Walloon immigration to Sweden

Encouraged by Gustav II Adolf, many Walloons began to emigrate to Sweden during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

[8] De Besche, who was also from Liège, had been active in Sweden since 1595, and had participated in the modernization of the Swedish royal ironworks and, especially, in arms production.

[8] He is noted for having introduced new ironwork techniques in Sweden, but was not an independent entrepreneur as De Geer, being rather an employee of the king.

Since the 1620s, it became the sole responsibility of De Geer, who dispatched his agents from his offices in Liège, Namur, Chimay and Verviers.

[6] The emigration of the Walloons raised serious concerns with King Philip IV of Spain (to whom Belgium belonged during the early 17th century).

They remained separate from the Swedish population for a long time, jealously keeping their technical secrets until the end of the 18th century.

This newspaper, Metallarbetaren, printed these surprising lines (June 3, 1922): Walloons are stronger than the Flemings (the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium), thinner, more nervous, healthier, and they live longer.

[citation needed]Thus was invented the myth of the Walloon capable of trade-union action, in particular by strike, presented as a model to the Swedes.

Anders Florén and Math Isacson, in De fer et de feu, l’émigration wallonne vers la Suède (2003), write: "there doubtless existed, in these difficult times of crisis, a strong need for models, and Walloons offered an ideal embodiment of the values which the labor union of the metallurgists intended to promote.

[13] These include: Anjou,[13] de Besche,[13] Birath,[19] Boivie[13][20] or Befwe,[21] Bouveng,[13] Couchois or Cochois,[22] De Geer,[13] Drougge,[23][21] Galon,[13] Garneji,[24] Gauffin,[13][25] Gävert,[26] Gefvert or Giifvert,[13] Gille[13][27] or Gillet,[27] Gilljam,[13] Hybinette,[13][28] Laurin,[13] Lemon[13] or Lemoine,[29] Pira,[19] Pousette[13] and Sporrong.

Anders Herou, chairman of the Society of Walloon Descendants (Swedish: Sällskapet Vallonättlingar), does not believe that the number exceeds one million, but amounts to a few hundred thousand.