman and Sune Lindqvist.
Agnes Birgitta Odén-Dunér was a Swedish historian. She was the first woman to hold a professorship at Lund University, and was also the first female history professor in Sweden. She was a member of several local and international literal and historical academies such as the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters; The Science Society in Lund (honorary); the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities; the Academy of Finland; the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters from 1977; and the Academia Europaea.
Sven Lagerbring was a Swedish professor and historian. He has been described as "the first Swedish historian in the modern sense."
Axel ''Peter'' Gabriel Leijonhufvud also known as just Peter Leijonhufvud, was a Swedish military officer. Leijonhufvud was one of Crown prince Gustav's (III) cavaliers, a civil servant and a lord marshal of Sweden.
Löderup Church is a medieval church in Löderup, Ystad Municipality, in the province of Skåne, Sweden. Dating from the 12th century, it has subsequently been expanded and rebuilt, not least under the guidance of architect Carl Georg Brunius in the 1860s. The church contains several old furnishings, including an unusual 12th-century baptismal font.
