Swedish Press June 2020 Vol 91:05

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June 2020 Vol 91:05 $5.95

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Kiruna: How to Move a City World’s Oldest Flag Midsummer Livefika

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An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden.

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4 Letters to the Editor

5 From the Editor’s Desk Swedish Headlines 6 Headline News 7 Swedes in the News 8 Landskapsnyheterna Business 9 Business News 10 Company File: Epishine AB Heritage 11 An Insider’s Look at Swedish Culture: Kan någon skjutsa mig till norrskenet?

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CONTENTS ( June 2020 )

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Swedish Press

Northern lights over Abisko. Photo: Peter Rosén/ Swedish Lapland

Feature 12 Sweden – Land of the Midnight Sun Interview 14 Stefan Sydberg, Deputy Mayor of the City – Kiruna: How to Move a City Global Swedes 16 Bengt Jörgen, C.M., co-founder, CEO and Artistic Director of Canada’s Ballet Jörgen Heritage 18 Flags to Symbolize Peace, Mercy and Hospitality

Midsummer in Lindsborg. Photo: Erika Skogg

20 On a Quest to Document the Unique Scandinavian-American Culture Lifestyle 22 Top Sju 23 Book: “Letters from Tove”, University of Minnesota Press 2020 Hemma Hos 24 Design: Erica Eriksdotter Paints Healing Pet Portraits from the Heart

Road to 2045 26 The Green Gold of the North Swedish Press Connects 27 Livefika med Svenskar i Världen In the Loop 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info 30 Sista Ordet The Canadian Bomber Airmen and Leksand’s Sports Club 31 Pressbyrån

Cover image: Fishing in Swedish Lapland.

Photo: Swedish Lapland

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Letters to the Editor Enjoy reading Swedish Press? Email us your pictures along with your name and comments to info@swedishpress.com and we’ll be happy to publish them.

Dear Joan, Tack för allt ni skrev om min vackra hem-ö [Swedish Press April 2020]. Översättning [från sidan 5]: ”I begynnelsen skapade Gud himmel och jord. Och jorden var öde och tom, och mörker var över djupet, och Guds ande svävade över vattnet. Och Gud sade varde ljus och ljus blev till.

Och Gud såg ljuset, och det var gott.

Då skilde Gud ljuset från mörkret och kallade ljuset dag och mörkret natt och det blev kväll och morgon den första dagen.”

I Gutesagan glömde dock Peter Berlin att berätta att innan Tjelvar kom till ön så sjönk Gotland under vattnet på dagarna och kom upp igen på nätterna. Efter Tjelvar kom med eld till ön, så sjönk Gotland inte längre.

Många roliga minnen från barndomen, när fastlänningar ibland hörde oss barn prata och tyckte det var så lustigt. Ibland sjöng vi någon gammal visa för dem på det gamla gutemålet.

En bokstav som vi uttalar olika från rikssvenskan är ö. Vi säger öj. Så ordet ön är öjn.

Tack för de roliga minnena.

Anita Gellella Monroe, New Jersey.

To the Editor, Swedish Press I was pleasantly surprised to find an article about the Swedish hockey player Håkan Loob in the April issue of Swedish Press. A superb hockey player whom I really liked when he played for the Calgary Flames in the 1980s. He was a smooth and elegant player and a good goal-scorer too. And

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now I learned from Swedish Press that he was from Gotland, maybe that’s why he was so artistic as a player. But suddenly he was gone from Calgary. I understand now that he went back to Sweden with his family.

Otherwise my favorite hockey team was the Vancouver Canucks, after the happy years I lived and worked in Vancouver. And with all the Swedish players on the team over the years. Marcus Näslund, the Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel, and so many others. The Sedins were from Örnsköldsvik way up north in Sweden.

(Swedish Press, April 2017) I enjoy reading old issues of Swedish Press that I still have in my collection.

Sincerely, George Viktorson Redmond, Washington Dear Joan and Claes, After visiting relatives and friends for a few weeks, my son and I went over to Gotland for a week. We had a wonderful time, and so we have enjoyed this past issue of Swedish Press. All I can say to any of your readers is – yes, go, visit and enjoy Gotland. Rent a car so you can go around and see things.

Thank you for our reminder of all the things we saw and did.

Sincerely, Nellie Hohnsen Saint Louis, Missouri Dear Joan, During the 1990s I was in Moscow and a Swedish delegation was trying to get Raoul Wallenberg’s body out of Russia for a proper burial, but they failed. My partner at the time told me that they would fail because they went to the wrong folks who didn’t deal with the government and should go

to the church instead to get him out.

Many years later I found out through a DNA test that Raoul Wallenberg was a cousin of mine on my dad’s side of the family. I started doing some research on him. A Jewish friend who had been saved by Wallenberg offered the church 10,000 dollars to get him out, but shortly afterwards the church officials came back saying that it could not be done because he had been shot and put in a grave together with twenty others. Very sad, because he was a great Swede.

Thank you.

David Brown Renfrew, Ontario Hi Peter, Here’s my subscription renewal. We appreciate very much Swedish Press.

The very well thought out format and articles as well as news, interviews and often interesting nuggets in “Sista Ordet”. I particularly enjoyed the Swedish Humour feature. Perhaps you have to be a part of it to recognize how hilarious our laid-back type of humour is.

We thank you that we can in a small way help promote Swedish Heritage. Although I have lived in Canada most of my life I hold a strong connection to Sweden and, each time we visit “gammel-landet”, my extended family and friends greet us with typical Swedish reserve-type fervor. It makes me happy that they tell me my Swedish sounds like I’ve never left the country. There are always new expressions and words that become part of the language as it evolves.

Thanks again.

Please keep it coming.

Jan-Olof Lofstrand Duncan, British Columbia

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from the Editor’s Desk

Sweden, Land of the Midnight Sun We need your support!

Swedish Press strives to create a high quality magazine for you, but the costs are considerable and ever-increasing.

Please consider making a generous donation to help keep your publication, and Swedish heritage, alive. You’ll find a form on page 2 as well as page 29. Tack!

Whether your Swedish is fluent or rusty, we hone your language skills by publishing some articles in Swedish. But never despair: you will find English translations online thanks to our valiant team of volunteer translators.

Simply go to http://biolson. atspace.cc/swemail/ and you will find translations of all Swedish articles going as far back as to August 2007.

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weden is many things: Land of Equality, Innovation, Cinema, ABBA and, last but not least, the Midnight Sun. In this issue of Swedish Press we take our readers to the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland, above which nothing much grows but where many curious things happen. The Arctic Circle defines the boundary of eternal darkness in mid-winter and 24 hours of sunshine in mid-summer.

Among the curiosities of the region one finds natural phenomena such as the Northern Lights, nacreous clouds and light pillars, while man-made wonders include the Ice Hotel and the Esrange launch site for space rockets near the city of Kiruna (page 12). Most curious of all is the formidable undertaking to move much of Kiruna to a new geographical location. In our interview with Stefan Sydberg, Deputy Mayor of the Kiruna Municipality, he describes the reasons for the move, as well as the attendant political, financial and logistic challenges facing the 23,000-strong community (page 14).

Enjoy the latest Swedish headlines (page 6) and business news (page 9). For the Company File we have chosen the Swedish innovative enterprise Epishine which develops, manufactures and markets flexible solar cells for generating electric power in any lighting conditions, i.e. not only in sunlight (page 10).

We introduce you to an amazing artist from Sweden who is gaining national attention in the US. Erica Eriksdotter paints pictures of pet animals. Her portraits help people heal after a pet dies by working with them on custom pet memorial paintings (page 24). We interview Swedish-born Bengt Jörgen who is the Artistic Director of Canada’s Ballet Jörgen founded in 1987 to support the development and dissemination of Canadian choreography (page 16).

But Swedish Press is not only about Sweden; we sometimes include stories about people and events in the other Scandinavian countries. Beginning with Denmark, we include an article about the Dannebrog, the world’s oldest national flag still in use (page 18). Moving on, Erika Skogg has her family roots in Norway and writes about her life as a photographer for the National Geographic magazine (page 20).

This month’s book review is about “Letters From Tove” written by Tove Jansson, the versatile Finnish-Swedish novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author perhaps best remembered for her cartoons “The Moomins” in the 1940s and 50s (page 23).

As usual there is much more to enjoy in the magazine.

Take a break and find out for yourself!

Peter Berlin Editor Peter@Swedishpress.com June 2020

GRATTIS PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN June 2 Zalea Malik, 10 år June 3 Markus Neugebauer, 13 år June 27 Anna Lidberg, 16 år Photo: Sara de Basly/imagebank.sweden.se

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The Verdict on Sweden’s Approach to COVID-19 Covid-19 Update

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By Peter Berlin weden has received both international praise and criticism for its relaxed approach to lockdown compared to most other industrialised countries. Although the advice from the authorities are similar (maintain social distance, observe personal hygiene, limit the size of crowds, etc.), the Swedish implementation relies on guidance and voluntary adherence rather than on strict rules and fines. The benefits of the Swedish approach are economic and psychological, but at what price?

The success or failure of the Swedish “experiment” is difficult to measure relative to other countries.

International news media like to report on the number of people having fallen ill with the virus during the last 24 hours. Firstly, such absolute figures are of dubious value unless they are linked to the size of each country’s population; and secondly, the extent to which people are tested differs widely from country to country. Sadly, a more reliable measure is how many people have died either overnight or since the beginning of the crisis, because deaths are usually carefully recorded and the cause diagnosed.

Using the metric “number of deaths per 1 million inhabitants since the beginning of the crisis” tells us fairly accurately how countries are performing relative to each other.

On May 13, the severity ranking was as follows (numbers in brackets are deaths per million): Belgium (763), Spain (580), Italy (514), UK (489), France (415), Sweden (343), Netherlands (325), Ireland (303), USA (257).

Interestingly, the countries most often mentioned – Spain, Italy, the UK and

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the US – lie well behind Belgium, with the US in 9th place. Compare this to Canada in the 11th place with only 140 deaths per million.

Sweden stands in 6th place with 343 deaths per million – perhaps a “lagom” figure in the overall context.

