Faculty of Humanities, Stockholm University

History

Polish was the first Slavic language taught at Stockholm University (since 1934). A lectureship was established in 1937, with Zbigniew Folejewski, a graduate of Polish studies from Stefan Batory University (USB), becoming the first Polish teacher. Józef Trypućko, also a USB graduate, taught briefly in Stockholm before moving to Uppsala University in 1940, where he became a professor of Slavic languages in 1964.
In 1951, Folejewski left Sweden. In later years, Polish was taught in Stockholm primarily by Swedish Slavists: Nils Åke Nilsson, Knut Knutson, and Gunnar Gunnarsson, followed by Barbro Nilsson, Lars Kleberg, and Per-Arne Bodin. In the 1980s and 90s, they were supported by visiting lecturers from Poland—successively Ewa Kraskowska, Jerzy Bralczyk, Witold Maciejewski, Włodzimierz Gruszczyński, and Ewa Gruszczyńska. In 1984, a permanent teaching position in Polish studies was created and awarded to Ewa Teodorowicz-Hellmann. In 1995, at the request of the government, the parliament approved the creation of a professorship in Polish Language and Literature at Stockholm University. Leonard Neuger assumed this chair in 1998. Following his retirement, Maria Zadencka took over the professorship in Polish Language and Literature in 2015.
Staff of the Institute of Slavic Studies teaching Polish between 2000 and 2025: Prof. Ewa Teodorowicz-Hellmann, Prof. Kazimiera Ingdahl, Prof. Dorota Tubielewicz-Mattson, Dr. Janusz Korek, Prof. Janina Gesche, Assoc. Prof. Renata Ingbrant, Lisa Mendoza Åsberg, Dr. Joanna Zatorska Rosén.

Scholarly activity

Advanced Seminars, Colloquia, and Open Lectures

In addition to Polish studies courses, we conduct advanced seminars and colloquia and organize mini-conferences, some of which are open to the public (partially in cooperation with the Polish Institute in Stockholm). We invite renowned scholars from Poland, Sweden, and other countries to these events. Examples of themes from previous years include:

"J. J. Rousseau in Poland and Sweden" (Krwawicz, Skuncke), "From the Union of Lublin to the European Union" (Filipowicz, Wawrzeniuk), "On the Poetry and Translations of Tomasz Różycki" (Różycki, Czabanowska-Wróbel, Rabizo-Birek); "The Works of Gustaw Herling-Grudziński" (Bolecki), the conference "Cultural Relations Between Poland and Sweden in the Early Modern Era" (Cybulska-Bohuszewicz, Sjökvist et al.), a trialogue on Stanisław Lem’s "Solaris" (Tischner, Piekarski), a lecture on the philosophy of Józef Maria Bocheński (Guerrero van der Meijden), and the seminar "Roman Ingarden and Translation Studies in Poland" (de Bończa Bukowski).

Conferences and Workshops for Polish Language Teachers

For many years, we have collaborated with the Association of Polish Teachers in Sweden. Together with the Association, and with the support of the Embassy and the Polish Institute, we have organized pedagogical conferences dedicated to bilingualism (2017) and history teaching (2018), several two-day speech therapy workshops (language learning and child development), and the conferences "The Polish Language: Past and Present" (partially dedicated to the anniversary of the Commission of National Education, 2023) and "Our Languages: Native, Second, Mother, Inherited, First; The Language of Art" (2024).

Polonica in Swedish Collections

The work of a former research project led by Prof. Emerita Ewa Teodorowicz-Hellman (Stockholm University) and Prof. Alina Nowicka-Jeżowa (University of Warsaw) concerning Polish Polonica in Swedish libraries is being continued in the form of a doctoral dissertation currently in preparation (Zatorska).

We maintain contact with the University Library in Uppsala (Carolina Rediviva), where work is underway on cataloguing the collections of Poznań libraries removed in the 17th century (the work is carried out in cooperation with the Special Collections Department of the Poznań University Library).

Historiography and literature in exile

- Research work regarding the legacy of, among others, Oskar Halecki, Marian Kukiel, Walerian Meysztowicz, and Henryka Paszkiewicz, and the organization of Polish scientific life in post-war exile, was included in a volume of a research project on the emigré historiography of Central and Eastern Europe. The project was initiated and led by Maria Zadencka in cooperation with the Nordost-Institut in Lüneburg (Andreas Lawaty) and, among others, the Polish Museum in Rapperswil—continuation in the form of contacts with, among others, the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada (Volodymyr Kravchenko).
- Participation in a research project led by the University of Białystok, the University of Turin, and the Polish Library in London regarding research on emigré archives (Zadencka).
- Participation in international conferences and congresses.
- Contact with foreign Polish studies departments in other countries.

Didactics

1. POLISH STUDIES – as a field of study (huvudämne), it belongs organizationally to Slavic languages (the "language" majors cover not only practical and theoretical language learning but also knowledge of literature, culture, history, and society).

Polish studies can conclude with a Bachelor's examination (kandidatexamen), a Magister examination [an examination between a Bachelor's and a Master's], and a Master's examination (masterexamen, which corresponds to the Polish magister exam).

