Hardship and Death in Norrland

Between 1918 and 1920, the Spanish flu spread across the world. It was a severe influenza pandemic that came in waves and claimed many lives. In Sweden, the final wave of the disease—which primarily affected northern Sweden—was particularly severe. Elisabeth Engberg recounts the dramatic flu outbreak in Arjeplog in the early spring of 1920 and reflects on the similarities and differences between pandemics past and present.
Photo: The Railway Museum.