But the picture is less rosy when compared with the other Scandinavian countries where the lockdown is strictly enforced: Denmark (92), Finland (51), and Norway (42). So what are we to conclude from these figures? Ideally, one should measure the success of the

lockdown approach by dividing each country’s current economic activity by the number of deaths per million. The more vibrant the economy and/or the lower the death rate, the bigger the ratio and hence the greater the success.

This calculation is a complex task best left to the experts. (Statistics: www. worldometers.info/coronavirus/) In addition to the cumulative number of deaths per million since the start of the pandemic, the day-by-day statistics for Sweden are revealing – see the diagram below.

Daily New Deaths in Sweden (Data as of May 13)

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What happened to Greta?

he news media have gone very silent lately on the subject of Greta Thunberg and her campaign to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. This silence may seem strange, given that there has been a dramatic reduction in such emissions ever since the coronavirus pandemic shut down factories and prompted people to cut their car and plane travel to a minimum. Feeling vindicated, she could be forgiven for telling world leaders “Look, I told you so!”

Her reaction has been more nuanced. In an interview during a New Scientist podcast she expressed the

opinion that “If one virus can wipe out the entire economy in a matter of weeks and shut down societies, then that is proof that our societies are not very resilient. It also shows that once we are in an emergency, we can act and we can change our behaviour quickly.” Once the pandemic has been overcome, perhaps people will be more attuned to making the lifestyle changes Greta is calling for Greta Thunberg at the in order to save European Parliament our civilization.

(April, 2019).

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Swedes in the News

Swedish Art and Princess Support Princess aids hospital

HRH Princess Sofia. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT News Agency

Princess Sofia, Duchess of Värmland, 35, recently completed medical training to provide support and relief to staff at Sophiahemmet (a private Stockholm hospital) during the corona crisis.

Princess Sofia, who has served as Sophiahemmet’s honorary chair since 2016, will be assisting in nonpatient caring areas such as cleaning and disinfecting hospital materials. “In the crisis we find ourselves in, the Princess wants to get involved and make a contribution as a voluntary worker to relieve the large workload of health care professionals,” said the Royal Court in a statement.

Gustafsson as Raymond Beloved Swedish comedian and actor Robert Gustafsson, 55, will portray autistic savant Raymond Babbitt in “Rain Man” at Oscarsteatern in Stockholm between Sep 25 and Dec 12. “Rain Man” is based on the 1988 four-time Academy Award-winning comedy/drama film featur-

P.O. Enquist remembered

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Per Olov Enquist. Photo: Dan Hansson/SvD/TT

ward-winning author and playwright Per Olov (P.O.) Enquist, 85, died April 25 after declining health since 2016. Enquist debuted as an author with his novel “Kristallögat” in 1961.

The author is also well known for his novels “Magnetisörens femte vinter”, “Legionärerna”, as well as for his 2008 autobiography “Ett annat liv”, where Enquist describes his upbringing in Västerbotten in northern Sweden. He received the prestigious August Prize twice – in 1999 for “Livläkarens besök” and in 2008 for “Ett annat liv”.

Enquist is survived by his wife Gunilla Thorgren, two children and three bonus children.

Persson is the son of Erling Persson who founded Swedish clothing company H&M in 1947. Stefan was CEO for H&M between 1982 and 1997. He served as chairman of the board of H&M from 1998 to May 2020. Stefan has also founded a research foundation in memory of his father Erling and will continue the family philanthropy, which to date has donated hundreds of millions SEK. Blondell for Netflix

Persson in Forbes

Robert Gustafsson.

Photo: Max Bäcker

ing Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. The production at Oscarsteatern, which is described as a heartwarming feel-good performance, features several other talented Swedish actors, including Jonas Karlsson as Raymond’s brother Charlie Babbitt.

Swedish business magnate Stefan Persson, 72, was the only Swede who made it into Forbes magazine’s recent list of the world’s 100 richest individuals. With a fortune of 138 billion SEK the Swedish entrepreneur ranked number 81. Stefan

Stefan Persson. Photo: Joey Abrait

Nanna Blondell.

Swedish actress Nanna Blondell, 33, has been chosen to play the lead female role in Netflix’s first Swedish feature film “Red Dot.” The action thriller, set in the Swedish mountains, was produced

by SF Studios and will be shown exclusively on Netflix worldwide in 2021.

Blondell has previously acted in “Andra avenyn”, detective series “Beck”, “Livet enligt Rosa”, “Finaste familjen” and “Den inre cirkeln”. She has also worked as a host for music channel MTV.

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[Landskapsnyheterna] SKÅNE

SÖDERMANLAND

Stadsmissionen i Malmö delar ut matkassar med cykelbud.

Tjänsten erbjuds på grund av den pågående epidemin och att många inte vill eller har möjlighet att ta sig till Stadsmissionens lokaler i stan.

– För mig handlar det om att jag vill hjälpa människor i utsatthet, sa volontären David Antell. Volontärerna delar ut cirka hundra matkassar per dag.

– De här människorna kommer ju till oss för att de inte har någon mat.

Kan de då inte komma hit så får de ju ingen mat alls, sa Eva Emmelin, kommunikatör på Skåne Stadsmission. Att arbeta som volontär på Stadsmissionen har många fördelar.

– Det känns bra i dubbel bemärkelse. Jag har rört på mig och det känns gott i hjärtat, sa David Antell från sin matbudscykel.

NÄRKE Om vädret tillåter träffas en grupp med pensionerade kvinnor i Stadsparken i Örebro varje måndag och onsdag för att sticka och umgås.

– Vi kan ju inte träffas på café som tidigare på grund av coronan, sa Margareta Sveland som är en av initiativtagarna till träffarna. Trots att kvinnorna håller det rekommenderade avståndet, njuter de av att umgås och att jobba med sitt handarbete. Diskussionerna kring handarbete, böcker, barn, barnbarn, pandemin och statsepidemiologen Anders Tegnells råd uppskattas också.

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När Inga Pettersson i Trångsund i södra Stockholm fyllde 92 år väntade hon sig inga besök på grund av den pågående corona-epidemin. Hennes familj hade dock andra planer, så på födelsedagen fick Inga ett samtal från sin son som undrade om hon var hemma.

– Då började jag undra. De kan ju inte komma in till mig under smittan, sa Inga. Hennes barnbarn Daniel Grape, 39, som tidigare drivit en kranbilsfirma tillsammans med sin vän Kalle Eriksson, hade kommit på en praktisk lösning. Daniel kontaktade Kalle som fortfarande arbetar inom företaget, och snart var en kranbil från DK Lyft & Transport jämte Ingas familj på plats utanför Ingas lägenhet.

Födelsedagsbarnet fick komma ut på balkongen där en prinsesstårta, blommor och presenter skickades upp med kranbil.

– Vi fick mycket blickar runt omkring oss kan man ju säga, sa Daniels sambo Lotta Johansson, 35, som var på plats med dottern Wanja, 2 1/2 år.

Ingas familj firade henne också genom att sjunga ”Ja må hon leva” från gatan.

– Det var överväldigande, tårarna bara rann, sa Inga. Jag har aldrig fått en tårta från balkongen, det var jättefint. Det är något som jag kommer att minnas.

JÄMTLAND Universitet och Högskolerådet anordnade nyligen en nationell tävling i anknytning till att Sverige varit medlem i EU i 25 år. Högstadieelever runt om i landet fick i uppgift att producera en film på temat ”Detta bör Sverige förmedla till EU.” Filmerna publicerades sedan på Instagram.

Första priset gick till eleverna i klass 9C på Östbergsskolan på Frösön i Jämtland som i sitt bidrag tog fasta på ämnet matsvinn.

– Vi vill förmedla att detta är ett ämne som inte tas upp tillräckligt

LAPPLAND NORRBOTTEN

VÄSTERBOTTEN

JÄMTLAND

HÄRJEDALEN

ÅNGERMANLAND

MEDELPAD HÄLSINGLAND

DALARNA GÄSTRIKLAND VÄSTMANLAND VÄRMLAND

UPPLAND

SÖDERMANNÄRKE LAND

DALSLAND ÖSTERGÖTLAND BOHUSLAND VÄSTERGöteborg GÖTLAND SMÅLAND HALLAND SKÅNE

Stockholm

GOTLAND ÖLAND

BLEKINGE

Malmö

mycket. Vi tycker det är en viktig fråga som alla kan påverka själva, sa Hanna Fureman som är en av eleverna i klass 9C på Östbergsskolan. ”Elever på Östbergsskolan, Frösön, har tagit fram en snyggt förpackad film med ett tydligt budskap om att EU bör se över regler för att minska matsvinnet, från producent till konsument,” sa juryn i sin motivering.

Summary in English: Volunteers from Stadsmissionen (City Mission) in Malmö use bicycles to deliver food to those in need.

Due to the current pandemic, a group of elderly women meet (while maintaining the recommended distance) at a park in Örebro to knit and socialize. When Inga Pettersson turned 92, her family delivered a surprise birthday cake to her balcony using a crane lorry. To acknowledge Sweden’s 25-year membership of the European Union, a national film competition was recently arranged by the Swedish Council for Higher Education. After having produced a video on food waste, a high school class in Östbergsskolan on Frösön in Jämtland was named the winner.

[Business] News COVID-19 Breeding New Behaviour You can’t have it both ways

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By Peter Berlin hese days many Swedish companies, large and small, are receiving financial support from the government on the premise that they are suffering hardships due to COVID-19.

The support is meant to be temporary, so as to forestall bankruptcy. Once the companies return to solvency, the support will cease. It therefore seems paradoxical that some of these companies plan to pay out large amounts in dividends to shareholders.

That move has so far not been against the law, but this is about to change.

Sweden’s Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson doesn’t mince her words: “It is unacceptable that financial support obtained from taxpayers finds Home-buying by remote control

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he real-estate market in Sweden is proving surprisingly resilient at a time when the overall economy is faltering under the influence of the coronavirus. Sales are brisk and prices are holding steady. That said, potential buyers are as insistent as ever on inspecting properties carefully before committing themselves – a demand that has become more difficult to satisfy in the present complicated pandemic situation. One innovative solution is “digital viewing” where the agent walks alone around the property with his mobile phone in Skype or Facetime mode. The customer sits at home watching the “sightseeing tour” on a computer screen and maintains a dialogue with the agent. This mode of viewing is proving increasingly popular, as demonstrated by healthy sales figures.

its way directly into the pockets of shareholders.”

