Stockholm University

Stockholm University was founded in 1878 as a radical alternative to traditional higher education institutions. Now, as in the past, universities stand for openness and accessibility and play an active role in society.

The Stockholm University Association was founded in 1869 with the aim of creating a university in Stockholm. Degree-free and exam-free Stockholm University would serve as a counterweight to the traditional higher education institutions in Uppsala and Lund. In the autumn of 1877, the first public lectures were held in the Polytechnic building on Mäster Samuelsgatan. Lectures were held in mathematics, physics, chemistry and geology, and soon also in cultural history and national economy. The tradition of public lectures still exists today.

In 1904, Stockholm University gained the right to examine its students. The right to exams was largely driven by the city council, which meant the city stepped in as a financier.

The idea of ​​financial independence for universities was being abandoned, and universities and cities were increasingly collaborating. Among other things, the city wanted universities to offer legal education due to a shortage of lawyers.

The Student Palace, originally the Faculty of Law, is a magnificent, monolithic building built by the university in the 1920s at Observatorielunden in the center of Stockholm.

Inspired by a Greek temple, with columns, huge ceilings and numerous ancient statues, it provided an inspiring environment for thousands of students for nearly a hundred years.

But in the 1920s, the university was rebuilt again, this time in Albano, north of Roslagstull, with modern technology and more places to read, thus ceasing its last major operations within the city of Stockholm. This is the story of the palace at Norrtulsgatan 2, the people behind it, and the art that lives there.

The college became a university in 1960
After several years of investigation and reform, Stockholm University was granted university status in 1960, thus becoming part of the overall investment in education and research in the post-war period.

Looking back, it can be concluded that nationalization was a prerequisite for the university to be able to develop at the speed required by the new era.

Student population explosion and congestion

The sharp increase in student numbers in the 1960s overcrowded the school buildings around Observatory Hill in the inner city, leaving no opportunity for expansion within the city. In 1970, we began a major move to Frescati with the aim of consolidating all operations. In the 1970s, the Faculty of Journalism and the Faculty of Social Sciences were incorporated into the university. In 2008, Stockholm Teachers College will also become part of Stockholm University.

Currently, Stockholm University has about 27,000 students, 1,400 doctoral students and 5,700 employees. In the fields of natural sciences and humanities, 300 educational programs and 1,700 courses are offered. The university has a total turnover of SEK 5.3 billion.

National City Park and Architecture Park

Stockholm University is situated in the middle of the world's first National City Park. At the same time, it is only a few minutes away from large cities. The combination of beautiful natural scenery, a historical environment, access to the labour market and cultural and recreational options is unique to Stockholm University.