Interested in geopolitics in both retrospect and contemporary application? CBEES and the Institute of Contemporary History would like to invite you to an event where we will discuss and present Rudolf Kjellén (1864-1922), the inventor of the concept of geopolitics.

Rudolf Kjellén (1864-1922), the inventor of the concept of geopolitics, wrote a number of publications on the Great Powers of the world, two of which, Russia and Germany, were neighbors to Sweden and fared extremely subverting destinies during his lifetime. In-between these great powers in demise were smaller states (Sweden), proto-states (Finland) and territories under Great Power domination but finally becoming independent, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Kjellén’s writings on the years before, during and after World War I reflect his attitudes to the geopolitical game around the Baltic Sea as well as the prospect of democracy and nationhood. Today, as geopolitics as well as authoritarian visions return to world politics and regional regime, challenging democracy, it is timely that Kjellén’s work is given a fresh analysis in an anthology edited by Ragnar Björk and Thomas Lundén, both associated with Södertörn University. One article by Carl Marklund, also at SH, directly addresses Kjellén’s biopolitical and Baltic visons. The book, Territory, State and Nation. The Geopolitics of Rudolf Kjellén, is planned to appear in August this year.

Due to the ongoing restrictions as well as the strict seating limitation of the venue, all participants have to register in the online form External link.