Einar Åberg and the Global Reach of Swedish Antisemitism, 1930s to 1960s

This project explores the history of the Swedish antisemite Einar Åberg and the reactions to his propaganda from the 1930s to the 1960s, in Sweden and internationally. What role did Åberg play for antisemitism during this period? What was the response to his propaganda, in Sweden and abroad?

In responding to these questions, the project adds to Swedish political history, the history of responses to antisemitism and the global history of antisemitism during the twentieth century. The project lasts for three years and is divided into three thematic substudies. The first substudy deals with Åberg´s antisemitic "knowledge" and his propaganda.

The second focuses on Swedish responses to Åberg´s activities, from the 1930s to the 1960s.

In the third substudy the focus is on international reactions to Åberg´s antisemitism, from the late 1940s to the 1950s.

In empirical terms, the project draws on large amounts of previously untapped sources, published and archival, Åberg´s pamphlets and booklets, the Swedish and international press, documentation from the Swedish ministries of justice and of foreign affairs, of the Jewish congregation in Stockholm and of international Jewish organizations, such as the World Jewish Congress.

In theoretical terms, the project seeks to deconstruct the concept of antisemitism, both by investigating its specific function in the hands of Åberg and by analyzing its different meanings in the debates triggered by his propaganda.