February 27 in Swedish History

A papal permission is received to found Scandinavia's first university over 500 years ago. 

  • On February 27 in 1477 Swedish Archbishop Jakob Ulvsson receives green light from the Vatican to found a university in Uppsala. Uppsala University main building. Photography: uu.se/Uppsala University
  • February 27 in Swedish History
    1477: The Swedish Archbishop Jakob Ulvsson receives papal permission to found a university in Uppsala, which therefore becomes the first university in Scandinavia. The founding of Uppsala University takes place the same year, 1477, and it gets its fair share of political importance as well, since the Danish King Christian I is busy founding a university in Copenhagen and wants it to be the first in the North. Copenhagen University isn’t founded until two years later, however, in 1479.

  • Uppsala University becomes the first university in Scandinavia, no doubt infuriating King Christian I of Denmark who is busy founding a university of his own (Copenhagen University, which is founded in 1479). Above: Uppsala Cathedral.
  • Uppsala University, first in Scandinavia and today, 536 years later, constantly ranked among the world's 100 best universities and home to 40,000 students: http://www.uu.se/en

  • Uppsala Botanical Garden, Uppsala viewed from Uppsala Castle. Wikimedia Creative Commons/Cyberjunkie
  • The town Uppsala itself, 42 miles north of Stockholm and with 140,000 inhabitants is Sweden's fourth largest city http://www.uppsala.se/