Hans Olof Hildebrand Hildebrand (5 April 1842 – 2 February 1913) was a Swedish archeologist. He is internationally known as one of the pioneers of the archaeological technique of

typology Typology is the study of types or the systematic classification of the types of something according to their common characteristics. Typology is the act of finding, counting and classification facts with the help of eyes, other senses and logic. Ty ...

Biography

Rökstenen och riksantikvarie Hans Hildebrand 1890

Born in Stockholm, he was the son of

Bror Emil Hildebrand Bror Emil Hildebrand (22February 1806 in Madesjö30August 1884) was a Swedish archaeologist, numismatist and museum director. From 1837 to 1879 he was Custodian of Ancient Monuments and Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters. From 1847 ...

and Anna Mathilda Ekecrantz. He was the brother of historian Emil Hildebrand (1848-1919). Hildebrand became a student in

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in opera ...

in 1860, graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1865 and was promoted the following year to a doctor of philosophy. During the years 1870–1871, he made a trip abroad under a travel scholarship. Hildebrand, along with his father and his colleague

Oscar Montelius Gustav Oscar August Montelius, known as Oscar Montelius (9September 18434November 1921) was a Swedish archaeologist who refined the concept of seriation, a relative chronological dating method. Biography Oscar Montelius refined the concept ...

(1843-1921), is considered to have been one of the fathers of Swedish archaeology. He worked both in

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

and

numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includ ...

, mainly of the High and Late

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. Between 1895 and 1913, Hildebrand was Director-General of the

Swedish Academy The Swedish Academy ( sv, Svenska Akademien), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III of Sweden, Gustav III, is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish lang ...

. From 1879 to 1907 he was also Secretary to the

Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities also called simply the Royal Academy of Letters or Vitterhetsakademin abbreviated KVHAA ( sv, Kungl. Vitterhetsakademien Historie och Antikvitets Akademien or or ) is the Swedish royal ...

and Custodian of the

Swedish National Heritage Board The Swedish National Heritage Board ( sv, Riksantikvarieämbetet; RAÄ) is a Swedish government agency responsible for World Heritage Sites and other national heritage monuments and historical environments. It is governed by the Ministry of Cult ...

(''Riksantikvarieämbetet''). Whilst at the Academy of Letters he contributed to the foundation of the journal ''

Fornvännen ''Fornvännen'' ("The Friend of the Distant Past"), ''Journal of Swedish Antiquarian Research'' is a Swedish academic journal in the fields of archaeology and Medieval art. It is published quarterly by the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, Histor ...

''. He was a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien) is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special ...

from 1891. He gave the Rhind Lectures in 1896, on "Industrial arts of Scandinavia in pagan times".

Personal life

He married Elin Maria Charlotta Martin in 1867. He was the father of historian Karl Hildebrand (1870-1952) and philanthropist Hedvig Elisabeth Carlander (1875-1961).

References

1842 births 1913 deaths Scientists from Stockholm Swedish archaeologists Uppsala University alumni Members of the Swedish Academy Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 19th-century Swedish scientists Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts {{Sweden-archaeologist-stub