Born in Stockholm in 1933, Lindquist died in Visby in 2017. He was a Swedish museum director and cultural geographer.
Sven-Olof Lindquist became a doctor of philosophy in 1968 and was an extraordinary associate professor (docent) at Stockholm University from 1968 to 1971. Lindquist was a research lecturer at the Swedish National Council for Social Research 1971–1976, and then became a county antiquarian in Gotland County 1977–1979.

From 1979 to 1995, he was head of Gotland's museum "Fornsalen" (Ancient Hall). From 1995, Lindquist was head of research and leader of the project Gotland Center for Baltic Studies at the Gotland County Administrative Board and the University of Gotland.