Thunberg’s collection of letters saved – thanks to a generous donation

Carl Peter Thunberg (1743–1828) was one of Carl von Linné’s students and later succeeded him as professor. Following his many long journeys, Thunberg spent a considerable period working at Uppsala University and is known, among other things, for his work *Flora Japonica* (1784).

11,000 letters from society throughout the 18th century

The collection comprises more than 11,400 letters written by around 1,400 people. Many contributed information to Thunberg in the form of plants, travelogues, descriptions of illnesses, recipes and everyday observations from all over the world.

What is unusual about the collection is the diverse backgrounds of the senders. In addition to letters from scientists and doctors, it also contains correspondence from, for example: shipowners, students, coppersmiths and merchants – groups whose voices are rarely heard in historical sources. Many of the letters were also written by women, which makes the material particularly interesting.

A frequently consulted research treasure

Thunberg’s collection of letters was donated to the University Library in 1828 and organised into 38 volumes, each containing around 300 letters. It has since been an invaluable source of material for research. Precisely for this reason, the letters have suffered significant wear and tear; both the passage of time and the method used to bind the letters into volumes in the 19th century have resulted in many of them being damaged.

The work of conserving the letters involves the library’s conservators carefully removing them from the volumes. The pages are repaired, cleaned and then placed in acid-free paper for long-term storage. Once the conservation work is complete, the material is digitised and made searchable in the cultural heritage database Alvin.

Donation made the project possible

Work on conserving the letter collection has been able to begin thanks to a fundraising campaign organised following the passing of former Library Director Ulf Göranson. Two of the most worn volumes have been conserved.

“We are very grateful for the donation we received following the passing of our former colleague, Library Director Ulf Göranson. The gift has enabled us to begin this important work of preserving the letters for the future,” says Maria Berggren, Head of Special Collections at Uppsala University Library.

Thunberg, like Linnaeus, came from Småland, and establishing a connection with the region was significant for Ulf Göranson’s family. Thunberg was inspector at Smålands Nation from 1789 to 1828, as was Göranson almost 200 years later. Smålands Nation made the largest contribution to the fundraising campaign. Maria Angberg, Ulf Göranson’s wife, is delighted with the fundraising.

“It feels so wonderful that the fundraising was able to help kick-start the conservation of Thunberg’s letters and that it will be a lasting memorial to Ulf within the collections,” says Maria Angberg.

The need for conservation remains significant

Work on the conservation of the remaining volumes needs to continue. In the meantime, access to the most damaged volumes is very limited.

“We hope to secure funding to continue working on the rest of the Thunberg letters. The need for conservation measures for these, and indeed for other parts of our collections, is very great,” concludes Maria Berggren.

Viveka Stolt