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Rolf Sievert

1896 – 1966

Swedish medical physicist, professor

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About Rolf Sievert

Lived 1896 – 1966 (aged 70). Rolf Sievert was a Swedish physicist and university teacher.

Rolf Maximilian Sievert (; 6 May 1896 – 3 October 1966) was a Swedish medical physicist whose major contribution was in the study of the biological effects of ionizing radiation.

The sievert (Sv), the SI unit representing the stochastic health risk of ionizing radiation, is named for him. He has been called the "Father of Radiation Protection".

Biography Sievert was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His parents were Max Sievert and Sofia Carolina Sievert, née Panchéen. In 1881, his father founded the Max Sievert Company in Stockholm.

Sievert invented a number of instruments for measuring radiation doses, the most widely known being the Sievert chamber.

Legacy In 1979, at the Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures (General Conference on Weights and Measures or CGPM), the SI unit for ionizing radiation dose equivalent was named after him and given the name sievert (Sv).

Sievert had an extensive insect collection and his specimens can be found in the Entomological Museum of Lund University in Sweden.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Uppsala University, Karolinska Institutet, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University
Positions held
Professor
Employers
Karolinska Institutet
Also known as
Rolf Maximilian Sievert

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Rolf Sievert's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Rolf Sievert?

Swedish medical physicist, professor (1896–1966)

When was Rolf Sievert born?

Rolf Sievert was born on 6 May 1896 in Stockholm.

When did Rolf Sievert die?

Rolf Sievert died on 3 December 1966 in Stockholm.

What was Rolf Sievert's occupation?

Rolf Sievert was a physicist and university teacher.

What nationality was Rolf Sievert?

Rolf Sievert was Swedish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Rolf Sievert

· Wikidata: Q345283

· DBpedia: Rolf Maximilian Sievert

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Rolf Sievert. https://biography.guide/rolf-sievert/

MLA: "Rolf Sievert." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/rolf-sievert/.

Chicago: "Rolf Sievert." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/rolf-sievert/.

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