Aleksander Loit

Aleksander Loit (11 June 1925 – 16 January 2021) was an Estonian-born Swedish historian whose research focused on Estonia and Sweden, especially the early modern Baltic provinces during Swedish rule in Swedish Estonia and Swedish Livonia within the Swedish Empire.

He taught at Uppsala University and later became professor of Baltic history at Stockholm University, where he also led the university’s Baltic Studies environment and helped build scholarly networks across the Baltic Sea region.

Early life and education Loit was born in Pärnu. His birth surname was Sitan; the family name was officially changed to Loit in 1936. He completed secondary school in Tallinn during World War II and left Estonia for Sweden in 1944.

His editorial activity included the publication series Studia Baltica Stockholmiensia, where he served as editor-in-chief for early volumes and remained closely involved with the series and its conference network. In 2001 he was awarded the Order of the White Star, III class, by the President of Estonia.

Selected works Loit, Aleksander. Kampen om feodalräntan: reduktionen och domänpolitiken i Estland 1655–1710. Doctoral thesis, Uppsala University, 1975. Loit, Aleksander. “Baltisaksa rüütelkondade seisukohad ja tegevus Eesti iseseisvumisel 1918–1920.” Tuna 4 (2006): 50–74. Kõll, Anu-Mai (ed.). Time of change in the Baltic countries: essays in honour of Aleksander Loit. Stockholm University, 2000.