Christer Sfeir wrote that Gustav III made Marstrand a free port in 1775 to attract foreign ships, merchants, and capital. According to Sfeir, Jewish merchants and families also came to the island, despite the fact that Jews' opportunities to settle and practice their religion in Sweden were then severely limited. He stated that one of Sweden's early Jewish congregations emerged in Marstrand and that Jews in 1782 were allowed to use a vault in Fredriksborg as a synagogue. The vault, according to Sfeir, still exists today. He also wrote that the emigration began when the free port ended in 1794 and that many moved on to Gothenburg, where they became connected to the city's trade and community life. #Marstrand #Sverige #Historik (translated)
