Sterilization Effort in Sweden for Racial Purposes Is Revealed

STOCKHOLM —  The Swedish government could face thousands of legal claims for compensation because of a Nazi-style campaign of forced sterilization of women that historians say has been hushed up for years.

Swedes have been shocked in recent days by revelations from journalist Maciej Zaremba that Swedish governments sterilized 60,000 women to rid society of “inferior” racial types and to encourage Aryan features.

“What happened was nothing but barbaric,” Health and Social Affairs Minister Margot Wallstrom said Saturday, adding that she was prepared to review statutes that say the sterilizations were written into law and that damages cannot be paid.

The program began in 1935, peaked in 1946 and only stopped in 1976. Although it was officially voluntary, victims say they were forced to agree or risk losing other children and benefits.

Most of the victims were “inferior” or of “poor or mixed racial quality,” meaning people with learning difficulties, from poor families or not of Nordic blood stock.

One victim, 72-year-old Maria Nordin, said she was viewed as educationally “inferior” because she had no glasses as a child and could not see the blackboard.

Wallstrom said the rise of neo-Nazism in Europe and the ability of scientists to manipulate genes meant this was a good time for the issue to be discussed.