Survey of the scientific career of Sven Ekdahl

 

 

Swedish nationality, since 1979 resident in Berlin.

 

Born in 1935 in the province of Smaland in southern Sweden. Academic studies at the  universities of Gothenburg (Sweden) and Göttingen (Federal Republic of Germany).

MA in 1961, approved for civil service. Licentiate examina in history at the University of Gothenburg in 1967. Employment as librarian at the university library of Gothenburg (1965-1968) and as archivist at the regional archives of Gothenburg (1968-1973).

 

Scholarships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Max Planck Society for research in the archives of the Teutonic Order in “Staatliches Archivlager” in Göttingen, where the former State Archives of Königsberg (East Prussia) were then kept.

Promotion for a doctorate cum gradu in history at the Abo Academy (Swedish University) in Finnland (1977) and habilitation at the University of Gothenburg (1978) .

In the same year, appointment as assistant professor at the University of Gothenburg.

1979-1999 scientific researcher at the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz Berlin, where the archives of the Teutonic Order had been taken from Göttingen, in 1978/79.

 

From 1996 to 1999, chairman of the Nordostdeutsches Kulturwerk e.V., Lueneburg.

Granted the Stanislaw Sawicki Award by the Polish-Scandinavian Research Institute in Copenhagen in 1998 and the Order of Grand Duke Gediminas (State Order of the Republic of Lithuania) by President Valdas Adamkus in 1999. 

 

In 2002 appointed professor in medieval history (research professor) at the Polish-Scandinavian Research Institute, also member of the board of that institute. In 2004 appointed  honorary doctor at the University of Vilnius and in 2005 as foreign member of the Lituanian Academy of Sciences.

 

Former, respectively present co-editor of scientific reviews in Sweden, Poland and Lithuania and editor of the jubilee book of The Swedish Parish (Victoria Parish) in Berlin, 2003.

Author of more than one hundred scientific publications (excluding book reviews), most of which dealing with the history of Prussia, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden and Livonia in the late Middle Ages.

 

Special field of research : the Battle of Tannenberg (Grunwald, Žalgiris, Hrunval’d, Grjunval’d/Grünwald) in 1410.

 

Bibliography in internet : www.ekdahl.de

 

Member of several historical commissions and societies in various countries.

 

Married, three grandchildren.

 

Sven Ekdahl

 

Berlin, December 2009.