Olof Celsius the Younger

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Olof Celsius the Younger

Olof Celsius the Younger (born December 15, 1716 in Uppsala , † February 15, 1794 in Lund ) was a Swedish historian and Lutheran clergyman ( bishop in the diocese of Lund since 1777 ).

Life

Celsius, a son of the botanist and theologian Olof Celsius the Elder (and cousin of Anders Celsius ), studied at Uppsala University , where he passed his master's degree in 1740 and was given a lectureship in history the following year. In the same year he was promoted to vice librarian, in 1747 to professor of history. Although he had previously shown little interest in theology, he was in 1751 ordained and took over (after the graduation to the Dr. theol. 1752) various parishes in Stockholm . Here he worked particularly as chairman of the committee for the development of a new hymn book , which appeared in 1765/67. He also showed great commitment in the Reichstag , of which he was a pastor from 1755 to 1786 (with interruptions), first as a member of the “hat party” , later as a supporter of the “hat party” .

1777 was Celsius against the vote of the clergy of the diocese at the instigation of King Gustav III. appointed Bishop of Lund. He did not take office until 1779 and worked through visitations and parish conferences. His primary commitment, however, was the University of Lund , as its Pro-Chancellor he worked as bishop and advocated the preservation of classical scholarship.

plant

Even as a student, Celsius had made a name for itself with the tragedy Ingeborg (printed 1737, performed 1738) in the Corneille style . He later had other poems follow her, but they were unsuccessful. His magazine projects ( Thet swenska nitet , 1738, and Tidningar om de lärdas arbeten , 1742, are considered the first works of Swedish literary criticism) were short-lived. Celsius was of greatest importance as a historian. His depictions of the history of the first two Swedish kings after the Reformation, Gustav I Wasa and Erik XIV , were long considered classical, although they were more fictional than worked from the sources.

Honors

Celsius was admitted to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1746 and an honorary member of the Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Academies in 1788 . When the Swedish Academy was founded in 1786, he was one of the 13 founding members personally appointed by the king.

In 1756 he was ennobled; his children took the name of Celse .

Fonts (selection)

  • Bibliothecas Upsaliensis historia . Uppsala 1745 (Latin-Swedish new edition Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksell 1971).
  • Konung Gustaf den förstes historia, efter gamla och ostridiga handlingar sammanskrifwen . Vol. 1-2. Stockholm 1746–53 (3rd ed. Lund 1792; German: Geschichte Königs Gustavi the First . Vol. 1–2. Copenhagen; Leipzig: Rothe, 1753).
  • Svea rikes kyrko-historia, ur de bästa den äldre tidens handlingar sammanletad . Del 1. Stockholm 1767 (unfinished, ends in 865).
  • Tal om smak uti den svenska, så bundna, som obundna vältaligheten ... Stockholm 1768 (new edition Stockholm 1964).
  • Konung Erik den fjortondes historia, sammanskrefwen efter gamla handlingar . Stockholm 1774 (2nd ed. Lund 1795; German: History of King Erichs the Fourteenth; written from old documents . Flensburg, Korten, 1777).
  • Inträdes-valley, hollet uti Svenska academien d. 27 May 1786 . Stockholm 1786 ( litteraturbanken.se ).

literature

predecessor Office successor
Johan Engeström Bishop of Lund
1779 - 1794 		Petrus Munck von Rosenschiöld
personal data
SURNAME Celsius, Olof the Younger
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish historian and bishop
DATE OF BIRTH December 15, 1716
PLACE OF BIRTH Uppsala
DATE OF DEATH February 15, 1794
Place of death Lund