The Faith and Actions of Greta Andrén, Missionary to the Jews of Vienna, 1938-1941

Abstract: In this Master’s thesis, I conduct a micro-historical study of deaconess and missionary Greta Andrén (1909-1971) and her work for Svenska Israelsmissionen, the Swedish Israel Mission, in Vienna during the National Socialist occupation. By examining letters as well as select publications, I try to uncover her motives and how she found meaning in her work, and how this could be seen in relation to the origins of the Mission in the Swedish Low Church awakening and certain apocalypticviews on the Jews. Ultimately, I conclude that “Sister Greta’s” world-view was centred around the children and youth she cared for, because she found in them signs of God’s will, as well as teachers and examples of how a good Christian should relate to the Lord. Her capable personality expressed itself through action, and it was through diligent work that she upheld an everyday world filled with meaningful signs of divinity.