What constitutes a national identity and how is it formed and experienced over time? The aim of this essay is to answer the question by analyzing the last five centuries of Sweden's history and focusing on the icons celebrated nationally. With the help of various non-fictional and fictional texts, I hope to provide a complete picture of Swedish national identity. This will be done by covering a broad spectrum of Swedish history topics focusing on historical figures and drawing connections with Benedict Anderson's concept of imagined community. To get started, you need to be familiar with Benedict Anderson's concept of imagined community. Anderson proposed the definition of nation as “an imagined political community – and imagined as intrinsically limited and sovereign.” (Anderson 2006:6). What he meant by this is that the inhabitants of a large city or a small town will most likely never cross paths, “in the mind of each lives the image of their communion”. (Anderson 2006:6). These individuals feel like they have a strong camaraderie with each other simply because they reside in the same domicile on a map. The institution of the map, along with the institutions of the census and the museum, were crucial in shaping “…the way the colonial state imagined its rule – the nature of the human beings it governed, the geography of its rule, and the legitimacy of his ancestors." (Anderson 2006:164). These are all important elements in building a national identity and feeling of belonging to a nation. These topics will be addressed again in relation to Sweden throughout the essay. Following a chronological order, the first public figure and his impact on Swedish identity will be O...... middle of paper ..... .in contemporary society. For this reason, Astrid Lindgren is a famous national icon and her portrayal of life in Sweden has contributed to the national identity. A national identity is ultimately the sense of belonging to a particular country and the feeling of connection with other citizens. By sharing similarities such as language, history, traditions and cultural heritage, the bond is strengthened and the construction of the “imagined community” takes place. The purpose of this essay was to examine the history of Sweden and how national identity has been created and experienced. Focusing on famous individuals it offered a look at memorable moments from the last five centuries and what has influenced national identity. Whether it is equal rights, education, social welfare or a number of other topics, Sweden has strived for modernity in all aspects.