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6h ago

Sweden Unveils 100-Item Cultural Canon, Excluding Post-1975 Works

The government describes the canon as a living teaching resource intended for inclusion.

Sweden's fans with the hair of Swedish character Pippi Longstocking cheer before their Group D Euro 2012 soccer match against France at the Olympic stadium in Kiev. REUTERS/Michael Dalder/File Photo
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IKEA logo is seen in this illustration taken, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
When you think of Sweden, does IKEA come to mind? The furniture and houseware superstore, founded by Swede Ingvar Kamprad in 1943, was included among a list of 100 cultural works, brands and ideas that are deemed to define Sweden's cultural heritage.

Overview

  • The formally published list names 100 works, brands and ideas presented as defining Swedish culture, with examples including Pippi Longstocking, IKEA, the Nobel Prize and the right to roam.
  • A 50-year eligibility rule leaves out ABBA and most entries created since 1975, which also excludes many contributions from Sweden’s large foreign-born population.
  • The canon is split into 50 cultural artefacts and 50 societal items spanning literature, film, music, religion, law, economics, inventions, places, products and notable events.
  • The project stems from the ruling coalition’s manifesto and is associated with the Sweden Democrats’ cultural agenda, while the Swedish Academy and minority representatives, including Sámi voices, criticized it as narrow or exclusionary.
  • Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand defended the initiative as misunderstood and inclusive, and committee chair Lars Trägårdh said it should be regularly updated as a “moving object.”