Fences of the Nation: Boundaries, Elites and Jewish Emancipation in Sweden, c. 1838–1870

Nineteenth-century Swedish-Jewish history has sometimes been classified as a peripheral adjunct to German-Jewish history. This article discusses the boundaries set up by Swedish-Jewish emancipationists in their struggle to be defined and accepted as Swedes. By defining themselves as Swedes and using the Swedish language, Swedish-Jewish emancipationists distanced themselves from the German language, while at the same time maintaining good relations with German-Jewish communities. Distancing themselves from so-called Ostjuden, but also helping them through poor-relief and other expenditure, is also discussed in relation to how Swedish-Jewish emancipationists defined themselves as belonging to the Swedish nation, and not a 'Jewish nation'.