The political choices and outlooks of the Estonian Swedish national minority, 1917–1920

Abstract

The Estonian Swedish national awakening did not start until the turn of the twentieth century, but by the 1917 Russian February Revolution, it was well underway. This article studies Estonian Swedish political choices and outlooks in the period that followed: 1917-1923. As Estonia went through tumultuous political changes, the leadership of the Swedish minority faced the task of formulating and carrying out a political strategy that would safeguard their national interests. This article discusses how they did it, while also asking why the strength and influence of Estonian Swedish politics soon began to decline despite earlier remarkable successes.

The Estonian Swedish National Minority and the Estonian Cultural Autonomy Law of 1925

“…To make this possible, organizations and initiatives had to be in place to ensure the sustainability and expansion of primary (if possible, also secondary) education in Swedish, the availability of Swedish religious services, and the use of Swedish in institutions of local government in the Swedish settlement area (sometimes called Aiboland). Finally, the Estonian Swedish leadership attempted to establish and keep up contacts with Sweden, where it relied on conservative nationalist circles for support and inspiration (Kummel 1994, 231–232; Kuldkepp 2021, 412–413).…”

“…In March and April 1917, on Pöhl’s initiative, the Swedish activists directed dispatches to the Estonian leaders and to the Provisional Government in Petrograd, pointing out that the national aspirations of the Swedes in Russia should not be forgotten when those of other nationalities were being taken into consideration. Outright political autonomy for the tiny Swedish minority was not in the cards, but Pöhl and others wanted to see an explicit guarantee of Swedish linguistic and cultural rights under the coming Estonian autonomy law (Kuldkepp 2021, 414–415; Nyman 1958, 2–5; Nyman 1976, 6).…”

“…However, Pöhl’s attempts to achieve guaranteed Swedish representation in similar future institutions remained fruitless (see Maanõukogu protokollid , 184) as discussions were soon overtaken by events. Following the Russian October Revolution, the Temporary Diet was disbanded by the Bolsheviks, and its activities were forced underground (Kuldkepp 2021, 416–417).…”

“…Unfortunately, no copy of this petition is known to exist. Another petition from the end of January 1918, sent to the Swedish minister in Petrograd, luckily survives in Swedish archives (Kuldkepp 2021, 417–418).…”

“…Although Swedish attempts to find support for their national program in the Russian Provisional Government and then the Soviet Government seem to not have led to any concrete results, the Estonian independence manifesto, issued in conjunction with the Estonian independence declaration on February 24, indeed contained an explicit promise of cultural autonomy for Estonia’s national minorities. Furthermore, in the first Estonian Provisional Government, which was formed at the same time, three ministerial posts were allocated to the representatives of the largest national minorities in Estonia: the Germans, the Russians, and the Swedes (Laaman 1964, 355; Kuldkepp 2021, 418–419).…”