Olaus Rudbeck

Olaus Rudbeck (also known as Olof Rudbeck the Elder, to distinguish him from his son, and occasionally with the surname Latinized as Olaus Rudbeckius) (1630-1702), Swedish scientist and writer, professor of medicine at Uppsala University and for several periods rector magnificus of the same university. He was the son of Bishop Johannes Rudbeckius, who was personal chaplain to King Gustavus Adolphus, and the father of Olof Rudbeck the Younger, who was ennobled in 1719 (noble family Rudbeck, nr. 1637; the family was ennobled a total of five times).

Rudbeck was one of the pioneers in the study of lymphatic vessels. According to his supporters in Sweden, he was the first to discover the lymphatic system and is documented as having shown his findings at the court of Queen Christina of Sweden in the Spring of 1652. However, he did not publish anything about it until the fall of 1653, after Thomas Bartholin, a Danish scientist, had published a description of a similar discovery of his own. (For other early discoverers of the lymphatic system, see Gasparo Aselli and Jean Pecquet).

Rudbeck's research led to the Queen's support of his career. To facilitate his studies of human anatomy, he had a cupola built on top of Gustavianum, a university edifice, and in it was built an arena-like Theatrum anatomicum, where dissection could be carried out in front of students. The cupola still remains and is a landmark in Uppsala. The "Gustavianum" stands in front of the cathedral, and is still part of the university.

Rudbeck was active in many scientific areas, including astronomy, and left many traces still visible in the city of Uppsala today. He was also said to be a good singer with a strong voice. On the personal level, he was said to be very strong-willed.

Rudbeck also became involved in the rhetoric of the era. Sweden had ascended to a position as a great power in Europe, and as is usual, there was a need for an "intellectual reason" for this power. Rudbeck, partially for this purpose, wrote Atlantica, where he argues that Scandinavia, specifically Sweden, is identical with the sunken Atlantis.

Rudbeck has been called "the first Swede to make a scientific discovery." Unfortunately, much of his work was lost in the fire that destroyed most of Uppsala in 1702. During the course of the fire, Rudbeck himself directed the people of the city, shouting orders from a roof while his house burned down. Shortly after the fire, Rudbeck died.

Alfred Nobel was a descendant of Rudbeck through his daughter Wendela, who married one of her father's former students, Peter Olai Nobelius.