Research project Urban Welfare 1840–1920: The Rise of the Welfare City
In January 2026, a new research project will start at the Department of History at Stockholm University: "Urban Welfare 1840–1920: The Rise of the Welfare City". This project, funded by the Olle Engkvist Foundation, seeks to challenge the prevailing belief that the state was the primary organizer of Nordic welfare.
From the mid-eighteenth century, urban life in Europe was rapidly transformed by the processes of urbanization and industrialization. Local authorities and politicians had to shoulder the responsibility for the well-being of urban residents. This project will analyze the emergence of public welfare services and explore the development of the welfare society from an urban perspective.
Modern welfare services have traditionally been explained as a result of state reforms. The primary aim of "Urban Welfare 1840–1920: The Rise of the Welfare City" is to promote research that emphasizes the "welfare city" over the "welfare state." This approach underscores the importance of urban residents and urbanity as crucial driving forces in organizing human welfare. By shifting focus to the local setting, we will gain a deeper understanding of the municipal policies, public sentiments, and popular movements that played a vital role in expanding and improving municipal welfare services.
Project description
The project is structured by three basic premises:
First, previous research has often concentrated on the national level, overlooking the dynamic developments taking place in cities and local communities.
Second, scholars have mainly focused on post-war welfare policies, neglecting the dynamic development of welfare services in the previous period.
Third, contemporary welfare studies have tended to prioritize education, healthcare, and social care, overlooking other critical reforms aimed at improving living conditions, such as sanitary infrastructure, public transportation, housing, and recreational facilities.
The project includes two sub-projects. The first project, The age of philanthropy: Between the Private and the Public, examines the interaction between philanthropic organizations and local politicians from 1850 to 1910.
The second project, Housing the Working City, addresses the development of public housing in the period before and after the First World War.
The project propose a theoretical contribution by elaborating the concept of the “welfare city.” By discussing political discourse, urban citizenship, welfare services, and publicness, the project aims to make a substantial contribution to our knowledge of how and in what ways Nordic urban welfare developed during the period 1840–1940.
Project members
Project managers
Magnus Linnarsson
Professor
Members
Mats Hallenberg
Professor
Heiko Droste
Professor
Håkan Olof Forsell
Professor
Hannes Rolf
Postdok
