Gothlandia was discovered on 30 September 1930, by Catalan astronomer Josep Comas i Solà at the Fabra Observatory in Barcelona, Spain.

[8][11][12][13][16] Lightcurve analysis gave a consolidated rotation period of 3.4916 hours with a brightness variation of 0.81 magnitude (U=3).

Modeled lightcurves using data from the Uppsala Asteroid Photometric Catalogue (UAPC) and other sources gave a concurring period 3.491820 hours.

[14][15] In 2013, another modeled lightcurve obtained form photometric data collected by the Catalina Sky Survey also determined a spin axis of (334.0°, −84.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).

[5][6][7][8][9][10] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.2631 and a diameter of 12.46 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.59.