The development of the department

The department's development and history from the beginning of the 20th century until today.

During the 30s

On January 1, 2015, we changed our name to the Department of Physical Geography (NG). Physical geography is a scientific subject where the natural environment is described and analyzed on different scales, both spatial and temporal. Within the subject, processes within, and interactions between, the atmosphere, the biosphere, the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, the cryosphere and society are studied and interpreted. Furthermore, the endurance, resilience and response of the natural environment to both human and naturally caused changes are analyzed.

In 1934, the geographical institute moved into Stockholm's old observatory's premises on Observatoriekullen. The institute and later the department remained there until 1985, when the research and administration moved to Sandåsgatan 2. The teaching had previously been moved to Kungstensgatan 45. Teaching in geography had been conducted at Stockholm University under the leadership of Sten De Geer since 1912. Sten De Geer who was the son of Gerard De Geer, gave the subject of geography a society-oriented focus. He was the inspiration for the "Stockholm survey", which was funded by the City of Stockholm and which became one of the first major programs that Hans W: son Ahlmann had to shoulder when he took up the professorship in geography in 1929. Sten De Geer received a professorship in trade geography at the University of Gothenburg. The most prominent in the Stockholm project came to be William William-Olsson, who defended his dissertation on the material in 1937. The same year he got a job as a teacher in economic geography at the Stockholm School of Economics. Ahlmann had a more scientific focus and was attracted to the polar regions, partly inspired by the discovery of the Andréemännen on Vitön in 1930. In 1931 and 1934, Ahlmann carried out expeditions to Svalbard in collaboration with Swedish and Norwegian colleagues. In 1936, an expedition was carried out to Vatnajökull where the glacier's mass budget was studied. In 1939, an expedition to Greenland was carried out. There were two specializations that guided Ahlmann, partly physical studies of how glaciers work, partly studies of glaciers as climate indicators. Ahlmann became a major authority on the subject of glaciers and climate from an international perspective.

The development of the department
The development of the department

 

1940 - 1960

In the mid-forties, the Tarfala work was started under the leadership of Valter Schytt, who was one of Ahlmann's new doctoral students. Schytt selected the Great Glacier in Kebnekaise for a long-term study of a glacier's material management. The work was started in the spring of 1946, and in 1947-48 the first houses were built and developed into the Tarfala station, which since 1961 has been an official research station under Stockholm University. Towards the end of the 1940s, Ahlmann also worked with the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic expedition, which was launched in 1949-52. The deputy head of the expedition was Valter Schytt. The expedition came to play a very large role in the international Antarctic work and the formation of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

In 1950, Hans Ahlmann became Swedish ambassador to Oslo and the geography professorship became vacant for a few years. In 1954, it was taken over by Gunnar Hoppe, who had defended his dissertation on a cultural-geographically oriented dissertation on the road network in Norrbotten, but who later in his research became more focused on glacial morphology. The following year, the professorship was divided between two faculties. Hoppe got to choose a specialization and through his choice became a professor of natural geography, while David Hannerberg got a new professorship in cultural geography. Gunnar Hoppe was interested early on in traces of the latest ice sheets in Iceland, the Shetland Islands and Svalbard. He had an almost passionate love for mainly Iceland - its people and nature.

In 1950, Hans Ahlmann became Swedish ambassador to Oslo and the geography professorship became vacant for a few years. In 1954, it was taken over by Gunnar Hoppe, who had defended his dissertation on a cultural-geographically oriented dissertation on the road network in Norrbotten, but who later in his research became more focused on glacial morphology. The following year, the professorship was divided between two faculties. Hoppe got to choose a specialization and through his choice became a professor of physical geography, while David Hannerberg got a new professorship in cultural geography. Gunnar Hoppe was interested early on in traces of the latest ice sheets in Iceland, the Shetland Islands and Svalbard. He had an almost passionate love for mainly Iceland - its people and nature.

Lennart von Post was succeeded by Ivar Hessland in 1953. The professorship was then called general and historical geology. Three years later, a laboratory service in Quaternary geology was created. It went to Carl-Gösta Wenner and the right to examination was given for the undergraduate education in Quaternary geology. In 1960, the laboratory service was transformed into an assistant professorship at the then newly created Quaternary Geological Department. Wenner had been a research student for von Post and defended his dissertation on pollen charts from Labrador. However, his continued operations took a more geotechnical focus. The department was first located at Drottninggatan 99 and moved in the mid-1960s to Frescati where it moved around between several buildings, including Villa Pomona and Bloms hus. In 1975, the department moved back into the old university area and was housed until 1997 in premises on Odengatan 63.

