The women who paved the way at Uppsala University

Ellen Fries (1855–1900)

Historian, teacher and writer

When Ellen Fries defended her thesis in history at Uppsala University in 1883, she became the first woman in Sweden to earn a PhD. Her achievement marked a decisive breakthrough for women in Swedish academia.

Fries’s academic success built on the pioneering work begun a few years earlier by Betty Pettersson, who in 1875 became the first woman to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. While Pettersson opened the door to university education, Fries took the next step by attaining the highest academic status that was possible for a woman at this time. In addition to her academic achievements, she was a co-founder of the Fredrika Bremer Association and Nya Idun, a journal for women. She was also the first chair of the Fredrika Bremer Association.

Elsa Eschelsson (1861–1911)

Lawyer

Elsa Eschelsson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with history as her main subject in 1885 and a Master of Laws degree in 1892. In 1897 she defended her doctoral thesis in law and became Sweden’s first female docent. Despite her qualifications, she was denied a professorship because of her sex. Her life subsequently became a powerful symbol of the structural obstacles that women encountered in academia. Eschelsson was an early pioneer in the field of law and a striking example of how women had to fight for academic rights.

Lydia Wahlström (1869–1954)

Doctor of Philosophy in history, suffragette, teacher

Lydia Wahlström began her studies in Uppsala in 1888, at a time when women were still very much a minority in higher education. In 1898 she defended her doctoral thesis in history. She was the second woman in Sweden to earn a PhD in history and the fourth woman in the country to obtain a doctoral degree. She was also one of the founders of the Uppsala Women Students’ Association and its first chair. The members of the association were the first women to wear the student cap in public. Consequently, she did not just study, she also worked actively to strengthen the position of women within the University.

Eva von Bahr-Bergius (1874–1962)

Physicist and teacher

In 1908, Eva von Bahr-Bergius defended a doctoral thesis at Uppsala University on the effect of pressure on the absorption of infrared radiation by gases. The same year, she became Sweden’s first female docent in physics. Her research contributed to increased understanding of the importance of the atmosphere for the warming of the Earth. Her doctoral thesis attracted attention and was highly regarded internationally.

Karin Boye (1900–1941)

Author

Karin Boye came to Uppsala in 1921. She studied Greek, Scandinavian languages and literature. While a student at Uppsala, she published her debut collection of poems Moln (Clouds; 1922), which gave her a place among the Swedish modernists. She also wrote a second collection of poems, Gömda land (Hidden Lands; 1924) while still a student. During her years in Uppsala, she began to formulate the themes that were later central to her work. These included issues of identity, cross-gender experience, existential crisis and a break with traditional norms.

Boye was a member of the Women Students’ Association and was elected as its chair. She was also involved in Clarté, the periodical of the Swedish Clarté League, a non-partisan socialist students’ organisation, and was a member of its editorial staff. Boye was not just a writer, she was also an active participant in contemporary debates on politics, culture and gender equality.

Fatemeh Khudadadi