Ulf Beijbom was present at the inauguration of the Emigrant Institute Foundation on September 11, 1965, in Växjö, Sweden. Ulf had studied emigration history at Uppsala University and was offered the position of director of the Institute, which he took up in 1966. He held the position until 2002, when he became the chairman of the supporting Emigrant Institute Friendship Society. Professor Ulf Beijbom was also involved in the founding of AEMI in 1991.
During his time, the House of Emigrants was established, including exhibitions, a research room, archives, and library. The building was designed by Danish architect Bent Jörgen Jörgensen and was completed in 1968. The inauguration included visits from several notable figures, for instance author Vilhelm Moberg, known for his Emigrant Series, depicting Swedish emigrants from Småland settling down in North America in the mid-19th century.
The archives of the Swedish Emigrant Institute began on a small scale but today holds one of Europe’s largest collections on migration history, focusing on Swedish emigration to America. Over the years, Professor Ulf Beijbom wrote around thirty books, using the archives and library of the Swedish Emigrant Institute for his research. He regularly visited the House of Emigrants, discussing with the archivists, always with the goal of shedding new light on Swedish emigration through his writing.
Ulf Beijbom passed away on November 5, just before his 90th birthday. His final manuscript was completed in the days leading up to his death. His memory was honored during the Swedish Emigrant Institute’s 60th anniversary celebration on November 8, 2025 in the House of Emigrants.
