Empire in flux

: the managing of otherness and the creation of Swedishness during periods of territorial expansion and decline, 1645–1845

Abstract

In this thesis, I examine the management of otherness and the creation of Swedishness through the lens of writers who were working on behalf of the Swedish state, between 1645 (the Second Treaty of Brömsebro) and 1845 (the termination of Götiska Förbundet (the Gothic League)). As these writers dealt with territorial fluctuations, they created narratives of both belonging and exclusion as they produced knowledge on behalf of the Swedish Empire. These concepts are studied in the context of history writing in the expansionist period with reference to Olof Rudbeck the Elder and Samuel Pufendorf. Additionally, they are examined in the context of imperial decline in the natural sciences by studying the work of Olof Rudbeck the Younger, Carl Linnaeus, and Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien (the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences), in narratives of the past as presented by competition entries to Kungliga Vitterhetsakademien (the Royal Swedish Society of Letters, History and Antiquities), and in the development of national romanticism through Götiska Förbundet. This thesis places Sweden within the context of empire studies and contributes to scholarship on national belonging and identity. I draw several broader conclusions about constructions of Swedishness and otherness. The concept of Swedishness was stable within the core of Sweden proper. The key exception to this occurred in the treatment of Sápmi. During the decline of the empire, there was a growing interest in incorporating the Northern land in a way which could be productive for the rest of Sweden. This was a practical and scientific, rather than a cultural endeavour. The treatment of those considered “Other” was also consistent; when discussing Finns and Sámi, they were presented as different from “true” Swedes. This was especially stressed after the loss of Finland, where the emphasis on a Gothic-based identity meant that Finland did not need to be engaged.

Date of Award	3 Dec 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	Bernhard Struck (Supervisor), Kathrin Zickermann (Supervisor) & Fredrik Thisner (Supervisor)