Mikael Alm
Professor at Department of History
- Telephone:
- +46 18 471 15 24
- E-mail:
- Mikael.Alm@hist.uu.se
- Visiting address:
- Engelska parken, Thunbergsvägen 3 A
- Postal address:
- Box 628
751 26 UPPSALA
Download contact information for Mikael Alm at Department of History
Short presentation
Professor of history. Contact for Matariki. Member of the UU Collegium of Mentors. Research on political and social culture in the age of revolutions. Manager of the project Gustav's Hand (infrastructure, RJ), digitising the private archive of King Gustav III.
Latest book: Sartorial Practices and Social Order in Eighteenth-Century Sweden: Fashioning Difference (Routledge 2021)
Ongoing: A Year at Court: People, Places, and Social Order in Eighteenth-Century Sweden
Biography
BA Uppsala University 1996, MA Uppsala University 1997, Dr. phil. Uppsala University 2002, Docent Uppsala University 2012.
Programme Director for Early Modern Studies (EMS)
Director of Research for Early Modern Cultural History
In his research, Mikael Alm has focused on questions of power, hierarchies, and the ways in which social and political relationships are expressed, shaped and legitimised. The main focal point has been on the political and social culture of late 18th- and early 19th century. He is currently working with a project on sartorial practices for social differentiation in eighteenth century Sweden. Throughout his work runs an interest in empirical sources, schools of theory and methodologial solutions. The theoretical interest has primarily been focused on the field of cultural history and analytical concepts such as culture, languages and discourse. Methodologically, Alm has, alongside traditionally historical text-sources, worked extensively with non-written sources (such as medals, monuments, dress, ceremonies et cetera) through iconographic, ritual and spatial analysis.
Alm teaches on all academic levels, and is pedagogically active in a broad sense – from lectures and seminars on the A-level to working seminars on the research process and the craft of the historian on master and PhD-level. Lately, he has been particularly engaged at the master level, as Programme Director of the international Master Programme in Early Modern Studies, and as Research Director of the Research Node Early Modern Cultural History (which is presently engaging some 30 master and PhD students from the disciplines History, Art history, Textile studies and Musicology. In 2007, he was awarded the Uppsala University Pedagogical Prize, and since 2010, he is a member of the assessing board of that prize.
Alm interacts extensively in media with historical storytelling and expertise, from radio and newspapers via SVT and TV4 to the british BBC.
Keywords of main research area: power, royalty, legitimacy, 18th century, image-making, language, discourse, rhetoric, symbols, ceremony, visualisation, public sphere.

Publications
Recent publications
Bliv vid din läst! Det svenska ståndssamhället utifrån och inifrån
Part of Aktuellt om historia, p. 37-46, 2023
Part of Historisk Tidskrift, p. 448-454, 2022
Sartorial Practices and Social Order in Eighteenth-Century Sweden: Fashioning Difference
Routledge, 2021
From Marshal to Monarch: State ceremonies and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte in post-Napoleonic Sweden
Part of Power and Ceremony in European History, p. 121-139, Bloomsbury Academic, 2021
"FABIAN PERSSON, Survival and Revival in Sweden’s Court and Monarchy"
Part of Sjuttonhundratal, p. 184-187, 2021
All publications
Articles in journal
