Karolinska Institute pursues name changes to lose racist links

A Swedish medical university plans to rename an auditorium, building and two streets on its campus that were named after racist scientists. Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute is taking the action to distance itself from the unsavoury views held by some scientists of the past, including a chemistry Nobel prize-winner.

The institute, which houses the body that awards the Nobel prize in medicine, announced on 2 November that it wishes to rename a room, building and road named after Anders Retzius and his son Gustaf. Both carried out research in the field of eugenics and their work on anatomy – which would be deemed unethical and illegal by modern standards – sought to promote the idea that Nordic and Germanic races were superior to others.