The Centre for Business History organized a research seminar on November 19, 2025, entitled 250 Years of Jewish Entrepreneurship in Sweden. The event was organized to commemorate 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden and took place in the beautiful premises of the Swedish Parliament, at the invitation of the Speaker.
Around thirty invited researchers, business leaders and politicians participated in a day of presentations and discussions on current research on Jewish entrepreneurship in Sweden and the Nordic countries. The program was put together by the Center for Business History's Benito Peix Geldart and our previous guest researchers Maja Hultman , post doc at the Centre for European Studies at the University of Gotheenburg.
The day opened with a keynote by Åsa Karlsson, editor-in-chief of the Swedish Biographical Dictionary published by the National Archives. She gave a historical exposé of the efforts of Jewish entrepreneurs in Sweden. This was followed by a discussion panel on “The everyday life of Jewish business” and then one on “Jewish business history and its archives”, where researchers from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark shared their knowledge and experiences.
The day featured lively discussions about how Jewish entrepreneurship and economic activities have contributed to the construction of the modern welfare state, but also about how these activities have at different times been affected by anti-Semitism and narrow frames for minority groups in society. Our hope is that the seminar will inspire new research and exciting interdisciplinary collaborations.
Pictures from the day
Program
09:30
Breakfast
10:00
Opening: Anders Sjöman (CEO) and Anders Houltz (research director), Centre for Business History in Stockholm.
10:15
Keynote: 250 years of Jewish entrepreneurship in Sweden, Åsa Karlsson, ph.d., National Archives
11:15
Paus
11:30
Panel 1: The everyday life of Jewish business (Moderator: Maja Hultman)
- Angelina Palmén, postdoctoral fellow, Uppsala University
- Vibeke Kieding Banik, docent, University of Southeast Norway
- Anders Blomqvist, university lecturer, Dalarna University
12:45
Lunch
13:45
Panel 2: Jewish Business History and Its Archives (Moderator: Anders Houltz)
– Benito Peix Geldart, researcher and archivist, CfN's research secretariat
– Maja Hultman, postdoctoral fellow, University of Gothenburg
– Laura Ekholm, associate professor, University of Helsinki
– Leonora Lottrup Rasmussen, postdoctoral fellow, Aarhus University
15:00
Coffee break
15:30
Final summary: Benito Peix Geldart, Centre for Business History, and Maja Hultman, University of Gothenburg.
16:00
Closing
