THE ROYAL PHYSIOGRAPHIC SOCIETY OF LUND ACADEMY FOR THE NATURAL SCIENCES, MEDICINE AND TECHNOLOGY THE ROYAL PHYSIOGRAPHIC SOCIETY OF LUND practical commercial enterprises, in ac- The Social Life of the Society cordance with the ideals of the Age of FOUNDED ON DECEMBER 2nd 1772 Enlightenment. As early as the first de- During the 18th and 19th centuries, and cades of the 19th century, however, the also into the 20th century, the Society´s activities that occupied the Society ten- meetings were held in members´ homes, ded to shift towards more fundamental providing an environment in which scien- scientific fields. tific business could be combined with so- cial contacts. The number of members is A thorough modernisation of the char- nowadays prohibitive for such an arrang- ter was sanctioned by King Carl XV on ement, and the social activities consist of November 28th 1862. During the 1950´s suppers taken after the monthly public and later, certain alterations and amend- lectures and plenary meetings, the annual ments were made to this version. After excursion with spouses in September, elaborate preparatory work, new statutes and the annual dinner and ball on Decem- were established by the government on ber 2nd to commemorate the date of the May 22nd 1997. His Majesty the King founding of the Society. This is a formal of Sweden is the Patron of the Society. and festive occasion, with the Permanent Anders Jahan Retzius Nils Hesslén Andreas Barfoth Secretary’s yearly report, the outgoing In 1773 the Society had 20 Swedish President’s formal address, as well as the members, and that year the first foreign awarding of prizes and medals. The dress HISTORY member, Peter Christian Abildgaard, code is formal, and for male Fellows this Professor at the University of Copenha- requires a black vest and a black bow tie, The primus motor and one of the foun- the Royal Physiographic Society was to gen and founder of the Danish Veterina- traditionally considered to be the working ders of this learned society was Anders have “two such interesting and useful ry Institute, was elected to the Society. A dress at meetings of Fellows of the So- Jahan Retzius, Professor of Natural His- aims as Natural History and Economics”. distinction between Swedish and foreign ciety from the Society’s inception. In pa- tory at Lund University, together with members, however, was not made until rallel to the Society’s meetings, the wives Nils Hesslén, theologian, later to become Even though this initial charter of 1772 1815. of male Fellows often meet informally Bishop and Vice Chancellor of the Uni- was retained, over the years additions and according to Section at someone’s home, versity, and Dr. Andreas Barfoth, M.D. amendments were made. The objectives The aim of the Society is, and has been the so-called ”Ladies Fysiografen”. On May 6th 1778 the Society was san- of the Society were initially focussed on from its establishment, to provide re- ctioned by Royal Command by searchers and scholars from different King Gustav III, and has since then disciplines the opportunity to meet and Physiographic Society had the epithet “Royal”. hear presentations of new research re- - what does the name mean? sults and to exchange thoughts and ide- The Nordiska Familjebok (The Nordic A model for the Royal Physio- as. The Society also provides support to Family Encyclopaedia), (second edition, graphic Society of Lund was research within its areas of interest. Vol. 9, 1908), gives the derivation: Phy- siography (from the Greek, fýsis, nature, the Royal Swedish Academy of and graphein, to write), the description of Sciences in Stockholm, which had The history of the Society has been trea- nature. - Physiographer, one who descri- earlier been founded in 1739, and ted by Otto Gertz in “The Royal Phy- bes the landscape. - Physiographic, des- which had similar objectives. The siographic Society in Lund, 1772-1940” cribing nature. The word has fallen from Swedish Academy was established (Publ.: C.W.K.Gleerup, Lund, 1940) and general use, but the above definition fits somewhat later, in 1786. Håkan Westling in “The Royal Physio- the Physiographic Society precisely, be- Picture from Lund 1782. Plate by J.F. Martin after ing an academy for the Natural Sciences, an oil painting by Elias Martin. Source: The Medical graphic Society in Lund, 1772-2006” Technology and Medicine. According to the original statutes, Historical Society of Southern Sweden (Publ.:Wallin & Dalholm, Lund 2006) THE ROYAL PHYSIOGRAPHIC SOCIETY TODAY THE SOCIETY’S ORGANISATION The Royal Physiographic Society has importance of basic research for our As is the case in other learned societies, A special panel appointed for each do- had its administrative secretariat in cen- medical and technological wellbeing. candidates are