Sven Hedin

Hedin was born in Stockholm. Between 1886 and 1892 he studied geology, mineralogy, zoology, and Latin in Stockholm, Uppsala, Berlin, and Halle. Student of Ferdinand von Richthofen.

Between his graduation in 1892 and 1935 he led several expeditions to Central Asia. In 1902 he was the last Swede ever to be ennobled with a hereditary title. He became a member of the Swedish Academy in 1913.

His achievements include the production of the first detailed maps of vast parts of Pamir, Taklamakan, Tibet, the ancient Silk Road, and the Himalayas. He seems to be the first European to realise that the Himalayas are a single mountain range.

He was a personal friend of Gustav V of Sweden (and his queen Victoria of Baden) and paid them regular visits. He was the co-author (together with Carl Bennedich) of the so-called borggårdstalet (the speech at the royal castle) which was read during the peasant armament support march (bondetåget) arrival at the royal castle. In this speech the king denounced the government (headed by Karl Staaff) defence policy, which led to its resignation.

Sven Hedin supported and admired the Nazis and Adolf Hitler (who in turn admired him) before and during the Third Reich. He died in Stockholm.

Expeditions