The Institute was established in 1965 at the initiation of Governor Gunnar Helén. Its original purpose was to preserve records, interviews, and memorabilia relating to the period of major Swedish emigration between 1846 and 1930 when 1.3 million (about 20%) of the Swedish population left the country. With the tremendous influx of immigrants to Sweden in recent decades, the Institute has expanded its mission to include the documentation of the emigrant experience of those who have left their own homelands for Sweden. Because emigration from one’s homeland and integration into a new society are universal human experiences, understanding the Swedish emigrant experience provides a key to fostering the integration of those who are establishing themselves in their new country, Sweden.