History, esp. Medieval Studies
From Swedish contacts with the outside world during the Middle Ages, to the emergence of the welfare state – historical research at the University spans different time periods, as well as different fields.
The Department of History has long been influential in international research on the Middle Ages. How culture and ideas spread within and between countries is studied broadly with links to everything from archaeology to literature studies. What was the significance of Swedish contact with Persia and other distant countries? What was Saint Bridget's world of ideas like? Who were the Swedes who resided at foreign universities?
Modern political history is another successful field. A major research project on Nazism has nuanced the picture of Sweden's complex relationship with Germany. Other projects concern how the ideas behind the welfare state led to both equality and discrimination, as well as Sweden's actions during the Cold War. The University is also a leader in gender history, which studies how the relationship between men and women has affected politics and culture. Another strong field is urban history, with a focus on urbanisation and environmental issues.
There is thus significant breadth at the department, which is not only the country's largest department of history, but also a pioneer in sports history, popular culture and popular history. External financers include the Swedish Research Council, the Söderberg Foundation, and the Swedish Central Bank's Jubilee Fund. The proximity to Stockholm's museums, archives and other departments is valuable to the interdisciplinary Centre for Medieval Studies. Maritime history is studied at the newly established Centre for Maritime Studies in collaboration with the Swedish National Maritime Museums.
Web editor:
Paul Parker
Last updated:
November 23, 2011
Source: Communications Office
