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Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné, 1707-1778)
Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) was born on 23rd May in 1707 in Råshult, in the parish of Stenbrohult. This was the place where he grew up and often returned to later during his life.
Linnaeus was born when Sweden was still a great power, with possessions all around the Baltic Sea; an empire ruled by belligerent kings, paid for by high taxes and much hardship for the population. After the death of king Charles XII in 1718, however, the empire came to an end, and an era of freedom, enlightenment and scientific advances began.
Fortunately for Linnaeus, his lifetime coincided with the Enlightenment in Sweden and the rest of Europe. He became one of Sweden's greatest scientists ever, specialized in botany and medicine, but was also a skilled and versatile entrepreneur.
Linnaeus' greatest scientific achievement was his system for classifying the natural world, published in his works Systema Naturae in several editions during the 18th century. The two-name system for naming species is still in world-wide use.
Linnaeus achievements was recognised in Sweden and across the world already during his lifteime. In 1757 he was knighted, and assumed the name Carl von Linné. Upon his death in 1783, he was buried in Uppsala Cathedral. Still today, he is one of the most famous Swedish persons of all time.
Follow the links on the right to find out more about Carl Linnaeus and his work.
This page was last updated 2011-03-23