1960 - 1980

In the mid-forties, the Tarfala work was started under the leadership of Valter Schytt, who was one of Ahlmann's new doctoral students. Schytt selected the Great Glacier in Kebnekaise for a long-term study of a glacier's material management. The work was started in the spring of 1946, and in 1947-48 the first houses were built and developed into the Tarfala station, which since 1961 has been an official research station under Stockholm University. Towards the end of the 1940s, Ahlmann also worked with the Norwegian-British-Swedish Antarctic expedition, which was launched in 1949-52. The deputy head of the expedition was Valter Schytt. The expedition came to play a very large role in the international Antarctic work and the formation of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

In 1950, Hans Ahlmann became Swedish ambassador to Oslo and the geography professorship became vacant for a few years. In 1954, it was taken over by Gunnar Hoppe, who had defended his dissertation on a cultural-geographically oriented dissertation on the road network in Norrbotten, but who later in his research became more focused on glacial morphology. The following year, the professorship was divided between two faculties. Hoppe got to choose a specialization and through his choice became a professor of Physical geography, while David Hannerberg got a new professorship in cultural geography. Gunnar Hoppe was interested early on in traces of the latest ice sheets in Iceland, the Shetland Islands and Svalbard. He had an almost passionate love for mainly Iceland - its people and nature.

Lennart von Post was succeeded by Ivar Hessland in 1953. The professorship was then called general and historical geology. Three years later, a laboratory service in Quaternary geology was created. It went to Carl-Gösta Wenner and the right to examination was given for the undergraduate education in Quaternary geology. In 1960, the laboratory service was transformed into an assistant professorship at the then newly created Quaternary Geological Department. Wenner had been a research student for von Post and defended his dissertation on pollen charts from Labrador. However, his continued operations took a more geotechnical focus. The department was first located at Drottninggatan 99 and moved in the mid-1960s to Frescati where it moved around between several buildings, including Villa Pomona and Bloms hus. In 1975, the department moved back into the old university area and was housed until 1997 in premises on Odengatan 63.

1980 - present

Carl-Gösta Wenner retired in 1980 but had then been on leave since 1973, for example for development work in East Africa. During the leave period, Oskar Talme was head of department. Talme had defended his dissertation for Wenner and had a geochemical focus on his work. In the mid-1970s, an extensive IGCP project was started which included a revision of the Swedish time scale, ie the clay ship chronology. It was an international collaboration in which, among others, Stockholm University and SGU participated. The project was led by Jan Lundqvist, who was then head of the agency at SGU. At the Quaternary Geological Department, Jan Kristiansson and Lars Brunnberg mainly participated, and at the Department of Physical Geography, the work was led by Bo Strömberg. Wenner was succeeded in 1980 by Jan Lundqvist, which meant a new boost for Quaternary geology, where glacial geology played a strong role in the subject. In connection with Lundqvist's accession, the position was transformed into an ordinary professorship. Jan Lundqvist retired in 1993 and was succeeded by Bertil Ringberg (1993-2001) and Urve Miller received a personal professorship at the department in 1995. The regular professorship was held by Barbara Wohlfarth 2002-2007 and is vacant from the second half of 2007.

During the 1980s, the subject of physical geography was dominated by remote sensing projects. The geomorphological mapping of the mountains was completed and the plant geographical mapping took over. In parallel with this development, work in Africa was deepened, with funding from SIDA. Carl Christiansson established research and teaching collaboration with several African universities and research institutes, which led to a large number of doctoral degrees at the relevant research centers, not least at Stockholm University.

Gunnar Hoppe was succeeded by Gunnar Östrem 1982-1984 and Wibjörn Karlén 1985-2003. Wibjörn Karlén strengthened above all the climate connection in physical geography. His work on paleo-climate-proxy data has led to a strong commitment for him in the debate about the earth's future heat balance.

During the 1990s, the subject of glaciology grew in connection with increased activity, primarily in Antarctica, but also through increased activity at the Tarfala station. The professorship in glaciology was re-established and Per Holmlund took over in 1999. Two years earlier, Margareta Ihse had taken up a newly established professorship in ecological geography and Johan Kleman succeeded Leif Wastenson on the professorship in Remote Sensing in 2001. Peter Kuhry has succeeded Wibjörn Karlén on the professorship in nature 2004 ) and a new professorship has been established in Hydrology (2005) held by Georgia Destouni.

Between 1985 and 1997, research and higher education in physical geography was located at Sandåsgatan 2, while undergraduate education was located at Kungstensgatan 45. The Quaternary Geological Department was located in its entirety at Odengatan 63. In 1997, both departments moved from the inner city to Frescati, to the newly built Geoscience House. In 2001, they merged into the Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology.

In 2015, the department is named the Department of Physical Geography.

Text: Per Holmlund

 

Contact

Per Holmlund
E-mail: per.holmlund@natgeo.su.se

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