Biography
Geijer was born at Geijersgården, his family's estate in Ransäter, Värmland. He earned his Master's degree from Uppsala University during 1806. Geijer was a professor of history from 1817 at Uppsala University where a statue now commemorates him. He was rector of Uppsala University during the years 1822, 1830, 1836 and 1843-1844. As a representative of the university, he was a member of the Church of Sweden clergy: 1828-30 and 1840-41. He was a member of the Swedish Academy (on seat 14) from 1824. In 1835, he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Geijer was also a founding member of the Geatish Society (Götiska förbundet). In the first issue of its periodical, Iduna, appeared Geijer's most famous poem The Viking (Vikingen), which described the Viking as the heroic Norseman that many of us might imagine today and was a turning-point in the rehabilitation of Norse culture among the Swedish people. Geijer also collaborated with Arvid August Afzelius, in the three volume collection of Swedish folk-songs, Svenska folk-visor från forntiden (Stockholm, 1814–1816).
Although he rose to fame as a nationalist author, Geijer's views changed during his lifetime, and he began to advocate social reform and Liberalism.
He died in Stockholm.
Read more about this topic: Erik Gustaf Geijer
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