1. Polish studies at the basic level 120 ECTS (/ 180 ECTS)

(Grundnivå, progressionen)

- Polish I, 30 ECTS [one semester] = Polish 1A, 15 ECTS + Polish 1B, 15 ECTS [two semesters; enrollment for all these courses is open every semester].

- Polish II, 30 ECTS [one semester, enrollment open once a year] (= Polish 2A, 15 ECTS + Polish 2B, 15 ECTS) [two semesters, enrollment open every year; 2A in the autumn semester and 2B in the spring semester].

- Polish III, 30 ECTS [two semesters, enrollment open every second year].

- Polish – kandidatkurs, 30 ECTS [two semesters, enrollment open every second year] (duration of study: 6–8 semesters).

A Bachelor's degree (Kandidatexamen 180 ECTS) consists of 120 ECTS in Polish studies subjects (progressionen) and 60 ECTS in other elective subjects.

2. Polish studies at the advanced level

(Avancerad nivå, progressionen)

Master's course (Polish masterkurs), 30 ECTS within Polish studies (progressionen).

A Master's degree (Masterexamen 60 ECTS) consists of 30 ECTS in Polish studies subjects [a series of courses offered at the advanced level for 7.5 ECTS each] (progressionen) and 30 ECTS in supplementary courses within the main field of study (Huvudområde), Slavic Studies (duration of study: 2–4 semesters).

A student can also choose a two-stage path:

Polish magisterkurs, 15 ECTS within Polish studies (progressionen) (30 ECTS examination) + Polish masterkurs, 15 ECTS within Polish studies (progressionen) (30 ECTS examination) with supplementary courses in the main field of study, Slavic Studies (Huvudområde) (duration of study: 2–4 semesters).

3. Polish studies at the doctoral level (Forskarnivå)

Huvudområde: Slavic Languages [Slavic Department, Department of Slavic and Baltic Languages, Finnish, Dutch, and German] – literary profile, – linguistic profile, – cultural studies profile.

Doctoral thesis 120 ECTS (duration of study: 8 semesters or longer, depending on the "activity level" agreements).

1. POLISH STUDIES – independent courses (självständiga kurser)

Huvudområde: Slavic Languages [Slavic Department, Department of Slavic and Baltic Languages, Finnish, Dutch, and German].

Slavic languages, [Department of Slavic Studies, Institute of Slavic, Baltic, Finnish, Dutch and German Languages.

1. Single courses at the basic level (7.5 ECTS)

These can be studied without knowledge of the Polish language as single, "free-standing" courses (7.5 ECTS) or as part of an elective course block "Culture and Politics in Slavic Countries I and II" (Kultur och politik i slaviska länder I / II) 30+30 ECTS.

(Lectures shared with the lectures of the courses included in the Polish studies major (inom progressionen), first, second, and third years).

- Poland Yesterday and Today – (Polen igår och idag / Polsk historia, kultur och samhälle) (Polish 1) – every semester.
- History of Polish Literature – (Polsk litteraturhistoria) (Polish 2) – once a year.
- History of Polish Culture and Ideas – (Polsk kultur- och idéhistoria) (Polish 3) – once a year.
- Land of Contrasts (Kontrasternas land) – irregularly.
- The Holocaust in Polish Literature (Förintelsen i polsk litteratur) – irregularly.

Furthermore:

- The Prose World of Olga Tokarczuk (Olga Tokarczuks prosavärld) – irregularly.

- Polish Grammar in a Contrastive Perspective (Polsk grammatik i ett kontrastivt perspektiv) – irregularly.

2. Single courses at the advanced and doctoral levels:

- Polish Fiction and Non-fiction (Polsk skönlitteratur och sakprosa), 7.5 ECTS.
- Cultural Theory: Transfer of Theory Between East and West (Kulturteori: teoriöverföring mellan öst och väst), 7.5 ECTS.
- Polish Modernism (Den polska modernismen), 7.5 ECTS.
- Reading and Interpreting Polish Poetry (Att läsa och tolka polsk poesi), 7.5 ECTS.

2. STUDY PROGRAMS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS AT STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY (SU)

Within Polish Studies (Slavic Department, SlaBaFiNeTy), students enrolled in study programs at other departments also study:

1. Basic level:

- Bachelor's Program: Languages and Translation (Språk och översättning) 180 ECTS at the Institute for Interpreting and Translation Studies (Tolk- och översättarinstitutet).

Within Polish Studies: 60 ECTS.

https://www.su.se/sok-kurser-och-program/h%C3%B6vka-polk-1.412167

2. Advanced level:

– Master's Program in Literature—with a specialization in Polish literature (Masterprogrammet i litteraturvetenskap) 120 ECTS at the Department of Culture and Aesthetics (Institutionen för kultur och estetik).

Within Polish Studies: 45 ECTS (15 ECTS basic level + min. 30 ECTS Master's level).

https://www.su.se/english/search-courses-and-programmes/hmplo-pols-1.425744

- Master's Program in Language Science—with a specialization in the Polish language (Masterprogrammet i språkvetenskap) 120 ECTS at the Department of Linguistics (Institutionen för lingvistik).

Within Polish Studies: 45 ECTS (15 ECTS basic level + minimum 30 ECTS Master's level).

https://albatross.it.su.se/api/education/educationplan/pdf/HSPMO/VT2023 /punkt 13