proposed for membership. nation administers the incoming appli- tral Lund since 1991, with offices for the This is realised via public lectures at the The elected Fellows of the Royal Physio- cations and proposes recipients of the office staff and its elected members. It is Society’s meetings and via symposia that graphic Society are assigned to sections, grants. Members are elected for three also here that the Society´s documents are open to the general public. which are sub-divided into classes. Each years and can be re-elected once. There and archives are kept. There are also class has a prescribed number of Fellows are also panels for the selection of candi- meeting rooms for the Society´s Board, The Society also considers it important below the age of 65 years. When a Fellow dates for the Society’s prizes and medals. panels and committees. to stimulate discussions on current pu- reaches 65 years of age, a new Fellow can A central role is played by the Economic blic science policy within the research be elected to take their place. Older Fel- Advisory Council, whose task it is to ad- Due to the fact that the word “Physio- community, and this it does via yearly lows however remain in their class, and vise the Society in the administration of graphy” is no longer in use, the Society symposia. The proceedings of these membership of the Society is for life. its assets. The Economic Advisory Coun- some years ago adopted a sub-title, na- symposia are recorded for posterity in cil meets five times per year, and consists mely, “Academy for the Natural Sci- book form and are also filmed (and can Even if the majority of the Swedish Fel- of the Permanent Secretary/Treasurer, the ences, Medicine and Technology”. The be viewed afterwards on the Society’s lows are affiliated with the academic in- Society’s economist and members that objective of the Society is to encourage home page). stitutions of Skåne, many Fellows are at- have competence and experience from and support research within these fields. tached to the country’s other Universities the bank, finance and business sectors. The Society publishes an annual report, and Colleges, while others come from Members of the Society’s Board often at- The Society is the trustee of several large comprising a list of all its members and the world of industry, commerce and the tend the meetings of the Economic Advi- donations, from which the investment re- officials, an excerpt from the Society´s public service sector. A special group are sory Council. turns are used to finance research grants. financial report, obituaries over de- the Foreign Fellows who, just as for Swe- As a result, the Society plays an ever in- ceased members, and reports of the mee- dish Fellows, are assigned to sections and creasing role in the research community. tings and lectures given during the year. classes. The Society also elects Honorary The vast majority of grants are awarded Furthermore, several volumes treating Fellows of whom there are five at the pre- to researchers at Lund University, and of specialised subjects have been published sent time. these priority is given to PhD students and can be found on the Society’s home and younger unestablished researchers. page under Publications. The Society is administered by a Board consisting of the Preses (President), two The Society also administers donations The Royal Physiographic Society meets Vice Preses (the two outgoing Preses created to provide funds for prizes and in plenum once a month during the aca- from the previous two years), the inco- medals. In these cases it is a question of demic term. At these meetings questions ming Preses, the Permanent Secretary/ rewarding outstanding and prestigious concerning the business of the Society Treasurer and three other members. The research, and, for obvious reasons, it is are discussed and decided upon, such as Permanent Secretary/Treasurer is elec- usually the work of well-established the election of new Fellows, the distribu- ted for a period of five years. The Preses scholars that is considered. tion of grants and the awarding of prizes is elected for one year at a time, but is a and medals. These meetings begin with a member of the Board for the year prior to As in other learned societies, the President his/her term as the incoming Preses, and has the title Preses (from the Latin praesidio, Today, the Society recognises the ur- public lecture. to sit in front of). The chain borne by the Pre- gent need to spread information about the two years after his/her term as the out- ses is of silver with a gold-plated seal, made outstanding research beyond the walls The Society is independent of the univer- going Preses. The other Board members by the goldsmith S. Albrechtsson of Lund, and are elected for two plus two years.