Swedenborg lecture

On Tuesday 29 March 2022, the Center for History of Science at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences hosted a special 250th anniversary lecture in commemoration of Swedenborg’s death.

The event, which took place in the afternoon in the Academy’s Nobel Room, featured an opening address by the Centre’s director Karl Grandin, followed by a lecture from Vincent Roy-Di Piazza, an early modern historian of science and DPhil candidate at the University of Oxford. Vincent’s lecture, titled ‘Do Not Eat So Much: Swedenborg on Madness, Regimen and Clairvoyance’ contextualized Swedenborg’s interests in regimen, anatomy, proto-psychiatry and spiritual development within broader 18th century discussions, showing how Swedenborg’s ideas both challenged and engaged with dominant views at the time.

The lecture, which was held before an international audience of researchers, students and archivists in a restricted covid setting, celebrated the wide range of Swedenborg’s contributions, interests and legacy.

The event concluded with a lively discussion, followed by Semla and sugared coffee at the Centre, Swedenborg’s favorites.

Emanuel Swedenborg’s archive at the Center for the History of Science has been one of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Sites since 2005.