On Swedish Nature: Olof Rudbeck and the Uppsala Anatomical Theatre of 1662

The anatomical theatre at the University of Uppsala (1662-63) was more than a space for the scientific dissection of bodies. Rather, it embodied the anthropological construction of a Swedish identity developed by its builder Olof Rudbeck in the four-volume work Atlantica. The following shows how Rudbeck created a space of representation and experience through his choice of formal models, materials and technical solutions, in which the essence of Swedish nature was to be explored and cultivated at the same time.