This paper explores the influential role of early 20th-century Swedish school textbooks in shaping student identities and nationalistic perspectives, focusing on "Läsebok för Folkskolan" and Verner von Heidenstam's "Svenskarna och deras hövdingar." The study situates these textbooks within the historical context of Swedish education's transition from church-led to public schooling following the 1842 ordinance. Through an intersectional analysis of selected chapters, it examines how these texts portrayed gender, minorities, and nationality, contributing to a national romantic ethos and influencing students' self-perception.

The analysis explores how different aspects of identity—sex, gender, minorities and nationality—intersect and shape the representation of societal roles in these textbooks. It questions whether these materials encouraged students to explore their identities or reinforced a fixed notion of a "good citizen."

My findings reveal that these textbooks were instrumental in embedding societal norms while promoting a romanticized view of Swedish history. "Läsebok för Folkskolan" provided a moral and religious framework, while Heidenstam's work linked students to a heroic past, fostering national pride. The study underscores the significant impact of early 20th-century textbooks on shaping students’ perceptions and identities, offering insights into how education functioned as a tool for both personal and national identity formation.