Several large corporations have already backtracked by cancelling dividends and bonuses based on 2019 results. A case in point is Volvo whose major shareholders will have to forgo

dividends amounting to SEK 11.7 bn ($ 1.2 bn). Companies that have already paid dividends, while at the same time accepting government support, stand to lose the support and be obliged to repay the amounts already received.

Volvo’s new range of trucks. Photo: AB Volvo

A cash-less and card-less society?

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e have previously reported on Sweden becoming a cashless society. Is it now turning cardless as well? Here is what a foreign visitor wrote on Facebook recently: I would have loved a genuine Sami heddle carved out of reindeer antler. I saw three for sale. The craft of making them is very skilled indeed and they are very, very expensive. and quite rightly

so. The most beautiful one was well over £1000. One of the difficulties about buying expensive items is that credit and debit cards are not accepted.

In Sweden SWISH is used which is only available to people with a Swedish bank account.

The statement that “credit and debit cards are not accepted” is not always true, but the trend is to move to SWISH, a Swedish mobile payment system which works through a smartphone application. The users’ phone numbers are connected to their respective bank accounts, allowing them to use their smartphones to transfer money in real time to the bank account of a merchant or another person. One side benefit of SWISH in the present pandemic environment is that it eliminates the risk of contamination from passing around cash and cards.

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Company File

Epishine AB, a Game Changer in the Field of Electric Power Supply

By Peter Berlin

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he invention of solar cells dates back to the 19th century, but they were first used on an industrial scale in the late 1950s onboard satellites to power electrical equipment. Previously, spacecraft had relied solely on batteries for power supply. When the batteries reached the end of their charge, the space mission ended as well. Solar cells changed the mission lifetime of satellites from a few weeks to many years, although rechargeable batteries were still required to sustain spacecraft as they passed through the shadow behind the Earth (i.e. no sunlight to stimulate the solar cells).

Today we take solar cells for granted. We find them on rooftops, on top of roadwork warning signs and on pocket calculators. In the countryside entire fields are covered with solar panels, acting as ecologically sound alternatives to power stations fuelled by coal, oil and gas.

The solar cell technology being developed by the Swedish company Epishine AB is a game-changer.

The term “solar cell” is in fact misleading, because Epishine cells

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Strips of Epishine cells. Photo: Epishine AB

are able to harvest energy from any ambient light that surrounds us, be it from electric indoor illumination, reflected sunlight through windows, or out in the open on a cloudy day.

The cells are able to capture small amounts of light, enough to enable many household devices such as smoke alarms to forgo cables and batteries. By connecting energystoring capacitors in parallel with the cells, devices can continue to function even in total darkness for a limited period of time.

Solar cells are traditionally manufactured using semiconductor chips mounted on metal or carbon fibre substrates and are covered with a thin layer of glass. In contrast, Epishine cells are printed on thin, flexible plastic sheets which are recyclable. The printing presses resemble those used to produce newspapers. According to the company website, one of these machines will print light cells capable of generating the same

amount of power as a nuclear reactor every single month.

The Epishine cell technology is based on over 30 years of research.

The company was founded in 2016

by Olle Inganäs, Anders Elfwing, Emma Woxlin, Mattias Josephson, Jonas Bergqvist and Thomas Österberg. It has been growing rapidly over the past few years. The management believes that 2020 will be a turning-point, because the first products with the new technology integrated will enter the market. “We find ourselves on the border between development and commercial sales. This year we are conducting several pilot projects while at the same time expanding our production facilities in Linköping. We plan to be ready to market the cells during 2020,” says Emma Woxling, one of the company’s cofounders who has assumed the role of Marketing Manager. Epishine AB receives development funding from various sources, notably from the European Union as part of the Horizon 2020 program – a 80 billion Euros fund for research and innovation in small busniesses.

Epishine currently employs 20 staff who work at the company’s headquarters in Linköping, and is looking for new colleagues to join the team. www.epishine.com

H E RI TAG E

An Insider’s Look at Swedish Culture Kan någon skjutsa mig till norrskenet?

himlaspelet som utspelade sig. Vill man uppleva äkta magi så var det här man skulle befinna sig just nu.

Behöver jag nämna att jag aldrig kommer att ångra min fråga om någon vill köra mig till norrskenet?

Tänkte väl det, norrsken är nämligen det vackraste fyrverkeri jag någonsin upplevt. Ännu en gång tackar jag mig själv för att jag lite osvenskt vågade fråga främlingar om de ville köra en nyfiken skåning till norrskenet.

Av Yvonne Gossner

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enna fråga ställde jag sent en kväll efter att sista sången var sjungen på samernas nationaldagsfirande i Luleå. Som skåning var jag nämligen några få dagar uppe i norra Sverige då jag vunnit en entreprenörstävling. Jag tänkte göra det bästa av min vistelse genom att även hinna med att uppleva min dröm att se norrsken. Redan innan min resa norrut förstod jag att norrsken inte gick att beställa. Envis som jag är så hade jag lovat mig själv att göra allt jag kunde för att få uppleva miraklet.

Jag visste att just denna kväll hade bra förutsättningar för ett norrsken – det var kallt och klart då solen hade skinit hela dagen medan vi körde halkbana på isarna i Ebbanjarka. På samernas nationaldagsfirande hade jag redan utmärkt mig, då de flesta på tillställningen redan verkade känna varandra och var klädda i samedräkt. Jag utstrålade allt annat än det. Likaså tänkte jag även ta chansen att faktiskt gå runt och prata – hur var livet egentligen som same i Sverige?

Den otroliga värme och generositet jag mötte var helt fantastisk. Jag vet inte hur många som denna kväll erbjöd sig att ge mig skjuts till Jokkmokks marknad som tydligen ägde rum dagen efter firandet, och där både vår svenska kung och Greta Thunberg skulle närvara.

Artigt fick jag tacka nej, då jag dagen efter skulle fokusera på att öva inför Vasaloppet, nu när skåningen

äntligen befann sig bland snön och längdskidspåren.

Till sist tog jag mod till mig och frågade högt om någon istället för att skjutsa mig till Jokkmokks marknad ville skjutsa mig till norrskenet. Först blev det total tystnad, för jag kan tänka mig att norrskenet i Luleå inte är något mer märkvärdigt än när vi i Skåne äter spettekaka. Till sist var det dock en röst från Stockholm som sa: “Jag har alltid velat se norrskenet. Min kille som är från trakten kan köra oss.”

Vi körde i den gamla Volvon genom bygden. Vi kom fram till en sjö utanför Luleå och gick med knastrande steg ut på isen. Nu var det bara att vänta, men killen från trakten var hoppfull och hans tjej var lika förväntansfull som jag.

Så kom då äntligen norrskenet.

Först bara lite svagt, och då visste jag inte om det var inbillning, för nog syntes det väl lite svagt dansande grönt på himlen ändå? Vi hörde nu fler röster på isen, då ryktet sa att norrskenet skulle äga rum denna kväll. Fenomenet visade sig inte tillhöra vanligheterna, även om vi var i norra Sverige. Det som sedan fick oss alla på isen att jubla av fascination var det fantastiska

Summary in English: The author, who comes from the southern Swedish county of Skåne, won a trip to Luleå in Norrbotten county in order to participate in the festivities of the annual Sami national holiday. She overcame her typical Swedish reluctance to talk to strangers by asking if anyone would take her to see the northern lights, something she had dreamed about for a long time.

A young couple drove her to a frozen lake outside of Luleå. At first the northern lights made a faint appearance on the horizon, and then it virtually exploded into a spectacle that kept all the observers on the frozen lake spellbound.

Footnote: Yvonne Gossner är en f.d universitetsadjunkt och Swedish influencer, numera ägare av Learn Swedish Culture AB. www.learnswedishculture.com

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Swedish Press | June 2020 11

Sweden, Land of The Midnight Sun

By Peter Berlin

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magine yourself taking a stroll in Kiruna around noon in midDecember. The temperature is minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 deg F). When you inhale, you feel the cold air burning down your windpipe, and a cloud of white vapour exits from your mouth when you exhale. Even though the sky is clear there is no sunshine, only an eerie blue twilight which is reflected by the snow on the ground. By two o’clock in the afternoon it is getting dark. If you have only just arrived, your body clock may tell you that it is time for bed, or at least for supper.

Staying awake takes a bit of effort but is worth it – and here is why.

is Latin for mother-of-pearl) and are formed by ice crystals at altitudes far higher than ordinary clouds. Because they are so high up, they are able to “see” the winter sun and reflect the sunlight down to Earth.

Light Pillars Later in the afternoon the streetlights come on. If it is one of those days when an icy mist descends on the city, you may see strange light pillars rise straight up into the sky like neon lights.

The pillars are created by the reflection of the street lights from tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.

Nacreous Clouds Look up into the dark sky, and you might see a few lens-shaped clouds the colour of mother-of-pearl, like giant flying saucers hovering above the city as if looking for a place to land. They are known as nacreous clouds (nacrum

Light pillars in Kiruna. Photo: Mia Stålnacke

Northern lights in Abisko. Photo: Ted Logardt Top banner: Photo: Fredrik Broman/Swedish Lapland

is a region of space surrounding the Earth in which charged particles from the sun are trapped by the Earth’s magnetic field.) The physical process of the Aurora is extremely complex. and trying to figure it out has kept scientists in Kiruna busy for decades.

Auroras can be monochrome or multicoloured, stationary or moving across the sky like searchlights. Many people think that the Aurora only exists on cold winter nights. That is not true, for it occurs all year round. It is just that you can only see it when the sky is dark, i.e. in the winter when it is also very cold outside.

