The freedom for anyone to start a business is not a historical given. Nowadays, economic freedom is even guaranteed in the Swedish Constitution (Chapter 2, Section 17), but it was not established in Sweden until 1864.

The driving force behind an expanded economic freedom was Finance Minister Johan August Gripenstedt, a pragmatic politician who saw a greater future for Sweden. Together with a number of other profound social reforms of the time, economic freedom laid the foundation for modern Sweden and the increase in living standards that benefited the entire society.

In 2014 Economic Freedom celebrated 150 years in Sweden, which we at the Centre for Business History commemorated in many ways, including together with Axess TV in a program series about the importance of economic freedom.

In 2020 we celebrated Economic Freedom Day with a live webinar.

Our school coordinator Anahi Davila, business historian Anders Johnson, and research director Anders Houltz talk about the start of modern Sweden, the man behind the economic freedom reform Johan August Gripenstedt, women’s entrepreneurship, and the emergence and development of the Swedish model. The moderator is Gustav Svensson. Here you can watch the recorded webinar:

Want to learn more about the importance of economic freedom for the development of Swedish society? Here are some in-depth tips:

• Right and Left debate the importance of economic freedom (video)
  The book "The History of Swedish Business 1864 – 2014" was debated at a seminar at IVA in Stockholm on June 18, 2014. Cecilia Stegö Chilò moderated a panel consisting of editor Mats Larsson and author Lena Andersson Skog, Jens Spendrup, Mona Sahlin, and PJ Anders Linder. Don’t miss the visit from Finance Minister Johan August Gripenstedt himself (in the guise of actor Lennart R Svensson), where he questions how his economic freedom reform is handled by today’s politicians.
• “The History of Swedish Business 1864 – 2014” (book)
  The book The History of Swedish Business 1864-2014, published by us at the Centre for Business History in collaboration with Dialogos Publishing, can be ordered via the publisher’s website.
• Get a Grip on Gripenstedt! (book)
  The man behind the introduction of economic freedom was Johan August Gripenstedt. As Swedish Finance Minister in the mid-19th century, Gripenstedt unleashed the country’s "dormant forces." He found financing for the railways, realized free trade, phased out guilds and estates, and safeguarded peace. He advocated a pragmatic "middle way" in politics and claimed that poor Sweden would become one of the richest countries in the world. With him began the Swedish prosperity miracle. Read the book about Gripenstedt written by Per T Ohlsson!
• The Age of Economic Freedom (report)
  The Ordinance on Extended Economic Freedom 1864 was the starting shot for 150 years of growth, a development which transformed poor Sweden into one of the richest nations in the world. The report gathers contributions from various fields, including art history, literature, and economic history, and offers a different portrait of an intense period in Sweden’s history that affected all areas of society. Among the authors are Ulrika Knutson, Lena Johannesson, and Lars Ilshammar.