Symposium to address Swedish experiences and the Holocaust

Augustana College will host a one-day symposium,  “Dealing with the Past in the Present: Swedish Experiences of World War II and the Holocaust”  on Oct. 26.

Three leading historians from Sweden will discuss how neutral Sweden dealt with the war, the question of Jewish refugees and the memory of the war, and repercussions of the Holocaust in Sweden up to the present time.

Göran Rosenberg, Swedish author, will discuss his award-winning book "A Brief Stop on the Road from Auschwitz," which chronicles his family’s history in the Holocaust and as refugees in Sweden. The book was published in 2012 and has since been translated into nine languages.

Rosenberg will join the other speakers in a panel discussion on the larger question of how we deal difficult pasts, and on the contemporary situation of anti-Semitism and xenophobia in Sweden and Europe.

The award-winning film "Harbour of Hope" will be screened at 4 p.m. on Oct. 24. This is a film about Jewish survivors arriving from the concentration camps in Malmö, Sweden, after the war. Original footage is combined with narration from the survivors themselves.

All events are free and open to the public

Events are sponsored by the Swenson Swedish Immigration Center, the Scandinavian studies program at Augustana, and the Center for the Study of Judaism and Jewish Culture at Augustana College. Additional financial support comes from the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.

Schedule

Oct. 24

Screening of "Harbour of Hope," 4 p.m., auditorium, lower level of the Olin Center

Oct. 26

Auditorium, lower level of the Olin Center

10 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Dr. Lars M. Andersson, Uppsala University, “Sweden and World War II: An Overview”
Dr. Karin Kvist Geverts, National Library of Sweden, “The Question of Jewish Refugees in Sweden”
Dr. Ulf Zander, Lund University, “The Memory of the Holocaust in Sweden”

12:15-2 p.m. Lunch

2-3 pm.: Göran Rosenberg on his book "A Brief Stop on the Road from Auschwitz"

3-3:30 p.m.: Coffee

3:30-4:30 p.m.: Panel discussion with all participants 

4:30 p.m.: Concluding Words: Dr. Thomas Tredway, president emeritus of Augustana College