Swedish Academy

The Swedish Academy () was started in 1786 by the Swedish King Gustav III.  It was copied from the Académie française, the first Academy ever. The Swedish Academy has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste" ("Snille och Smak" in Swedish).

Since 1901 the Academy has decided who will win the Nobel Prize in Literature The prize is given in memory of Alfred Nobel.
The other thing the Academy does is to help to keep the Swedish language clean. They work for the "purity, strength, and greatness of the Swedish language" ("Svenska folkets renhet, styrka och höghet"). To help do this, the Academy publishes two dictionaries.

The first is a dictionary in only one big book, called Svenska Akademiens ordlista (or SAOL). In 2015, it was up to its 14th edition. The second dictionary has many volumes. It is called Svenska Akademiens ordbok (or SAOB). The content it is so big that it needs many books, like the Oxford English Dictionary. The first book in the set was printed in 1898 and in 2015 work had got as far as words beginning with the letter "V".

The Academy uses a building now known as the Stockholm Stock Exchange Building. The bottom floor was used as a trading exchange and the upper floor was used for dances, New Years Eve parties, etc. In 1786, the ballroom was the biggest room in Stockholm that could be heated and be used in the winter. The king asked if he could use it. The Academy has met there every year since. In 1914 the Academy gained the right to use the upper floor as their own forever. This is where they meet and, amongst other business, choose the Nobel Prize winners. Because of this, the Academy is one of the most important literary groups in the world. The Swedish Academy is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.

Current members

The current members of the Swedish Academy listed by seat number :

SeatMember of the AcademyBornElect.Notes1. Lotta Lotass 19642009 2. Bo Ralph194519993. Sture Allén19281980Permanent secretary 1986-19994. Anders Olsson 194920085. Göran Malmqvist192419856.Tomas Riad195920117.Sara Danius19622013Permanent secretary 2015-8. Jesper Svenbro194420069. Torgny Lindgren1938199110. Peter Englund19572002Permanent secretary 2009-201511.Klas Östergren1955201512. Per Wästberg1933199713. Gunnel Vallquist1918198214. Kristina Lugn1948200615. Kerstin Ekman19331978Inactive16. Kjell Espmark1930198117. Horace Engdahl19481997Permanent secretary 1999-200918. Katarina Frostenson19531992

Permanent secretaries
Order Seat Permanent Secretary of the AcademyBornYearsNotes1.11.  Nils von Rosenstein 1752 1786-1824  2.13.  Frans Michael Franzén 1772 1824-18343.12.  Bernhard von Beskow 1828 1834-1868 4.5.  Johan Erik Rydqvist   1800 1868-1869pro temporare5.15.  Ludvig Manderström 1806 1869-18726.12.  Carl Gustaf Strandberg  1825 1872-1874pro temporare7.9.  Henning Hamilton 1814 1874-18818.11.  Bror Emil Hildebrand  1806  1881-1883pro temporare9.8.  Carl David af Wirsén  1842 1883-1912pro temporare in 1883-8410.6.  Hans Hildebrand 1842  1912pro temporare11.11.  Erik Axel Karlfeldt  1864 1913-193112.14.  Per Hallström  1866 1931-194113.13. Anders Österling  1884 1941-196414.7.  Karl Ragnar Gierow  1904 1964-197715.14.  Lars Gyllensten  1921 1977-198616.16.  Sture Allén 1928 1986-199917.17.  Horace Engdahl 1948  1999-200918.10.  Peter Englund  19572009-201519.7.  Sara Danius  19622015-

References

Other websites
 Swedish Academy – Official site 
 Swedish Academy – Official site 
 SAOL on the web – Free
 SAOB on the web  – Free

Category:Language regulators
Category:Nobel Prize
Category:Organizations based in Stockholm
Category:1786 establishments in Europe
Category:18th-century establishments in Sweden