Sekelskiftet

Sekelskiftet, literally “the turn of the century,” is a term used in Swedish history and culture to denote the period around the turn of the 20th century, typically 1890 to 1910. It marks a transition from 19th-century traditions to modernism and a new national and urban identity in Sweden and the Nordic region.

The period coincided with rapid industrialization and urbanization. Cities expanded, infrastructure improved, and electric lighting, trams, and railways transformed everyday life. The middle class grew, education broadened, and cultural institutions were expanded, fueling changes in work, leisure, and public life.

In architecture and design, sekelskiftet is associated with the National Romantic style and early Art Nouveau (Jugendstil). Buildings often featured decorative brick façades, towers, asymmetrical plans, and nature-inspired ornamentation. The Nordiska museet in Stockholm, completed in the early 1900s, is a prominent example. Urban housing and commercial façades reflected a blend of historic references and new, expressive forms.

Culturally, there was renewed interest in national identity, folklore, crafts, and modern living. Literature, visual arts, and interior design explored modern possibilities while maintaining a connection to tradition. Social changes accompanied these shifts, including the growth of educational opportunities, women’s associations, and evolving political engagement that laid groundwork for later reforms.

Sekelskiftet’s legacy lies in its influence on Swedish architectural heritage, interior aesthetics, and a self-reflective cultural style that informed later Nordic design and early modernism. The transition is commonly dated to the first decades of the 20th century, as functionalist tendencies began to emerge.