I’m a historian of early modern and modern China working as a special collections librarian at the Ricci Institute at Boston College. Before coming here, I worked in the rare book trade, at Academia Sinica in Taipei, and at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. I grew up in Stockholm.

My research so far has focused on language in history: the study of language and languages, linguistic aspects of the history of science, and language use within the political institutions of the Qing empire. The empire was ruled by Manchus, and the Manchu language played an important part in Qing administration and court culture. Much of my time has accordingly been spent dealing with this language.

Most recently, fortuitous archival discoveries and my job at the Ricci Institute have inspired me to work on the history of Chinese missionary linguistics in the nineteenth and twentieth century.

Email: hansmarten.soderblomsaarela (at) bc.edu

An errata list for my publications can be found here.

I sometimes take photos, some of which can be seen here.