Baháʼí Faith in Sweden

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, wrote a series of letters, or tablets, to the followers of the religion in the United States in 1916-1917; these letters were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan. The seventh of the tablets was the first to mention several countries in Europe including beyond where ʻAbdu'l-Bahá had visited in 1911–12. Written on April 11, 1916, it was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919 — after the end of World War I and the Spanish flu. The seventh tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919.[11]

"In brief, this world-consuming war has set such a conflagration to the hearts that no word can describe it. In all the countries of the world the longing for universal peace is taking possession of the consciousness of men. There is not a soul who does not yearn for concord and peace. A most wonderful state of receptivity is being realized.… Therefore, O ye believers of God! Show ye an effort and after this war spread ye the synopsis of the divine teachings in the British Isles, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Portugal, Rumania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, San Marino, Balearic Isles, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, Malta, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetland Islands, Hebrides and Orkney Islands."[12]

Following the release of these tablets a few Baháʼís began moving to or at least visiting countries across Europe. August Rudd, born in Värmland on 7 August 1871,[3] became the first Swedish Baháʼí pioneer in July 1920, with permission of ʻAbdu'l-Baha, on returning from Kenosha and Chicago, United States[2] where he and his brothers had sold their inventions.[3] Rudd settled in Boda and worked in a local school. He was followed a year or two later by Edvard Olsson.[1] In 1923, Louise Eriksson visited August Rudd and teacher Anna Elisabeth Gustavsson, perhaps the first convert in Sweden circa 1920–22, and brought them a copy of Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era by John Esslemont. August and Ann married though August died on February 13, 1926. Nya Wermlands-Tidningen published a letter in the May 2, 1924 issue by Anna Rudd.[10] Helsingborgs Dagblad covered Martha Root's visit to Sweden where she participated in an Esperanto congress in Stockholm. Root made a return trip also covered by Dagblad printed on July 31, 1934. Youness Khan Afrukhtih, formerly one of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá secretaries, arrived in Oslo in September 1929. He had several interviews, including on the BBC, 2.September 1929 and a Weekly Review, 5. September 1929.[1] In 1929 Anna Rudd left Östervallskog and moved to Malmköping and then to Göteborg, where she married Baháʼí Bernard Arvid Palmgren. In October 1932 they moved to Ramen in Värmland and finished translating and publishing Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era followed by the Kitáb-i-Íqán in 1936.[3] In 1935 Louise Eriksson, on another visit in Sweden, had the opportunity to meet former Chief Magistrate Carl Lindhagen and on March 19, 1935, she received an audience with then Crown Prince Gustaf-Adolf - reported by the Aftonbladet on March 21, 1935,[10] Anna Rudd Palmgren died 27 August 1943. Following World War II, Shoghi Effendi, then head of the religion, oversaw the creation of the European Teaching committee which supervised pioneers to Europe. From their work, Amelia Bowman arrived in Stockholm in October 1947, and with the assistance of Dorothy Baker was able to bring about the election of the first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly in Stockholm in 1947–8.[13] Bowman then traveled to Göteborg where she was again able to bring the community together and elect its first assembly in 1948-9 - (it lapsed but was re-elected in 1952.)[1] Bowman then moved to Oslo Norway in 1949 and spent the next 33 years pioneering in various countries of Europe.[13]

The Baháʼís claim about 1,000 Baháʼís and 25 local assemblies in Sweden from Umeå in the north to Malmö in the south.[5] In November 2009 the Swedish paper Västerbottens-Kuriren reported that 25 local non-profit Baháʼí organization had changed their organizational form to religious communions. The central Baháʼí secretariat in Stockholm stated at the time that the Baha'i Faith in Sweden had 1003 members.[30] The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 6,200 Baháʼís in 2005.[31]