Arrhenius, Svante
Arrhenius, Svante

Arrhenius, Svante

Svante Arrhenius (1859-1927) was an accomplished physicist and chemist, winning the 1903 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his electrolytic theory of dissocation.

Arrhenius involved himself in the eugenics movement by joining the Swedish Society for Racial Hygiene, a group focused on researching and promoting the benefits of controlled reproduction in humans (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005). This society was formed in 1909 in an attempt to popularize eugenics and encourage policy changes to promote eugenics (Bjorkman & Widmalm, 2010). Arrhenius was not only a member; he was on the board for the society (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005). The society gave lectures and handed out pro-eugenic pamphlets to the public, but because it was illegal for them to discuss any method of birth control, the group was thought to have limited influence overall (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005).

-Natalie Ball

  • Björkman, M., & Widmalm, S. (2010). Selling eugenics: the case of Sweden.Notes and Records of the Royal Society, 64(4), 379-400.

  • Broberg, G., & Roll-Hansen, N. (Eds.). (2005). Eugenics And the Welfare State: Sterilization Policy in Demark, Sweden, Norway, and Findland (Vol. 21). East Lansing, MI: MSU Press.

Arrhenius, Svante

Arrhenius, Svante

Svante Arrhenius (1859-1927) was an accomplished physicist and chemist, winning the 1903 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his electrolytic theory of dissocation.

Arrhenius involved himself in the eugenics movement by joining the Swedish Society for Racial Hygiene, a group focused on researching and promoting the benefits of controlled reproduction in humans (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005). This society was formed in 1909 in an attempt to popularize eugenics and encourage policy changes to promote eugenics (Bjorkman & Widmalm, 2010). Arrhenius was not only a member; he was on the board for the society (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005). The society gave lectures and handed out pro-eugenic pamphlets to the public, but because it was illegal for them to discuss any method of birth control, the group was thought to have limited influence overall (Broberg & Roll-Hansen, 2005).

-Natalie Ball

  • Björkman, M., & Widmalm, S. (2010). Selling eugenics: the case of Sweden.Notes and Records of the Royal Society, 64(4), 379-400.

  • Broberg, G., & Roll-Hansen, N. (Eds.). (2005). Eugenics And the Welfare State: Sterilization Policy in Demark, Sweden, Norway, and Findland (Vol. 21). East Lansing, MI: MSU Press.