Page 28 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Stockholm

26  INTRODUCING ST OCKHOLM

Universal Suffrage to accept a government that contained
Sweden’s population reached 5 million around repub lican-friendly Social Democrats,
1900 despite mass emigration to America. includ ing the future prime minister, Hjalmar
Many people moved to the towns to work Branting (1860–1925). By then it was
in industry, and by the early 20th century parliament, not the king, that decided what
Stockholm’s popu lation was about 300,000, sort of government Sweden should have.
a fourfold increase since the year 1800.
Increasing social awareness and The Growth of
the rise of the Social Democrat the Welfare State
and Liberal parties in the early In 1936 the Social Democrats and
20th cen tury gave impetus to the Farmers’ Party formed a coalition
de mands for universal suffrage. that developed what was to
Radical authors such as August become known as the welfare
Strindberg became involved. state. The Social Democrat prime
There ensued a political battle, minister, Per Albin Hansson (1885–
which was not resolved until 1921, 1946), defined the welfare state
when universal suffrage was Branting and Gustav V in as a socially conscious society
introduced for both sexes. conversation, 1909 with finan cial security for all.
Another question which was hotly Reforms introduced under this
debated in the 19th century was the role of policy included unemployment benefit,
the king and the extent of his powers. In his paid holidays and childcare. As a result,
“courtyard speech” at the Royal Palace in poverty in Sweden virtually dis appeared
1914 King Gustav V called for military rearma- during the 1930s and 1940s.
ment. This led to a con stitutional crisis and The right of everyone to good hou sing
the resignation of the Liberal government. was also part of welfare state policy. Under
After the 1917 election the king was forced the principle of “work-home-centre”, a new
Stockholm suburb, Vällingby, was planned
and built in the early 1950s. The idea was to
transform the dormitory suburbs into thriving
communities where people would both
live and work. The concept was unsuccessful.
It soon became apparent that the people who
lived there still worked somewhere else, and
vice versa. The great shortage of housing in
the 1960s led to the “million” pro gramme,
which involved the building of a million
homes in an extremely short time. These areas
soon became known as the “new slums”
Calls for democratic reforms in June 1917 led to riots like this
one outside the parliament building in Stockholm despite high standards of construction.
1914 Gustav V gives 1932 Suicide of 1940 Sweden– 1955 1958 Women can be
his “courtyard speech”. industrial magnate German Obligatory ordained as priests
Ivar Kreuger is agreement on natio nal health
followed by transit of German insurance 1967 Right-hand
1921 Universal suffrage military personnel driving introduced
for men and women stockmarket crash
1920 1940 1960
Selma 1930 Rise of 1939 Sweden has 1950 First 1964 Art exhibition 1973 Gustav VI
Lagerlöf, Functionalist style coalition govern- public TV Moderna Museet shows Adolf dies and
winner of the in architecture, ment and broadcast in works by Andy Warhol, is succeeded
Nobel Prize stimulated by the de clares neutrality Sweden Roy Lichtenstein and by grandson,
for Literature Stockholm Exhibition in World War II Claes Oldenburg Carl XVI Gustaf

026-027_EW_Stockholm.indd 26 19/09/17 12:00 pm