Aurora Borealis

The mother-of-pearl clouds. Photo: P-M Heden

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The Arctic is perhaps best known for the Northern Lights (or Aurora Borealis for you Latin language showoffs). They are the result of disturbances in the magnetosphere caused by solar wind. (The magnetosphere

The Icehotel in Kiruna. Photo: Asaf Kliger

Arctic Circle Come December 21, the Earth reaches the point in its orbit around the sun known as Winter Solstice. If you were to head south from Kiruna for Christmas, you would take off from the airport around noon bound for Stockholm. Looking out the window, you watch the lights of Kiruna disappear into the polar night. Some 15 minutes later, you notice some hilltops bathing in sunlight. That is when you realize

The Earth’s orbit around the sun. Because the Earth’s spin axis is tilted relative to the orbital (“ecliptic”) plane, the Arctic region is in 24h sunlight at mid-summer and 24h darkness at mid-winter.

Sun tries to penetrate your bedroom curtains and the birds sing all night long. The Polar Day occurs on June 21 when the Earth reaches the Summer Solstice in its orbit around the sun. On that day, our observer standing on the Arctic Circle will see the sun vanish below the horizon for only a brief moment. In the days to come, the sun will disappear for longer. The further north you travel from the Arctic Circle towards the North Pole, the longer you will be able to enjoy the sunshine all day and night.

Detailed illustration of how the Arctic Circle is defined on December 21.

Abisko National Park. Photo: Katja Kristoferson/ Folio/imagebank.sweden.se

Midnight sun in Björkliden. Photo: Peter Rosén/ Swedish Lapland

that you are crossing the Arctic Circle, the latitude at which the sun appears very briefly around noon in midwinter, as seen by an observer on the ground. At all other times of that day the observer is in the dark, or at least in twilight. The good news is that the days will gradually become longer in the days following Winter Solstice.

The further north you travel from the Arctic Circle towards the North Pole, the longer you will remain in nocturnal darkness all day.

The Aurora and the Midnight Sun are of course not uniquely Swedish phenomena; they can be experienced in any location above the Arctic Circle, be it Canada, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Russia, or Alaska. But if you happen to be visiting your Swedish relatives around mid-summer, make a quick detour to Kiruna … if you can find it, because the city is on the move!

(See interview on page 14.)

For more information, visit www. swedishlaplandvisitorsboard.com

Detailed illustration of how the Arctic Circle is defined on June 21.

Midnight Sun If you felt sleepy already at 2 pm during the winter in Kiruna, you will have trouble getting any sleep at all during the summer, because the Midnight

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Kiruna: How to Move a City

Situated 145 km (90 mi) above the Arctic circle, Kiruna is Sweden’s northernmost city. It has evolved around what is nowadays the world’s biggest underground iron mine. The mine employs around 4,600 of the municipality’s 23,000 inhabitants. That same mine is now threatening the city’s future due to subsidence caused by continuing iron ore excavation.

Stefan Sydberg is Deputy Mayor of the city. He is actively involved in the formidable task of moving parts of the city to a new safe location before the subsidence causes irreparable damage to its major landmarks.

In the following interview he outlines the magnitude of the political, logistic and financial challenge.

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W I T H

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tefan Sydberg is 40 years old, married with three children. He was born and raised in Kiruna but left the city for a couple of years to pursue studies and work elsewhere. He returned to Kiruna in 2005, entered politics in 2010 and was voted Deputy Mayor during the 2014 local elections.

Stefan explains why parts of the city are being moved to a new location.

“The iron ore body underground is like a huge tilted beam 4 km long and 80 m thick whose base leans towards the city centre. The mine is operated by the state-owned company LKAB. The company’s chosen method for extracting the iron ore is to dig tunnels deep down underground. To facilitate the excavation of the ore they use dynamite to blast the ore-rich ceilings which collapse into the tunnels.

However, this method of taking out the iron ore is causing the ground on the surface to subside and eventually form an open pit.”

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In 2004 LKAB informed the city council that the city had to be moved.

The new location was first chosen in 2007, then changed in 2010 when the final decision was taken. “When the city was founded in early 1900, the centre had a fantastic view of the mountains,” says Stefan. “From the beginning the discussion centred around a move to the north-east to preserve the view and the soul of the city. But then we would have had a city centre in the outskirts and located on a slope, causing difficulties for the elderly and for people with disabilities.

It was therefore decided to move the city a few kilometres to the south-east instead where the terrain is flatter and the city would be less spread out.”

Stefan Sydberg. Photo: Hans-Olof Utsi

And the cost? “LKAB has to foot the bill for the move since they are responsible for the subsidence. We started the moving process with ground preparations in 2012, and hopefully we will be finished by 2033. By then we will have relocated approximately 6000 inhabitants, or one-third of the

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population. The total cost is estimated at 2 to 3 billion US dollars. Compare that to LKABs profit for 2019 which was 1.2 billion dollars.”

The first building, the labor building B5 which was built in 1899 to house the city’s bachelors, has been moved to its new location since the start of Kiruna city transformation. Photo above and below: kiruna-lapland.se

Since LKAB is paying for the move, the question arose of how the company and the Kiruna Municipality would divide the task between them.

In the end, the Municipality hired around 30 staff for the extra work associated with the transformation (engineering, planning, information, etc.), and they are financed by LKAB. In some cases LKAB constructs replacement buildings, for instance the new City Hall, and hands it over to the Municipality.

Says Stefan: “The major landmarks to be relocated are the beautiful old church, our old fire station, Hjalmar Lundbohmsgården (home of the founder of Kiruna), and some bigger wooden apartment buildings. In total about 30 edifices will be relocated, and many more existing structures

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S T E F A N

will be demolished and rebuilt at the new location. Homeowners whose properties have to be demolished as part of the move have three options: (1) Financial compensation corresponding to market value plus 25 percent; (2) moving the house they live in to a new location, if possible; or (3) LKAB builds a new house similar in form, function and quality at the new location.”

Regarding option (1), we couldn’t resist asking how the market value is assessed, since the homes in question are presumably doomed in the circumstances with a market value of zero.

“Actually, we still have a working market for buying and selling houses,” says Stefan, “but the system with market value plus 25 percent is not well adapted for such a big upheaval as this. Hence, LKAB had to offer those options. As for businesses that have to move, they enjoy the same three options as above plus compensation for 5 years of lost profits due to the move.”

A survey has shown that 90 percent of the inhabitants have taken a positive stance on the move. Those who have not are usually dissatisfied with the financial compensation, or else they regret losing the memories connected to areas that are now being demolished.

Given that it will take at least until 2033 before the move is completed, we asked Stefan how many years the iron ore will last at the present

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The design for Kiruna’s new downtown.

Illustration: White arkitekter

excavation rate. “The iron ore will be depleted at the present depth around the same time, i.e. 2033, but hopefully LKAB will decide before then to dig even deeper into the ground. If the mine were to close in 2033, we will have to accelerate our development of tourism and space activities. We are working on that already. But hopefully LKAB will remain in Kiruna until at least 2060, because there are many more minerals waiting to be mined in our surroundings.”

Kiruna is situated far out in the Lapland wilderness. Most readers of Swedish Press live in urban areas in North America. We asked Stefan to explain why they would want to visit Kiruna, let alone live there. “We have fantastic scenery, not to mention the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights. The city has everything you might need, and there are things to do all year round. Anyone who decides to settle down here will find that the salaries are good and the cost of living is very affordable.”

Interviewed by Peter Berlin

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“Everybody should have affordable ...

Global

Bengt Jörgen, C.M., co-founder, CEO and Artistic Director of Canada’s Ballet Jörgen

Bengt Jörgen. Photo: Canada’s Ballet Jörgen

Bengt Jörgen, C.M., co-founder, CEO and Artistic Director of Canada’s Ballet Jörgen started dancing ballet in his native Stockholm when he was 8 years old. Today the acclaimed dancer and choreographer dedicates his life to making art and culture accessible to communities all over the world. Having lived in Canada since the age of 18, telling Canadian stories through dance is crucial. Swedish Press spoke to Jörgen about his career success, especially the Canadian classic “Anne of Green Gables.”

Where did you grow up?

Mainly in Enskede near Stockholm, Sweden. My father was a career officer in the army and my mother worked as a journalist. Neither of my parents danced professionally,

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Swedish Press | June 2020 16

but my mother loved dance, so she signed my brother and me up for ballet. I started dancing at The Royal Swedish Ballet in downtown Stockholm when I was eight years old. My training was paid for by the government, which was a privilege.

Dancing ballet in the late 60’s was not common for boys, but I grew to love dancing! I am happy I decided in my mid-teens to continue to pursue ballet. After graduating from the Royal Swedish Ballet School I moved to Canada for graduate studies at the National Ballet of Canada.

Did your brother continue to dance?

No, he chose not to, but I have two nephews who dance professionally at The Royal Swedish Ballet.

In which areas in dance have you specialized?

My areas of specialization are ballet and artistic direction. My areas of expertise are artistic leadership, choreography, dance instruction and dance performance.

How many ballets have you choreographed?

I have been fortunate to create more than 30 ballets for numerous ballet and opera companies, including the National Ballet of Canada, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the American Ballet Studio Company and the Hong Kong Ballet.

Tell us a little about Canada’s Ballet Jörgen.

Canada’s Ballet Jörgen was founded in 1987. We deliver programming in all 10 of Canada’s provinces as well as into the United States. It comes in three key areas: performances, training and outreach. Our traditional stage performances include a number of different ballets. Our education programs encompass dance training and performance experience for aspiring dancers. Our outreach program features workshops, as well as performances and events in the community and online.

What does your job as Artistic Director for Canada’s Ballet Jörgen entail?

My main responsibilities as CEO and Artistic Director is to artistically grow the company and make dance accessible to all communities. I strongly believe in classical ballet as a powerful language and foundation to engage contemporary audiences with dance.

Classical ballet is alive and has a place in Canada! I want to show people (adults and children) that the art form is relevant and speaks to people’s needs today. Everybody, no matter where they live, should have affordable access to highquality dance. We are committed to reaching underserved communities

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Putting Sweden on the Map Abroad

Swedes

and demographics. I also strive to create a Canadian context when I choregraph. In my recreations of classical works such as “The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition” and recently “Anne of Green Gables” I have tried to do so.

You are also Artistic Director of the full-time dance programs at George Brown College in downtown Toronto.

What are your main responsibilities at the school?

