Uppsala Forum Guest Lecture: Beyond the Pale: How Post World War II Immigrants Affected Jewish Cultural Life in Sweden

Despite its small numbers, Jewish cultural life has been a growing part of Swedish culture since 1774, when Aaron Isaac arrived in Sweden from Germany and became the first documented Jewish person in the country who chose not to convert to Christianity. Jews received full citizenship and religious freedom in the 19th century. Yet the 20th century brought a new wave of Jewish immigrants to Sweden's shores, when the country eventually stepped in to open its doors to victims of the Holocaust. While some of these victims moved on, others stayed in Sweden becoming a part of the Jewish cultural life there. My research will focus on what aspects of Swedish culture affected Jewish culture before the war, and then how Jewish culture may have changed in light of Central and East European immigrants and Holocaust survivors coming to Sweden after the war.

Karen Uslin is adjunct professor of Music History and Fellow for the Center of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Rowan University. Her main areas of expertise include music from the concentration camp of Theresienstadt and music from Central/Eastern Europe. Her current work includes examining music criticism during the period of World War II.