250 years of Jewish life in Sweden will be celebrated in 2025
Updated
This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jewish life in Sweden. The anniversary is an opportunity to highlight the Jewish minority, Jewish culture and Jewish cultural heritage that is found all over the country. The Jewish community has a long historical presence in Sweden. At the same time, there is a need to improve knowledge about the Jewish community and its history in Sweden.
Jewish culture - a part of Swedish culture
– Jewish culture has played an integral role in Swedish culture for 250 years. Through its rich traditions and artistic expression, Jewish culture has left a lasting impression on our history and our shared cultural heritage and will continue to shape and contribute to it in the future, says Minister for Culture Parisa Liljestrand.
The year 2025 marks 250 years since the formation of the first Jewish Community in Sweden. The Government has therefore instructed a number of agencies, to help highlight the 250th anniversary.
Press release: Government initiatives for Jewish life and Holocaust remembrance
The agencies are:
- The Living History Forum
- The Institute for Language and Folklore
- The National Library of Sweden
- The Swedish Agency for Support for Faith Communities
- The Swedish National Heritage Board
- The Swedish National Archives
- The Swedish Institute
- The Swedish Arts Council
- Swedish National Agency for Education
In 2024, the Living History Forum was instructed to carry out measures prior to and during the 250th anniversary. This included producing information material and spreading knowledge about the anniversary on the agency’s website, and managing and providing the graphic profile that Living History Forum created for the anniversary.
The National Agency for Education has been tasked with raising awareness of this anniversary and presenting proposals on how it can be highlighted in schools.
The graphic profile of the 250th anniversery
The graphic profile, which was developed by the agency Living History Forum on behalf of the Government, was presented by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at a ceremony in the Riksdag on 23 January 2025 in connection with International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
In his speech, the Prime Minister described how the anniversary’s graphic profile illustrates prominent aspects of Swedish cultural heritage that Swedish Jews have contributed to such as Ida’s Summer Song, Josef Frank’s designs and Herbert Felix’s pickled cucumber.
Task force for Jewish life in Sweden
The Government’s task force for Jewish life in Sweden was presented in January 2023. The working group collaborates and conducts dialogue on preventive measures and efforts to improve the conditions for Jewish life and prevent and combat antisemitism in Sweden.
250 years of Jewish life in Sweden
The year 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jewish life in Sweden. The anniversary is an opportunity to highlight the Jewish minority, Jewish culture and Jewish cultural heritage that is found all over the country.
