Homage to a king and country. A bibliography of Swedish Jewish pamphlets

Abstract

A little-known part of Swedish Jewish bibliography are the many small separate booklets and addresses of homage produced by the Jewish communities in Stockholm, Norrköping, Gothenburg and Karlskrona to honor King and Country. The Jews who settled in Sweden in the 18th century received royal letters of protection. They were very eager to express their appreciation to the king. This started in 1782 with the death of the Dowager Queen, the mother of King Gustaf III, and only a month later there was a new booklet on the birth of an heir to the King and Queen. It was Gustaf III who seven years earlier, in 1775, had allowed the first Jews, Aaron Isaac, to settle in Sweden without converting to Christianity. On such occasions a special service was usually held in the synagogue, with songs and prayers composed especially for the occasion. These were oriented in separate booklets, often presented to the king in a special presentation copy. All pamphlets and booklets listed here are found in the Royal Library of Stockholm or in the Library of Uppsala University.