Bliv vid din läst! Det svenska ståndssamhället utifrån och inifrån
Part of Aktuellt om historia, p. 37-46, 2023
Part of Historisk Tidskrift, p. 448-454, 2022
Making a Difference: Sartorial Practices and Social Order in Eighteenth-Century Sweden
Part of Costume - Journal of the Costume Society, p. 42-62, 2016
Part of Populär Historia, p. 44-45, 2011
Kring märkesåret 1809: statskuppen, konstitutionen och rikssprängningen
Part of Historisk Tidskrift, p. 53-64, 2010
Harald Nilsson hedersdoktor i Uppsala
Part of Nordisk Numismatisk Unions Medlemsblad, p. 33, 2010
Harald Nilsson hedersdoktor i historia vid Uppsala universitet
Part of Svensk Numismatisk Tidskrift, p. 17, 2010
Predikstolens gemenskaper under 250 år: (opponentrecension)
Part of Historisk Tidskrift, p. 544-550, 2009
Part of Numismatisches Nachrichtenblatt, p. 503, 2009
Part of International Numismatic Newsletter, p. 14, 2009
Part of Upsala Nya Tidning, 2009
Haga och upptakten till dramat 1809
Part of Hagabladet: en tidning för natur och kultur vid Haga-Brunnsviken, p. 6, 2009
Part of Populär Historia, 2006
Part of Populär Historia, 2006
En dynasti blir till.: Medier, myter och makt kring Karl XIV Johan
Part of Historisk tidskrift, p. 5, 2004
Part of Svenska folkets kungaminnen. Kungligt imageskapande och kungligt kulturarv, 2003
Part of Scandinavian Journal of History 28, 2003
Royalty, Legitimacy and Imagery. The Struggles for Legitimacy of Gustavian Absolutism, 1772-1809
Part of Scandinavian Journal of History, p. 18, 2003
Part of Populär Historia, 2002
Part of Uppsala Nya Tidning, 2002
Part of Populär Historia, p. 8, 2001
Articles, review/survey
Part of Upsala Nya Tidning, 2009
Books
Sartorial Practices and Social Order in Eighteenth-Century Sweden: Fashioning Difference
Routledge, 2021
Överkammarherrens journal 1778-1826: ett gustavianskt tidsdokument
Kungl. Samfundet för utgivande av handskrifter rörande Skandinaviens historia, 2010
Chapters in book
From Marshal to Monarch: State ceremonies and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte in post-Napoleonic Sweden
Part of Power and Ceremony in European History, p. 121-139, Bloomsbury Academic, 2021
'Language and Social History in the Long Eighteenth Century'
Part of Powers of Description, Uppsala University, 2019
I segerns larm: Ljudlandskapet kring 1701 års troféparad
Part of Minnet av Narva, p. 79-103, Nordic Academic Press, 2018
The Count's Tabourette, Gender Ideals, Household Chores, and Knitting Handbooks: Introduction
Part of Performing Herself, p. 9-12, Uppsala University, 2017
Überlegungen zu einer Nationaltracht: 'Social Imaginary' im Schweden des späten 18. Jahrhunderts
Part of Diskurse - Körper - Artefakte, p. 267-286, Transcript Verlag, 2015
The Making of a King. State Ceremonies and Royal Imagery in Post-Napoleonic Sweden
Part of Mächtepolitik und Friedessicherung., p. 153-167, LIT Verlag, 2014
En föreställd ordning: Olikhet och synlighet i det gustavianska Sverige
Part of Allt på ett bräde, p. 351-361, Uppsala universitet, 2013
Revolutionsåret 1809 ur ett fågelperspektiv
Part of Svenskfinska relationer, p. 19-32, Nordiska museets förlag, 2011
Politykapaństowa wobec kształtowaniapostaw obywatelskich
Part of Parlament– Konstytucja – Demokracja w edukacji historycznej i obywatelskiej, p. 65-66, Stowarzyszenie Oświatowców Polskich, 2011
Spöken i Europa: Ätterna Holstein-Gottorp och Bernadotte efter tronskiftet 1809
Part of Familjen Bernadotte, p. 28-47, Riksarkivet, 2010
Riter och ceremonier kring Karl XIV Johan
Part of En dynasti blir till, p. 37-77, Norstedts, 2010
