Project Manager
Parker, KerstinAmount granted
150 000 SEKYear
2018During the period 1850-1914, a Jewish group immigrated to Gothenburg from Russia and settled in Linnaeus City. The Russian Jews were fleeing pogroms, anti-Semitism, poverty, poor living conditions and military service. Because they were so poor, many of them had to stay in Gothenburg to earn the money for the ticket and some of them stayed.
The group differed from the Swedish Jews who had immigrated around a century earlier. They were poor, orthodox, spoke Yiddish and had a colorful folklore culture. Initially, many settled in Haga and rented beds. Later, when their financial situation improved, they moved to the stone houses on Linnégatan, Olivedalsgatan and other addresses. Many of them also continued with the work they had done in Russia, i.e. as craftsmen and farm traders. Eventually they were able to open shops and businesses, some of which became successful.
The Russian immigrants left their mark on the neighborhood. They built an Orthodox synagogue, known as a minyan, which was located at Andra Långgatan 6 for a long time. There was also a kosher shop, a bakery, several Jewish shops and associations, and not least an amateur theater group that put on plays in Yiddish. The Russian Jews left their mark on the neighborhood.
Despite the harshness of life in Russia, culture flourished. It was here that Yiddish writers, Isaac B Singer and Marc Chagall had their roots and brought Russian Jewish culture to the West.