The Case of Fabian Philip, Karlskrona’s First Jewish Entrepreneur: A Swedish example of the Port Jews Phenomenon?

Karlskrona, Sweden's naval port, challenges historical perceptions by demonstrating successful Jewish integration contrary to past assumptions. This study reinterprets archival sources, including newly discovered ones, to argue that Karlskrona—alongside Gothenburg—served as a Swedish example of the 'Port Jews' phenomenon, where internationally oriented naval cities fostered Jewish entrepreneurship despite restrictive settlement laws. By adopting this concept, the research reveals that Karlskrona was not an unfriendly environment for Jews in early modern Sweden, as previously thought, but rather a hub for economic activity and cultural exchange within the Swedish Royal Navy's global network.

Svensson, H. R. (2014). The Case of Fabian Philip, Karlskrona’s First Jewish Entrepreneur: A Swedish example of the Port Jews Phenomenon? 1700-Tal: Nordic Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies, 11, 69–89. https://doi.org/10.7557/4.3084