Baltic Refugees and Policy Formation in Sweden 1940–1950

Abstract

The Baltic refugees of the Second World War, in Sweden, were part of the opening up of Sweden to immigration. New research, after the turn of the century, has shown how this change of policy was part of the emerging welfare state, embracing a wider geographical area. Still, the opening was conditioned by degrees of “Nordicness” and the conditions of neutrality toward Germany and not least the Soviet Union. This review article highlights some of the new insights of Swedish historiography.

Keywords:

• refugees
• Second World War
• welfare state
• neutrality
• war criminals
• labor unions
• Nazism
• gender

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anu Mai Kõll

Anu Mai Kõll has professor emeritus status at Södertörn University in Stockholm, Sweden.