We partnered with George Brown College in 1992. As Artistic Director of the dance programs I bring together highly specialized professional training for different dance forms within a singular student body. This allows for a more diverse student body while providing emerging artists with broader experiences and a connection to dance values beyond their own field of specialization.

You are a Member (CM) of the Order of Canada and have received prestigious awards including the Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award and Banff Centre Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Which are you most proud over and why?

I am deeply honored to have received all of these, but would say that the Order of Canada is closest to

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... “access to high-quality dance.” my heart because of the contribution I have made to Canadian society and the art of ballet.

In which areas do you feel Sweden contributes most globally?

Sweden has a distinctive brand image in the world. We are inventive and creative. We contribute in the corporate world, as well as in the arts. Take Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind as an example – people all over the world recognize her.

Swedes try to make the world a better place and move forward through practical innovation.

Swedes are not known for being the tough guys, but through our sense of resilience we integrate and have an impact. We have a social way that works. Swedes who immigrated to the U.S. found it easy to adapt to their new home.

How do you think the image of Sweden is changing and developing internationally, and particularly in North America?

In Sweden, like in so many other countries including the U.S., the population is getting more and more polarized. Both negatives and positives are being amplified for use in domestic discourse that may or may not have much to do with what Sweden really is or stands for. As a result, I would say there seem to be more negative view points from what you may have seen in the past.

The image of Sweden, however, continues to evolve in a very positive way.

How do you think Sweden has achieved the success it has despite being such a small country, population-wise?

I think part of Sweden’s success came from not being devastated

by WW2. When the war ended, Swedes were ready to make their mark on the world. Sweden is also well intentioned. We have common sense and a humanistic perspective.

How would you describe your latest ballet production “Anne of Green Gables the Ballet”?

Warm, human and touching. Anne is a lively yet complex character.

The cast and I spent a lot of time making sure we got her character right. I wanted to create a young woman who lived up to the audience’s expectations and whom they would recognize. I’m very proud of Anne. The performance turned out great.

Do you have a favorite choreogra­pher, ballet dancer or singer?

I admire South African-born ballet dancer and choreographer John Cyril Cranko and Czech contemporary dance choreographer Jiří Kylián. The late Swedish soprano and opera singer Elisabeth Söderström also inspires me. She was a beautiful soul and a warm, generous artist. She was loyal to the Royal Swedish Opera throughout her career. She had depth and a great influence on me. www.canadasballetjorgen.ca Interviewed by Sofie Kinnefors

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H E RITAG E

Flags to Symbolize Peace, Mercy and Hospitality

The Danish Flag Turns 800

Text courtesy of Anders Garde Kongshaug

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he Danish flag stems from 1219, so it turned 800 last year and is therefore the world’s oldest national flag still in use. The event was celebrated in the old Danish Viking port and Middle Age capital of Vordingborg, situated one hour south of Copenhagen.

Present were His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary.

The Danish flag features a white cross against a red background.

The cross appears in many flags in Europe, including the UK, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Greece.

It was originally inspired by the Templars Knights; it symbolized Christian hospitality and care for the sick and the weak.

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National flags first appeared in the 12th Century, and the Christian cross was also meant to symbolize purity when the knights went into battle. Archaeologist Nanna Holm at The Danish Castle Centre explains that many countries put a cross on their flags to acknowledge their conversion from paganism – like the Nordic Vikings – to Christianity. The first national flag in the world was actually French, dating back to 1109, and resembled what later became the Danish flag. The French called it the Oriflamme and flew it until the Revolution in 1789 when they changed to the Tricolore.

The Mayor of Vordingborg, Michael Seiding Larsen, likes to say that the white cross in the Danish flag represents peace, and the red background – courage. The red colour is also said to be the finest colour of all, because the original plant that created the red dye was so difficult to find.

Vordingborg was an important Viking city, serving as a launch pad for the conquest of Europe. Later in the Middle Ages it became the capital of Denmark. The Danes first flew their flag during a war against Estonia. The legend says that the flag came down from the sky and saved King Valdemar II from being killed. He won the

battle and returned to Vordingborg.

In connection with the 800-year celebration, a flag was re-created to look like the flag from 1219. The flag had pennants, because it was easier to control when riding on a horse.

Crown Prince Frederik witnessed the ceremony together with his wife Crown Princess Mary. The Crown Prince clearly felt his place in the historic Royal line which goes back unbroken for more than 800 years.

The Danish monarchy is in fact the oldest dynasty in the world. Crown Prince Frederik will one day replace his mother. Queen Margrethe II, 79, and become the next King of Denmark. Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary will then become Queen of Denmark.

The Crown Prince kept a Royal tradition in the Danish Monarchy alive by writing his name in the old Goose Tower in Vordingborg, which was built by King Waldemar I. The tower used to be a prison, so the Royal signatures are mixed in with those of prisoners.

The re-created flag will be hanging from the flag pole at the old Vordingborg Castle, as the only place in Denmark, and forever.

Below: King Valdemar II is saved by the Danish flag descending from heaven.

H E RI TAG E

The Swedish Flag(s)

Text credits: Swedish Institute, Oval Projects and Peter Berlin

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he exact age of the Swedish Flag is not known, but the oldest recorded pictures of a blue cloth with a yellow cross date from the 16th century. As decreed in a royal warrant of 1569, the yellow cross was always to be carried on Swedish battle standards and banners; the Swedish Royal Coat of Arms was blue divided in quarters by a cross of gold. The design of the flag was probably inspired by the Danish flag.

Not until the 1620s, during the reign of Gustav II Adolf, do we find any reliable evidence of the blue flag with a yellow cross being displayed

by Swedish vessels. According to the oldest existing flag warrant, from 1663, a triple­tailed flag was to be used except by merchant ships, whose flag was square-cut. Nowadays the use of the triple-tailed pennon is reserved for the Royal Family and the Armed Forces. The Royal Family may also charge its flags with the Coat of Arms in the centre of the cross.

Since 1916, June 6 has been celebrated as the Swedish Flag Day. This finally also became Sweden’s National Day in 1983. The reasons for the choice of date are twofold: the election of Gustav Vasa as Sweden’s king on June 6, 1523 laid the foun-

dation of Sweden as a separate state; and on the same date in 1809 Sweden adopted a new constitution which included the establishment of civil rights and liberties.

The colours and design of the flag are laid down in the Flag Act of 1982. The flag is normally hoisted at 08.00 hrs from March 1 to October 1, otherwise at 09.00 hrs. It is lowered at sunset, but no later than 21.00 hrs.

There are some 15 official flag days, including the special celebrations of the Royal Family, May Day, Election Day, United Nations Day (October 24) and Nobel Day (December 10).

The flag may also be flown on special local or private family occasions.

The Swedes sniff at public manifestations of patriotism, conveniently overlooking the fact that the blue and yellow Swedish flag is everywhere to be seen – at the top of garden flagpoles, on postcards, on birthday cakes, on the branches of Christmas trees, on the faces of football fans. Its colours are echoed on candles and napkins, on bottle labels and biscuit tins, even on Swedish company logos such as Ikea.

The flag’s colours also bring back memories of childhood summers when the sky was bluer and the sun more golden than today. For Swedes

Swedish county flags: top left: Skåne, right: Småland, middle left: Öland, right: Östergötland, bottom left: Västergötland

the national flag is primarily an eye-pleasing backdrop. Rather than rallying people to war, it invites them to a picnic in the meadow.

Several Swedish counties have their own regional flags. Many resemble the national flag in all but colours. Skåne in the south used to belong to Denmark, and the flag is a compromise – the Swedish yellow cross placed against the red background of the Danish flag. The threecoloured flag of Småland resembles that of Iceland, except that the cold blue background has been replaced

Swedish county flag: Norrbotten

by a warmer green. The island of Öland has opted to use green where the Swedish national flag is blue. The colours of Östergotland’s flag are the inverse of the national flag – a blue cross on a yellow background.

Västergötland has borrowed the Östergötland flag but added a white cross inside the blue cross. The remaining counties have forgone the cross altogether in favour of lions, moose, deer, bulls, sheep, eagles and fish. If you go all the way to Norrbotten (part of Lapland), you might be surprised to see flags featuring a reindeer fleeing from what appears to be a caveman wielding a big club.

Such is life up there in the midnight sun.

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H E RITAG E

On a Quest to Document the Unique Scandinavian-American Culture

By Erika Skogg

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fter a decade of exploring other cultures as a travel photographer, it was time to learn about my own.

Having both a Norwegian and Swedish background, I turned my camera lens inward and launched a photographic journey to document the unique ScandinavianAmerican culture. I hoped to both understand my own culture better, as well as promote an understanding and appreciation of our immigrant connections throughout North America.

I chose Chicago as my starting point – a city where by 1900 the population of Swedes was second only to Stockholm. Under the turquoise glass of the Chicago Cultural Center’s Tiffany Dome,

Alice Gehrke, crowned Chicago’s St. Lucia, leads the group of Swedish-American girls in a procession through the Chicago Cultural Center.

girls belonging to Swedish “lodges” gathered in white robes with red sashes to celebrate the beloved Swedish festival of light, Santa Lucia.

Crowned with a traditional wreath of lit candles, the year’s chosen Santa Lucia marked the official start

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Kajsa Anderson sets the table to host a Swedish themed Christmas dinner in Sister Bay, Wisconsin.

All photos © Erika Skogg.

to the holiday season by leading a candle-lit community procession of Swedish hymns through the streets of Andersonville, a historically Swedish neighborhood on Chicago’s north side, to the annual Swedish Julmässa.

From there I headed north to Wisconsin’s Door County Peninsula to join the Anderson Family for a Swedish Christmas dinner. As their oldest daughter Kajsa set the table with festive tomtes and straw goats, guests sipped on warm glögg in the warmth of the family’s renovated log-cabin farmstead. The Andersons welcome the community into their home during significant Swedish holidays when their mother Helene from Helsingborg, Sweden, pauses to explain the significance of her

national traditions. Families like the Andersons help define small towns like Sister Bay which promote their Scandinavian character to draw in tourism. The surrounding ethnically themed hotels and restaurants create a symbiotic relationship where tourism and culture play a vital role in one another’s survival.

Waitresses in Scandinavian folk outfits, Kara Caldecott and Betsy Cornelius, arrive to work at Al Johnson’s Swedish restaurant in Door County, Wisconsin.