Part of Kungligt genom tiderna, p. 26-33, Nationalencyklopedin, 2010
Medaljer som en panegyrisk spegling av makten
Part of Härskakonst, p. 106-113, Nationalmuseum/Statliga Eremitaget, 2010
Part of Haga, p. 218-229, Votum, 2009
En gustaviansk historia: Gustav III:s liv och regering i ord och bild
Part of Opus mixtum, p. 1-30, 2009
Dynasty in the Making: A New King and His 'Old' Men in Royal Ceremonies 1810-1844
Part of Scripts of Kingship, p. 23-48, Historiska institutionen, Uppsala universitet, 2008
Part of Svenskt biografiskt lexikon, p. 684-687, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon, Stockholm, 2006
Bilden av Karl XIV Johan, i Rosendals slott
Part of Rosendals slott, Byggförl./Kultur, 2003
Part of De Kungliga Slotten. Rosendals slott, p. 8, 2003
Att slå mynt av kungen: Självbild & självbildsskapande i Gustaf III:s medaljhistoria
Part of Svenska folkets kungaminnen, Livrustkammaren, Stockholjm, 2003
Part of Svenska krig och krigiska svenskar. Historisk antologi, p. 11, Historiska Media, 2002
To Coin the Language of Absolutism: Language and image in the medallic history of Gustav III
Part of Guises of Power, p. 65-80, Historiska institutionen, Uppsala universitet, 2001
Bilden av kriget. Från Puumala till Värälä i Gustav III:s medaljhistoria
Part of Skärgårdsflottan. Uppbyggnad, militär användning och förankring i det svenska samhället 1700–1824, p. 18, Historiska Media, Lund, 2000
Part of Ordets makt och tankens frihet. Om språket som maktfaktor (The power of words and the freedom of thought. On language as a force of power.), 1999
Collections (editor)
Powers of Description: Language and Social History in the Long Eighteenth Century
Uppsala University, 2019
Performing Herself: Everyday Practices and the Making of Gender in Early Modern Sweden
Uppsala University, 2017
Scripts of Kingship: Essays on Bernadotte and Dynastic Formation in an Age of Revolution
Historiska institutionen, Univ., 2008
Conference papers
What to Wear: The Moral Ramifications of Sartorial Practices in Early Modern Sweden
2016
Polityka państwowa wobec kształtowania postawobywalteskich
Part of Toruńskie spotkania dydaktyczne VIII , 2011
Nauczanie historii w szwedzkim szkolnictwie wyższym
Part of Obraz, dżwięk i smak w edukacji historycznej, p. 290-292, 2010
Part of Sixth European Social Studies History Conference (ESSHC), 2006
En dynasti blir till: Kontinuitet och förändring i det mediala landskapet kring Karl XIV Johan
Part of Svenska Historikermötet 2005, 2005
Part of Svenska Historikermötet 2002, 2002
Den absoluta offentligheten: Det gustavianska enväldet och den offentliga sfären
Part of Svenska Historikermötet 2002, 2002
Monograph doctoral thesis
Other
"FABIAN PERSSON, Survival and Revival in Sweden’s Court and Monarchy"
Part of Sjuttonhundratal, p. 184-187, 2021
Part of Populär Historia, 2011
Part of Historisk Tidskrift för Finland, p. 643-648, 2010
Caroline Mathilde. Magt og skaebne: av Michael Bregnsbo
Part of Sjuttonhundratal. Nordic Yearbook for Eighteenth-Century Studies, p. 139-140, 2009
Svensk 1700-talsgrevinna får liv
Part of Populär Historia, p. 1, 2008
Vår man i Rom: Överintendent Car Fredric Fredenheims italienska resa 1787-1790
Part of Sjuttonhundratal, 2005
Part of Populär Historia, 2005
Den svenska pressens historia. I: I begynnelsen (tiden före 1830)
Part of Karolinska förbundets årsskrift, 2003
Part of Nordost-Archiv. Zeitschrift für Regionalgeschichte, p. 4, 2001
Part of LYCHNOS Årsbok för Idé- och lärdomshistoria 1998, s 275-276 (LYCHNOS Annual of the Swedish Historyof Science Society), 1998