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From Bosau to Falbygden

Interview with Karl-Göran Sjögren, archaeologist and guest professor in Kiel

Karl-Göran Sjögren, welcome to Kiel. Is it your first stay in Schleswig-Holstein?

Sjögren: I came here for the first time 35 years ago. In 1975, I participated in the excavation of a late Iron Age Slavonic fortification on the small island of Bischofswarder, near Bosau in the Great Plön Lake.

Was it a childhood dream of yours to become an archaeologist, or did that develop over time?

Sjögren: I never really planned to become an archaeologist. When I was about to finish school, I was rather interested in history in general, in anthropology and questions concerning how very old societies can be understood. First I studied engineering and then sociology, history and a bit of mathematics - I was interested in lots of different things. When I started working in archaeology, I got kind of trapped in it rather by chance.

Is there a field campaign you will always remember?

Sjögren: That would be the one I already talked about, my first employment as a fully trained archaeologist. During the four months in Bosau and Bischofswarder, I met lots of interesting people. I also learned quite a bit of German there and even some Plattdeutsch (Low German). A few years later I returned to Schleswig-Holstein for a Neolithic excavation near Flensburg.

What were the next stations in your archaeological career?

Sjögren: I worked in Norway for a year and also in Switzerland, Italy and France before concentrating on Sweden, especially the area of Falbygden.

What is so interesting about Falbygden?

Sjögren: It is a small area of many, many tombs which has not been seriously investigated since the late 19th century. It has always been sort of a mystery in Swedish archaeology. Falbygden is different from the surroundings for example in terms of geology, topography and vegetation.

Sometimes when a map displays such a hotspot of finds, it is just because there has been a project concentrating on this special area while neglecting the surroundings.

Sjögren: This is not the case in Falbygden, because there have been archaeological campaigns searching for tombs all over Sweden. To me, it is a fascinating question why there is such a high concentration of finds in this small area. There are some answers, but nothing that really explains it. In my opinion, it must be some sort of a combination of many different factors.

Besides the Institute for Pre- and Protohistory, you are also a guest professor at the Graduate School "Human Development in Landscapes". What do you think about the concept of the School?

Sjögren: I am really impressed by it so many people working in cooperation on different interesting subjects, looking at things from different angles. This creates a fruitful scientific atmosphere.

What is your schedule for the next months?

Sjögren: My family has accompanied me to Kiel, so after the end of the summer term we will spend a bit of time around here, enjoying the surroundings, and then go back to Sweden for the semester break. From October to the end of the year, I will return to Kiel University and offer a course for undergraduate students about the Pre- and Protohistory of Sweden. Maybe I am also going to do some course or lecture at the Graduate School as well.

Last question: How do you like Kiel?

Sjögren: Well, I am used to the rain from Göteborg (smiles). But I think Kiel has improved in many ways, comparing it to the 1970s: the atmosphere is much more relaxed, there is more life in the streets, cafés, events and so on.

Thank you for the interview. Enjoy your stay in Kiel!

Interview by Jirka Niklas Menke