H E RI TAG E When the Scandinavian-style deep freeze of the north finally broke for summer, I booked a flight to Lindsborg, Kansas to visit Little Sweden, USA. Like many modernday communities which evolved from strong immigrant settlements, Lindsborg is a town where the annual traditions are inspired and reimagined from those of the old world.

During Lindsborg’s Midsummer Festival, many wear national costumes purchased during trips to Europe, but more often they are outfits improvised at home with fabrics more readily available and affordable than the traditional heavy wool and expensive silver. Middle and high schools with Scandinavian or Nordic dancing groups often grant access to a public costume bank, where community members offer their time to hem and customize the clothing.

With help from Tara Killingsworth, a Lindsborg seamstress who owns a shop focusing on folk costumes, the town has even created its own ‘national’ costume. Before I left town I made sure to have my measurements taken just in case I would find it nec-

Kajsa Anderson adjusts a Midsummer flower crown on her Swedish immigrant mother, Helene Anderson, in Sister Bay, Wisconsin.

essary to have a Swedish-American folk dress from Kansas one day.

I have been asked if those of Swedish heritage hold festivals out of fear of losing their culture, but in my experience the intention is much more on inclusion and community

Midsummer in Lindsborg, Kansas, around the Midsommar Pole/Majstångsresning.

growth. The parades and gatherings may be Scandinavian themed, but the underlying efforts seem rooted in a simple desire to gather and connect to one another. At the end of the year I was refreshed with an inspiration and responsibility to continue celebrating the variety of cultures here in the United States. Why attend a cultural celebration only if you have a personal attachment to it?

Ending the year of photography back under the snowfall, I spent the short arctic-like days in Hancock, Upper Michigan, home to Finlandia University and the annual midwinter Heikinpäivä Festival. Although the town is heavily Finnish, the town parade included every character under the Scandinavian folkloric sun from Santa Lucia to Viking Warriors,

and families dressed in colorful Finnish Gáktis and elaborate seal furs from Sápmi/Lapland. A reindeer herder from Finland also made an appearance to fuel an ongoing conversation about the possibility of introducing controlled reindeer herds into the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Over the course of this project I was grateful for open doors into the homes of locals, especially the one into the sauna of Finnish-American Hepokoski family. Sundays are spent cooking traditional Finnish foods like Pannakakku and Pyttipannu and singing traditional hymns in Finnish from the Lutheran Apostolic Bible before heading to the family’s sauna.

Along the Hepokoski’s front porch lie kick-sleds, Nordic skis, and a variety of snow shoes. A ski pole is leaned against the exterior front door to signify when the family is out, so visitors don’t bother getting out of their warm cars in the winter to knock on the door.

The future of this project relies on the help of the community. It takes many storytellers and photographers to create the complete picture of our heritage. I am asking families to submit images of their own which will be turned into a book on the Scandinavian-American story here in North America. Information on how to submit and support can be found at ErikaSkogg.com or via Instagram @ScandinavianAmerican.

Many thanks in advance!

Brita Hepokoski steps out from her FinnishAmerican’s family sauna in Hancock Michigan.

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Swedish Press | June 2020 21

[Lifestyle]

Top Sju

10 Travel site “Allt om resor” recently listed 10 Swedish ancient monuments (fornminnen) well worth a visit. There are hundreds of thousands of preserved remnants (kvarlämningar) in Sweden and visiting them is completely free. Included on the list were: The rock carvings in Tanumshede, Bohuslän; Anundshög, a tumulus near Västerås in Västmanland; Ekornavallen, an ancient burial ground in Falköping; Rösaring, an area of ancient monuments and remains (fornlämningar) in Uppland; Släbro, an area containing ancient monuments and remains outside Nyköping in Södermanland; Ales stenar, a megalithic monument in Skåne; Björketorpsstenen, a runestone in Blekinge; Kiviksgraven, an archaeological site near Kivik in Skåne; Greby, an Iron Age field of graves in Bohuslän; and Gamla Uppsala, an old village outside of Uppsala.

19 Midsummer, one of Sweden’s most important holidays, is quickly approaching. Celebrated on June 19 this year, the holiday usually consists of

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outdoor games and dancing around the maypole while singing Swedish midsummer songs like “Små grodorna” and “Prästens lilla kråka”.

Pickled herring, new potatoes, sour cream, chives, crispbread, cheese, strawberries and schnapps are staples on most Swedish tables during Midsummer.

At the end of the celebrations young women are encouraged to pick seven flowers, put them under their pillow and hopefully dream of their future husband.

22 Children’s attraction Junibacken on Djurgården in Stockholm (closed since March 22 due to the current pandemic) is offering children the chance to send a cuddly toy to their favorite attraction park for an adventure that the child will be able to follow digitally. Toys will experience theater performances, playtime in Pippi Longstocking’s house Villa Villekulla, detective work in an ongoing exhibition, and a lunch break in the dining room Cirkusmatsalen. Children will be able to follow their cuddly friends on Junibacken’s Instagram account and on YouTube. Junibacken is accepting toy animals until they re-open to the public.

1986 Midsummer celebration in Torstuna, Sweden. Photo: Conny Sjostrom

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Just in time for summer enjoyment, Swedish chocolate brand Marabou has released two delicious treats: “Äppelpaj” (apple pie) described as the perfect summer combination consisting of milk chocolate with pieces of apple pie; and “Strawberry Cheesecake” – milk chocolate with a taste of light, creamy cheesecake, crispy biscuits and strawberries. A 100-gram chocolate bar from Marabou costs approximately 13.90 SEK.

1809 Sweden’s National Day, celebrated in honor of Gustav Vasa and the establishment of the “Instrument of Government” in 1809, takes place on June 6. Bring out your Swedish flags, celebrate with a picnic in your local park, or simply gather at home for some smörgåstårta or strawberries and cream.

Swedish former long jumper Michel Tornéus, born May 26, 1986, won this year’s Swedish competition show “Mästarnas mästare”, where former athletes face each other in a variety of athletic challenges. During the competition, which aired on Swedish Television SVT, Tornéus fought against fellow athletes Susanna Kallur, Josefine Öqvist, Jörgen Kruth, Ida Ingemarsdotter, Frida Hansdotter, Pernilla Johansson, Kim Källström, Henrik Windstedt and Kenneth Hansen. Tornéus said he felt incredibly happy and proud over his win.

30 “Gelato” by Angelo and Hanna Scarfò is the only recipe book you’ll need this summer! The couple, who run gelato shop Gelato Scarfò in Ålsten, Stockholm offer readers approximately 30 of their best recipes of gelato and sorbet. The book also consists of plenty of useful advice on manufacturing, equipment and ingredients. Gelato flavors to choose from in the book include hazelnut, pistachio, cherry, blueberry or fior di latte.

[Lifestyle] Book “Letters from Tove”, University of Minnesota Press 2020

By Peter Berlin

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innish-born Tove Jansson (1914-2001) is perhaps best remembered for her books about the Moomins – adventurous, amusing cartoon trolls who had much in common with their bohemian, nature-loving author. The books first appeared in the mid-1940s and were followed by decades of newspaper cartoons and video animations.

But there was much more to Tove Jansson than those hippopotamuslooking little trolls. She was a prolific author, artist, illustrator, cartoonist and writer of librettos and letters. She was also a very perceptive observer of nature and the human psyche.

The book Letters from Tove contains a selection of her correspondence over a period of nearly 60 years.

The reader gains a unique insight into the depths of her thoughts and feelings, often dark but nearly always expressed with a liberating sense of humour. The book first appeared in Swedish in 2014 as Brev från Tove Jansson. The English translation of the book was released by Minnesota University Press on March 20, 2020.

The letters are grouped according to the recipients – her parents, a close friend, her male and female lovers, and her publisher. Each of the nine groups is preceded by a helpful introduction by the book’s editors that provide the historic, geographical and social context.

There are footnotes which clarify the background of people and places mentioned in passing in the letters.

There is also an index of all the characters at the end of the book.

The earliest letters describe her stays in Sweden. France and Italy during her formative years as an artist. Later she shares her joy of having her paintings accepted by various art galleries and exhibitors.

Her romantic liaisons with men begin with letters expressing euphoria followed by eventual disappointment.

In one case marriage was discussed but no proposal was forthcoming. In hindsight she congratulated herself for not having fallen into the trap of bourgeois marital predictability.

In a letter to a friend at the height of World War II she wrote: “And if I become a ‘good’ wife, then his work will be more important than mine, my intellect be subordinate to his, I shall bear him children, children to be killed in future wars! And at the same time I shall see through it all, and know that I acted against every-

thing I believed in.” She later admitted to being bisexual and eventually found more lasting happiness living with female partners.

Over time her letters became more sparse and less intimate. Even so, in the words of the book’s editors, “They can be literary and lyrical, observant and analytical; they can be cheery, sad, exhilarated, melancholy and sometimes entirely workaday.

But they rarely leave us unmoved.”

In addition to her letters and books for children, Tove Jansson was the author of eleven novels and short-story collections for adults, including The Summer Book and The True Deceiver. She received the Hans Christian Andersen medal in 1966. In 1994 the Swedish Academy awarded her their Literary Prize.

Another noteworthy award was the American-Scandinavian Foundation Honorary Cultural Award (1996).

Letters from Tove is edited by Boel Westin and Helen Svensson, both of whom were friends of Tove Jansson. The excellent translation from Swedish is by Sarah Death.

The book can be ordered from Amazon or directly from Minnesota University Press: www.upress.umn. edu/book-division/books/lettersfrom-tove.

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Swedish Press | June 2020 23

Hemma hos

Erica Eriksdotter Paints Healing Pet Portraits from the Heart

[Design]

By Kristi Robinson

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hen artist Erica Eriksdotter lays her brush to canvas to bring the soul of a beloved pet animal to life, it is part of a journey that can bring on profound comfort and healing for an owner who has lost a pet. Erica considers it an honor to be able to help people cope with their grief through her art. A self-taught, third generation painter, Erica grew up in the Swedish town of Eskilstuna and moved to the US at the age of twenty. Having the first half of her life shaped in Sweden and the second half guided by her American experience, she sees her art as a merge between the two cultures.

