Mineralogy and petrography in Stockholm, was established under the leadership of Bäckström (1909–1914), Percy Quensel (1914–1948) and Sven Gavelin (1949–1974). Sven Gavelin was a pioneer in ore geology. It is interesting to note that Helge Bäckström was portrayed by the painter Edvard Munch in 1894. During the switchover from Stockholms högskola to the state-owned Stockholms universitet in 1960, Mineralogy and Petrography was renamed Mineralogy and Petrology.

This name was changed to Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry in connection with the installation of Frans Erik Wickman as Sven Gavelin’s successor, in 1974. During his relatively short time as professor (1974–1980) Frans Erik Wickman was also the President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences during the period 1976–1979. Wickman’s successor, Kurt Boström was installed in 1981. Boström was known for his early usage of geochemistry in connection with the geology’s paradigm shift (plate tectonics). He considered mineralogy well-represented at the Swedish Museum of Natural History and therefore renamed his program to Geochemistry and Petrology in 1989. At this stage, two of the Department’s three programs focused on geochemical disciplines.

This was the basis for the program leaders for geochemistry, Kurt Boström and Rolf Hallberg, to promote the change of a name from the Department of Geology to the Department of Geology and Geochemistry.

Kurt Boström’s former research student, Johan Ingri became the next Professor of Geochemistry and Petrology in 1998. After two years in Stockholm, Johan Ingri returned to Luleå. Both Kurt Boström and Johan Ingri were primarily interested in low temperature geochemistry. A young Scot, Alasdair Skelton, was Ingri’s successor in 2001. Alasdair Skelton’s interest for mineralogy, petrology and tectonics led to a redirectioning towards classical geology. The program was therefore renamed Geology in 2005. This re-established a discipline that had been part of the Department between 1909 and 1951, albeit with a different focus amongst the breadth of the geological disciplines.

• Geology at Stockholms högskola and Stockholms universitet
• From Geology and Mineralogy in 1881 to Marine Geology in 2010
• From Mineralogy and Petrography in 1909 to Geology in 2005
• From Microbial Geochemistry in 1984 to Geochemistry in 2005
• Department of Geological Sciences
• Promoted professors 2000–2010
• Closing remarks