author
Gustaf Fredrik Steffen
1864–1929
A pioneering Swedish sociologist, economist, and politician, he helped bring sociology into university life in Sweden. His career moved between scholarship, public debate, and parliamentary work, giving his writing a strong sense of social purpose.
1 Audiobook
Normalarbetsdagen
by Gustaf Fredrik Steffen
About the author
Born in Stockholm on May 4, 1864, Gustaf Fredrik Steffen became known as a Swedish sociologist, economist, and member of parliament. Reliable biographical sources describe him as an important early figure in Swedish social science, and he is especially associated with the development of sociology in Gothenburg.
Steffen held a professorship in economics and sociology at Gothenburg's university college, where he worked for many years and helped establish sociology as a serious academic field in Sweden. His career also extended into politics: he served in the Swedish parliament and was linked with Social Democratic public life, reflecting a broad interest in how society, labor, and reform fit together.
He died on April 15, 1929, in Gothenburg. Today he is remembered less as a household name than as a bridge figure — someone who connected research, teaching, and political engagement at a formative moment in modern Swedish intellectual life.