Her style is a mixture of clean lines, for which the Swedish aesthetic is known, and the American influence of bold colors. She works under the name Studio Eriksdotter – a name she took from her father, Leif Erik Larsson, a businessman and family man who encouraged her to chase her dreams. She credits her Swedish roots for her tenacity and determination that have allowed her to create a thriving business doing what she loves. She works out of her home studio in Richmond, Virginia where she is accompanied by her feline sidekicks Lola and Rasmus.

Erica explains that everything she is as an artist stems from significant moments in her childhood in Sweden: The little art store in Eskilstuna where she grew up, the watercolor

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Erica with her portrait of Hayley.

box she bought at the age of 7 that still sits in her studio, asking her Mom to write her name in cursive so she could practice tracing it, knowing she was going to have to sign her name one day. Or being in the red shed in her grandfather’s backyard where she would touch the details of his handcrafted woodwork. Erica spoke of how growing up next to Viking ruins influenced her, and how spending so much time outdoors as a child nurtured her connection to nature.

To this day, these influences fill her with creativity.

Though Erica always knew she wanted to be an artist, she just didn’t know how it could become reality.

She pursued a successful career in PR. At the same time she painted commissions and showed floral art and statement pieces in exhibitions all over the East Coast. A decade ago she began painting pet portraits out of curiosity. Up until that point she

had shied away from painting people or pets, knowing that painting the eyes were the key to making the portrait come alive, yet doubting her ability to do just that. Now her portraits always begin with the eyes; that is where she sees the soul of the animal. The pet then starts to reveal itself on the canvas, through layers of meticulous brushstrokes she puts down with a technique she created. When she discovered that she could add water to her acrylic paint to dilute it to the consistency of watercolour paint, she said this was “it” for her.

At first, most of Erica’s business came by word-of-mouth. She had already built a large client base, and so she had returning customers, some on their 4th, even 5th commission.

She received attention in the media and was featured in numerous magazines and on news segments, but it was an article in The Washington Post last summer that launched her into the spotlight. Her waitlist jumped from 6 months to 1 year, and commissions started coming from all over the world.

While not all the pets Erica paints have passed away, the process for painting each portrait is similar.

Before the painting has even begun, Erica collects photographs and stories about the animal through countless conversations and emails with her clients. She sketches out a rough image of the animal on the canvas, and then starts to paint. The entire process can take anywhere from 40 to 80 hours depending on the size of the canvas and the level of detail – long fur takes more time to paint.

What is important to Erica is that

she communicates every step of the way, so that there are no surprises in the end. It is as if the clients are in her studio with her and brought on the entire journey. For those who are commissioning a portrait in memoriam, they arrive with all the joy, all the sadness, all the grief that is to be expected. Erica works through it all by listening to their stories. Her clients often describe the deep level of healing they experience. One client said at the end of it all “when I look at photos it makes me really sad, but when I look at the painting it replaces my tears with my smile.”

The process is cathartic for Erica

Leila

Pashy

Cammie. All photos © Erica Eriksdotter

herself. Even other pet owners who have only just heard of Erica’s story and how she has helped people move through their grief, have been able to work through their own with her special form of art therapy.

Another feature of what Erica does that makes her so unique is that she openly shares her work on social media. She acknowledges that this is rare for a painter to do, and even more so for a commissioned painter. She readily posts images of her portraits and processes on social media through photos and videos on Instagram. Anyone interested in her work is able to follow along in real time. Every pet is given its own hashtag so clients can share with family and friends. She also gets a lot of followers on social media who are artists themselves and are interested in her techniques. More recently she has begun posting free tutorials on YouTube to share some of her painting methods, and has plans to add many more. In the future she also aims to have classes for artists, specifically on the business aspects of being an artist.

Whether it is to a fellow artist, her clients, or her community, giving

back is just part of Erica’s nature, and she says she values being able to do it. As an artist who is connected to the hearts of her clients and the souls of their pets, Erica also uses her art to make a difference in the lives of others. She does this by donating 5 percent of her profits, giving monthly, and donating her artwork to a number of charities that support women, children, and animals in need.

Visit StudioEriksdotter.com for more information about Erica, pricing options, behind-the-scenes photos from the studio and painting tutorials.

Rosie

Emily

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Swedish Press | June 2020 25

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Road to 2045

The Green Gold of the North

By Jakob Lagercrantz

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weden is mostly covered by forest, especially in the north.

Our rivers, with established hydropower, are mostly based north of Gävle, with more than 4 billion litres of water flowing every second. Valuable iron ore is mined in the far north. Today Sweden can claim up to 92 per cent of the known iron reserves in Europe. Forests, iron ore, electricity – three fundamental parts of industrial development.

The north has provided Sweden with wealth and independence from imports since the days of Gustav Vasa in the 1500’s. Hydropower and forestry often came at a high environmental cost, but as we learned more and more about the delicate balance in nature, we are improving. No rivers have been dammed for hydropower since 1994.

We now see industries establishing themselves in the high north with the potential of creating new green wealth.

One example is Northvolt, a battery factory making use of the abundant

Road to 2045 electricity in the north, the possibility for sea transport, and the proximity of rare metals. When it was founded in 2017, the company’s stated mission was simple: develop the world’s greenest battery cell and establish one of Europe’s largest battery factories.

Ambitious targets with an investment plan of 4 billion US dollars.

Peter Carlsson, CEO of Northvolt, learned to aim high and think outside the box while employed at Tesla and Sony Ericsson. He spent several years at Tesla in California during the challenging years when the words Tesla and bankruptcy were often linked. Hard work and innovative thinking were needed. Today, Tesla is out of the woods with a yearly production rivalling Volvo and going higher.

Northvolt is doing a Tesla in the country of “lagom”, a country where we tend to believe that establishing large, innovative industries is beyond us. Or is that true? Remember the early 1900’s when AGA, SKF, Volvo, ESAB and other companies were established. They were all driven by

entrepreneurs who had an audacious vision, and who came from a country that at the time was seen as rather provincial in the far north of the globe.

Today Northvolt has partnered with major companies like Volkswagen, Scania, ABB and BMW. They have already built a large research facility in Västerås, and they plan to have the first factory on a 50-hectare site in Skellefteå up and running by late 2021. Today the ground is cleared, and 1500 construction workers have been enlisted to build the factory in record time – one of the largest industrial projects in Skellefteå.

With space and clean air to offer, with energy production and raw materials close by, and with transport by sea as a clean option compared to the congestion on Europe’s roads, the North is looking to be a Klondike for industrial development. Let’s make this a green expansion.

The Swedish 2030-secretariat was formed to support the decarbonization of the transport sector in Sweden. The secretariat is independent from political parties and technical solutions.

Northvolt’s first large-scale battery factory is being established in Skellefteå in northern Sweden.

Photo: Northvolt

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Swedish Press Connects

Livefika knyter utlandssvenskar till hemlandet

Livefika med Svenskar i Världen Finns det något trevligare än en svensk fika, där man över en kopp kaffe lyssnar till eller aktivt deltar i ett samtal? I ett världsläge då social distansering eller till och med hemkarantän är något vi måste förhålla oss till, är en digital mötesplats en perfekt lösning.

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å här i coronatider är behovet av stöd och information större än någonsin. På Sveriges utrikesminister Ann Lindes initiativ hade Svenskar i Världen ett möte med utrikesministern i mars där hon fick ta del av de orosmoln och problem som utlandssvenskar och strandade svenskar upplever med koppling till Covid19-pandemin. En återkommande kommentar var att många utlandssvenskar kände sig bortglömda av Sverige i det här läget.

Svenskar i Världen har därför initierat ”Livefika med Svenskar i Världen” för svenskar i världen. På denna digitala fikastund deltar en eller flera gäster som under cirka 40 minuter samtalar utifrån ett specifikt ämne. Det finns plats för upp till hundra deltagare per gång, men eftersom livefikat spelas in kan man alltid titta på det efteråt.

– Ibland kommer deltagarna att få ställa frågor direkt till gästen och ibland blir det mer av ett samtal som man lyssnar till. Oavsett samtalsform kan man skicka in frågor i förväg. Eftersom det är svårt att hitta ett klockslag som passar världen över så kommer tiden för livefikat att alterneras, säger Cecilia Borglin, generalsekreterare på Svenskar i Världen.

Taktil beröring och den vänliga döden

I premiäravsnittet deltog Svenskar i Världens ordförande Louise Svanberg och vice ordförande – tillika biskop emeritus – Lennart Koskinen. Deras samtal handlade om den vänliga döden, taktil beröring, och de Lennart Koskinen delade med sig av visdomsord från Pär Lagerkvist och Dalai Lama. I förra numret av Swedish Press finns en lång intervju med Louise Svanberg.

Det andra livefikat bjöd på frågestund med fotbollslegenden Kim Källström, som sitter i Svenskar i Världens styrelse. Öppenhjärtigt berättade han om sin relation med mittfältsrivalen Anders Svensson och hur ledarskapet inom Louise Svanberg. Photo Bengt Säll fotbollen skiljer sig åt mellan länder och klubbar. Under sina 15 år utomlands var det speciellt en flytt som var extra stökig, och naturligtvis fick han frågor om sin insats i Mästarnas mästare – SVT:s succéprogram där före detta idrottsstjärnor tävlar mot varandra.

Näst på tur står Anders Tegnell, statsepidemiolog vid Folkhälsomyndigheten.

Han kommer att svara på utlandssvenskarnas frågor om corona-pandemin och Kim Källström. Photo: Janne den strategi som Sverige Danielsson/SVT arbetar utifrån.

Fakta om Livefika med Svenskar i Världen

Körs över Zoom, som är en kostnadsfri tjänst. Man kopplar enkelt upp sig från sin dator, surfplatta eller mobil. Länken till varje livefika publiceras på Svenskar i Världens Facebook- och Instagramkonto, @svenskarivarlden. Samtliga avsnitt går att se efteråt och finns på www.sviv.se.

