THE SWEDISH N ATI O N A L.T YPE 

 EXHIBITION 1919 



BY 



EMANUEL BERGMAN 



UPPS AL A 



IN THE SPRING OF 1918 A NUMBER OF UNIVERSITY ASSOCIA* 

 tions in Uppsala, well=known as the seat of Sweden's oldest and greatest Uni* 

 versity, sent out an appeal to those interested in the matter, begging them to 

 collect material for a Swedish National*type Exhibition, which it was hoped to ar 

 range in the near future. The real originator of the idea of such an exhibition 

 was the race*biologist Professor HERMAN LUNDBORG. This scientist, who during 

 a number of years has carried on, under difficult outward circumstances, devoted 

 and especially successful investigations jn race*biology in this country, has also 

 been warmly interested and taken a leading position when it has been a case of 

 bringing enlightenment to the Swedish people in questions of race*biology and 

 eugenics. He has unusual ability both in speaking and writing, of sharing his 

 knowledge with others and of imparting to the general public something of the 

 interest and enthusiasm for questions of eugenics, which inspire him to such a 

 high degree. This work of enlightenment, judging by results, has begun to bear 

 good fruit. For great interest was shown for the National*type Exhibition. Con* 

 tributions poured in profusely from students, scientists, artists, photographers and 

 others, and the material was so extensive, that it was not possible to get it all 

 arranged before some months had passed of the following year. When in March 

 1919 the Exhibition was opened in Stockholm, it became at once a veritable pub* 

 lie success. The people visited it in masses, and the newspapers, no matter what 

 their political standpoint might be, paid it great attention. One can say that the 

 Exhibition on this occasion brought about a real national assembly. At the be* 

 ginning the intention -was only to hold the Exhibition in Stockholm and Uppsala, 

 but very soon the proposal to make it of an ambulatory character, became more 

 and more decided, so as to give the inhabitants of the larger towns an opportu- 

 nity of seeing it. In this way the National*type Exhibition came to be held, not 

 only in the two above-mentioned cities, but also in Gothenburg, Gavle and Visby. 

 The interest shown by the people in general was magnificant the whole time. In 

 Stockholm about 10 per cent of the grown*up inhabitants visited the Exhibition 

 and in Uppsala the percentage was no less than 40. One could therefore rejoice 

 over the fact, that the support had broken the record, for perhaps no previous 

 exhibition had received so much patronage in our country. 



What was the meaning of this Exhibition? As Mr. Lundborg has specially 

 pointed out, upon different occasions, scientific investigation has, up to the pres* 

 ent, chiefly devoted itself to the most minute examination of nature organic 

 as well as inorganic but when it has been a question of studying mankind, 

 the highest of all nature's productions, one has, as a rule, confined oneself to giv* 



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