Mattias Legnér
Professor at Department of Art History, Conservation
- Email:
- mattias.legner[AT-sign]konstvet.uu.se
- Telephone:
- +4618-471 8331, +46-498 108331
- Visiting address:
- Campus Gotland, Cramérgatan 3
621 57 Visby - Postal address:
- Uppsala universitet, Campus Gotland
621 67 Visby
Short presentation
Mattias Legnér is Professor in Conservation and docent in History. He researches, teaches and lectures on the history of conservation and especially how cultural heritage is treated in and changed through conflicts. His research also deals with relationships between historic environments, climate change and energy use.
Short introduction: "Cultural heritage – a target in armed conflict" (in Swedish)
Keywords: kulturvård väpnade konflikter kulturarvsnoden cultural heritage conservation conflict post-conflict reconstruction world war ii beredskap energy use cultural property kulturegendom contingency climate adaptive reuse
Recorded lecture: "The protection and destruction of heritage: From the Second World War to the war in Ukraine", 1 December 2022.
Review of Legnér's monograph Values to safeguard. Conservation as a state interest in Norden at the time of the Second World War, i Ethnologia Fennica 49:2 (2022), pp. 199-201.
"Cultural heritage protection policies in Sweden: Breaks and continuities from the Second World War to the Russo-Ukrainian War", 8th Baltic Sea Region Cultural Heritage Forum, Gdánsk 12-13 September 2023
"The costs of protection – Dealing with cultural heritage in times of war". Inbjuden föreläsare till Historisches Institut, Universität Greifswald (28 juni 2023)
Post-conflict reconstruction of cultural heritage (2019)
For more information switch to the Swedish website.
Mattias Legnér took his PhD at Department of History, Stockholm University in 2004. He subsequently taught History at Gotland University (2003-06) and was a researcher at Culture and Society, Linköping University (2006-08). Legnér has also been a visiting scholar in the USA, first at Institute for Policy Studies, Johns Hopkins University (2007-08), and then as a STINT scholar at Department of History, Oberlin College (2010). He is Full Professor in Conservation since 2013.
Mattias Legnér's research deals with how heritage buildings and collections have been valued, managed and cared for historically. This includes studies of legislation and the implementation of policies. In recent years his research has covered three fields:
1) cultural heritage and conflicts in Europe since World War I,
2) energy use and conservation of the built environment in Sweden, and
3) the history of museums and conservation in Sweden.
Since 2010 Legnér has led six large research projects funded by the Swedish Research Council, Swedish Energy Agency and Uppsala Universitet. In 2015-18 he led the "Research Node Cultural Heritage", which is a network of scholars and master students interested in heritage studies at Uppsala University.
Leadership of larger research projects
Preparedness for the cultural heritage sector during alert and armed conflict. National Heritage Board (Riksantikvarieämbetet), project funding 2023-25 together with the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI).
Protection of religious heritage in Sweden in the event of armed conflict. Church of Sweden, project funding 2023-24.
Renovation practices in abandoned homes: Improved conditions for careful energy efficiency measures. Swedish Energy Agency, 2022-24.
The history of Gotland Museum. Wilhelmina von Hallwyls Gotlandsfond and other funders, 2022-23.
Protection of cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict. Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and the National Heritage Board 2021-22.
Energy efficiency and cultural values in housing. How well do the policies work on the local level? Funded by the Swedish Energy Agency 2020-23.
Monumentskydd i Norden under andra världskriget. Carl Göran Adelswärds stiftelse, Magnus Bergvalls stiftelse, Brusewitz donationsfond, Wilhelmina von Hallwyls Gotlandsfond, 2018-21.
"An evaluation of previous policies on energy efficiency in buildings and their effects on energy use and historical values, Sweden 1974-2014." Funded by the Swedish Energy Agency 2015–2019.
"Attacks on cultural heritage: causes and consequences" Cooperative project with the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Uppsala University. Internal grant 2016.
"Research Node Cultural Heritage" Internal grant 2016-18.
"An historical perspective of energy efficiency in buildings." Funded by the Swedish Energy Agency 2011-15.
Management plans for historically valuable buildings (pilot). Swedish National Heritage Board 2014.
"Cultural heritage and comfort. The issue of suitable indoor climate in historic buildings in the 20th century". Funded by the Swedish Research Council 2010-15.
Industrial heritage and historic environment policies in urban regeneration. Tema Q, Linköping University, post doc 2006-2008.
PhD supervision
2022- Elsa Bane, PhD candidate in Conservation, Uppsala universitet (primary supervisor)
2021- Susanna Carlsten, PhD candidate in Conservation, Uppsala Universitet (primary supervisor)
2018-22 Simona Bravaglieri, Ph.D. candidate in Architectural Preservation, Politecnico Di Milano, Italy (secondary supervisor)
2011–17 Mikael Hammelev Jörgensen, Ph.D. candidate in Conservation, Göteborg University (primary supervisor)
Please contact the directory administrator for the organization (department or similar) to correct possible errors in the information.