Summary in English: Many expatriate and stranded Swedes feel abandoned by their home country in these difficult days fraught with COVID-19. Following a meeting with Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Ann Linde, SVIV has taken the initiative to help bridge the gap for expats by arranging videoconferences via Zoom. The conferences last approximately 40 minutes and take the form of “fika” where participants can listen to conversations between invited Swedish celebrities and dignitaries. Participants are welcome to submit questions in advance, and during some “fika” sessions they can also ask questions in real-time.

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A guide to fun and interesting Swedish events outside Sweden

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ASTORIA PO Box 34, Astoria, OR 97103 www.astoriascanfest.com Jun 19 to 21 – Due to the coronavirus crisis, The Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival Association and Astoria Scandinavian Heritage Association have made the difficult decision to cancel the 53rd annual Midsummer Festival scheduled at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds.

CHICAGO Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 Tel: 773-728 8111 | info@samac.org www.swedishamericanmuseum.org The Swedish American Museum is closed to the public until further notice. Visit the Swedish American Museum website for updates.

DETROIT Swedish Club of Southeast Michigan 22398 Ruth St, Farmington Hills, MI 48336 Info: 734-459 0596 www.swedishclub.net Visit the club website for updates on the June buffet and Midsummer activities.

MINNEAPOLIS American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 Tel: 612-871 4907 | www.asimn.org ASI is temporarily closed due to COVID-19 and programs are cancelled through May 31. Visit the ASI website for information on virtual language classes and makers sessions, sharing recipes and stories.

PHILADEPHIA American Swedish Historical Museum 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145 | Tel: 215-389 1776 | info@americanswedish.org | www.americanswedish.org The museum is closed to the public until further notice. Please visit www.americanswedish.org for more information.

PORTLAND Nordic Northwest Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Rd., Portland, OR 97223 | Tel: 503-977 0275 www.nordicnorthwest.org Nordia House is closed until further notice.

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SEATTLE Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 Tel: 206-283 1090 | www.swedishclubnw.org info@swedishculturalcenter.org Due to concerns about coronavirus, the dining room and bar at the Swedish Club are closed for the foreseeable future, and Clubsponsored events are cancelled.

Jun 20 – Saturday: National Day, Midsommar & Swedish Car Show – check the website for updates.

Nordic Museum 2655 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107 Tel: 206-789 5707 | nordic@nordicmuseum.org www.nordicmuseum.org National Nordic Museum will be closed to the public until further notice.

May 30 to Jun 6 – Auktion 2.0 – A Virtual Benefit for the National Nordic Museum.

Bid on fantastic auction packages right from the comfort of your own home.

WASHINGTON, DC Embassy of Sweden 2900 K Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 202-467 2600 | www.swedenabroad.com ambassaden.washington@gov.se Due to COVID-19 the Embassy is only offering limited consular services and will be closed to visitors until May 15, 2020.

Only extremely urgent passport and visa applications will be considered. Appointments have to be scheduled via e-mail: ambassaden.washington-visum@gov.se.

WISCONSIN Swedish American Historical Society of Wisconsin Tel: 414-352 7890 | www.sahswi.org Jun 28 – Sunday 1 to 4 pm: The Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration in Heidelberg Park, Glendale, is cancelled.

OTTAWA Embassy of Sweden Ottawa 377 Dalhousie Street, Suite 305, Ottawa ON K1N 9NB Tel: 613-241 2277 www.swedishembassy.ca On 16 April the Government decided to extend the temporary entry ban to the EU via Sweden until 15 May. 18

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TORONTO Svenska kyrkan i Toronto 25 Old York Mills Road, Toronto ON M2P 1B5 Tel: 416-486 0466 | toronto@svenskakyrkan.se www.svenskakyrkan.se/toronto Due to the ongoing pandemic of the corona virus Covid-19, and the ban on public gatherings, the Swedish Church in Toronto has cancelled all its church services and other activities until further notice. Pastor Anders Fehn has returned to Sweden and pastor Matti Kormano of Agricola has graciously offered his services during this time, should the need arise. He can be reached at 647742 1717 or pastor@agricola.ca.

VANCOUVER Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9 Tel: 604-294 2777 | info@scancentre.org www.scancentre.org The Scandinavian Centre is closed for the time being but the office is still open for administration. Please contact by phone 604-294 2777 or e-mail info@scancentre. org. If you wish to come to the Centre, please contact us first. Visit www.scancentre.org. for further updates.

Jun 20-21 – The Scandinavian Midsummer Festival 2020 is cancelled due to Covid-19.

The next Midsummer Festival will take place June 19 and 20, 2021.

VICTORIA Swedish Club of Victoria 2438 Amherst Avenue, Sidney, BC V8L 2G9 Tel: 250-656 9586 Visit www.facebook.com/swedishclubofvictoria/ for Midsummer updates.

WINNIPEG Swedish Cultural Assoc of Manitoba Scandinavian Cultural Centre 764 Erin St, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4 Tel: 204-774 8047 | www.scandinaviancentre.ca/sweden | Registration by email at svenskclub17@gmail.com The Scandinavian Centre remains closed at this time as we continue to practice safe distancing measures due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Updates on reopening and events can be found at our website www. scandinaviancentre.ca/sweden.

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[Ads] and Info Swedish Press Classified BC Organizations Scandinavian Business Club Monthly meetings feature business speakers. Guests and new members welcome. Call SBC: 604-484-8238.

Visit us at www.sbc-bc.ca Scandinavian Community Centre Scandinavian Community Centre Beautiful setting for weddings, parties, birthdays, meetings and seminars. 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC info@scancentre.org Tel: 604-294-2777 www. scancentre.org Svenska Kulturföreningen Ordförande Ellen Petersson 604-970 8708. Kassör är Linda Olofsson, 604-418 7703 www.swedishculturalsociety.ca.

Email: swedishculturalsociety.ca @gmail.com Swedish Canadian Village Beautiful Assisted Living Residence & Senior Subsidized Apartment Buildings Located in Burnaby, BC. Tel: 604-420 1124 Fax# 604-420 1175 www.swedishcanadian.ca

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Swedish Heritage in BC 1812 Duthie Ave. Burnaby BC. Laila Axen Tel: 604-526 7464. Visit us at www. swedishheritageinbc.org. E-mail: swedishheritagebc@gmail.com Sweden House Society President: Rebecca Keckman Vice President: Dorothy Carlson Treasurer: Carole Walkinshaw, Email: swedenhousechair@gmail.com Swedish Club of Victoria Dinners, Events and Meetings, for information contact Annabelle Beresford @ 250-656 9586 or Swedish Club of Victoria Facebook.

Washington Organizations Nordic Museum has moved to a beautiful, brand-new building!

In Seattle, 2655 N.W. Market St., Ballard; 206-789 5707.

dinner. Pancake breakfasts on first Sundays of the month. Rental venue for meeting, parties, etc. www.swedishclubnw.org

www.hemslojd.com

Classified Stockholm Series: City of My Dreams by Per Anders Fogelstrom.

Or, recommended, the complete five volume series. For yourself and as a wonderful gift idea. Contact RobertLJohnson@msn.com for price and shipping.

Advertising Sales Reps wanted Swedish Press is looking for full or part-time advertising sales representatives. E-mail info@swedishpress.com for more information.

Swedish Press Classified Ad Rate is as low as 50 cents per word (minimum $10). Send your ad to advertise @swedishpress.com

Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: 206-283 1090. Open Wednesday evenings for supper and games, Friday for lunch and

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Swedish Press | June 2020 29

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Sista ordet

‘A Great Way to Fight a War’ The Canadian Bomber Airmen and Leksand’s Sports Club

By Lars Ingels

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n May 2019, a new book by Swedish author Lars Ingels was released. It tells the fascinating and hitherto unknown story of the interned Canadian airmen who played a full hockey season in Sweden during World War II. It is the true story of an unlikely season that would forever change life in the small town of Leksand (population now 15,000), which has the most popular hockey team in Sweden today.

“It was a great way to fight a war,” a sergeant of the Royal Canadian Air Force later described the winter of 1944 when he, together with a dozen fellow Canadians, played a hockey season in the central Swedish province of Dalarna. In 1943 Great Britain and the US took a joint decision to initiate a combined strategic bomber offensive – Operation Pointblank – against industrial areas and cities in Nazi Germany. Air warfare took a cruel civilian toll, but it also came with enormous risks for the thousands of bomber crews that took part in the raids. These airmen saw some of the heaviest losses in the whole war.

Between August 1943 and January 1944 eight British aircraft managed dramatic escapes to Sweden for emergency landings or crashes after facing down German fighters and antiaircraft guns (flak). Five of the planes had Canadian crews on board. As Sweden was a neutral country, these airmen were interned in accordance with The Hague Convention.

The Canadians ended up in Falun, just 30 miles from Leksand. When winter arrived, they realized that

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Swedish Press | June 2020 30

here they could play their favourite sport, ice hockey, just like in Canada.

Hockey had skated into Dalarna just a few years earlier, and here came a crew of Canadian hockey players as an unexpected gift from on high, literally!

The Canadians played twenty matches and competed in the very first Dala-series against Mora IK and Leksand IF. The very next year Mora advanced to the top Swedish national league and was followed a few years later by Leksand, nowadays Sweden’s most popular hockey club.

So what really happened during that cold winter of war? Who were

the airmen and where did they come from? What led up to the winter of 1943–44, and what came after? It is an exciting tale, untold until now, where many twists of fate transformed the horrible theatre of war into a game played on the Dalarna ice.

In 2011, the Swedish Coast Guard found one of the planes, a Halifax, in the Baltic Sea outside Falsterbo in the south of Sweden. Salvaging efforts began in 2016 by collecting pieces of wreckage from this unique bomber plane in order to reconstruct the historic aircraft. The salvage resumes this summer under the guidance of Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada). See www.57rescuecanada.com.

The Swedish book title is “De kanadensiska bombflygarna och Leksands IF”, which translates as “The Canadian Bomber Airmen and Leksand’s Sports Club.” The book has 248 pages and more than 200 pictures.

“Hopefully there will be an English version someday,” author Lars Ingels says while searching for a Canadian publisher.

You can order the book (in Swedish) from the Swedish online book shop Bokus: www.bokus.com/bok/9789188483171/de-kanadensiska-bombflygarna -och-leksands-if, which will deliver to Canada and United Kingdom.

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