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May 2020 Vol 91:04 $5.95
The Swedish Diaspora
04 2020
Interview with Louise Svanberg Golden Green Exports Polarpriset 2020
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Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. 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. SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published ten times per year (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan) by Swedish Press Inc, 862 Peace Portal Drive, Suite #101, Blaine WA 98230 for $45 per year. Periodical postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230-9998 (No. USPS 005544). US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 OFFICE: 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 WEBSITE www.swedishpress.com E-MAIL info@swedishpress.com TEL +1 360 450 5858 TOLL FREE +1 866 882 0088 PUBLISHER Claes Fredriksson Claes@swedishpress.com EDITOR Peter Berlin Peter@swedishpress.com ART DIRECTOR Joan Law Joan@swedishpress.com
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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: Capitainer 11
Feature Swedish Diaspora – The Swedish Community in Spain, Hong Kong, South of France and Singapore
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Hemma Hos 24 Design: The Streets are a Playground for Artist Johan Karlgren Road to 2045 25 Green Tech Street art by Johan Karlgren Through Improvement As Well As Innovation Heritage 26 An Insider’s Look at Swedish Culture: Jakten om repet och Corona i Vasaloppets snöstorm Swedish Press Connects 27 SVIV – Nätverk av utlandssvenskar en resurs i coronakrisen In the Loop 28 Calendar and Events
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Swedish Press
29 Ads and Info Photo: Svenska Skolan i Singapore
Global Swedes 16 Louise Svanberg – Chairman of the Board of Swedes in the World (SVIV) Heritage 18 In the Tradition of Immigrants Everywhere 20 Some Useful Advice for Emigrants to America Lifestyle 22 Top Sju 23 Book: The Swedish art of making the most of life, passa på
30 Sista Ordet Coronan flyttar Polarpriset till maj 2021 31 Press Byrån
Cover images: 1. The Big Ben, the House of Parliament and the Westminster 4 Bridge at night, London, UK. Photo: Luciano Mortula | 6 5 2. The Globe. Photo: 1expert/123rf | 3. Singapore. | 4. Swedish fans. Photo: Business Insider | 5. The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. | 6. Hong Kong skyline. Photo © Andrea Björsell
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Swedish Press | May 2020 3
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. Hej Peter, The article “Fapur, Mopir, Dottær and the Law” (February 2020 pp 18-19) contains several serious errors. It should (more appropriately) say: FaÞur, MoÞir, Sun, Dottær and the Law Sun ær faÞurs arvi. Ær eig sun: Þa ær dottær. Ær eig dottær: Þa ær faÞir. Ær eig faÞir Þa ær moÞer: Þa ær broÞer. Ær eig broÞer: Þa ær: systir. Ær eig systir: Þa æru sunærbørn ... The full text from Collin-Schlyter, 1827:24: Svn ær faþurs arvi. Ær eig svn. þa ær dottær. Ær eig dottær. þa ær faþir. Ær eig faþir þa ær moþer. þa ær broþer. Ær eig broþer. þa er systir. Ær eig systir. þa æru sunærbörn. Ær eig sunerbörn þa ær dottor börn. Ær eig dottor börn. þa æru broþor börn. Ær eig broþorbörn. þa æru systör börn. Ær eig systor börn. þa ærfaþurfaþir. Ær moþor moþær ok faþur broþær. þa takar moþor moþer. ok faþur broþor gangær fra. Henrik Sandin New York, New York Editor’s comment: Right you are! Since many of our readers might not have known how “þ” is pronounced, I took the liberty of replacing it with the typographically similar character “p”. The purpose of the article, after all, was to marvel over the fact that Swedish-speakers are still able to make some sense of a text written almost 800 years ago. (To our readers: “þ” is pronounced like “th” in “thorn”.) Peter and Joan, Thank you for including the article about the Brass Band (page. 21) in the
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current issue. I was wondering what you might do, if anything, in light of their cancellation. The final paragraph was perfect and hopefully we will enjoy a concert sometime in the near future. Have a great day and thanks for your excellent magazine… longest running for Swedes in North America Carl Linden Edgewood, Washington Dear Joan, We were so happy to receive April’s issue yesterday (3/28). After two weeks of “stay home” orders from our governor in Oregon, its arrival was timely. We especially enjoy the issues that highlight places we have visited in Sweden on previous trips. This month’s articles on Gotland brought back fond memories. Thank you for such a wonderful magazine. Since this issue was published, the world has changed dramatically. To all fellow subscribers: stay well, be safe, follow all precautions. We will all get through this together! Best regards, Eric & Anastasia Johansson Portland, Oregon
Hi,
Thank you for your renewal reminder. I do not want to be without the Swedish Press. I have subscribed for almost all the years I have lived in Canada. In the beginning before the internet, it was very valuable news about Sweden. The magazine has stayed current and gives some insights in Swedish events that I probably would not have received or looked up without the magazine. Thanks, Britt Van Every Heidelberg, Ontario Roligt om Gotland. Vi sommarbor på Fårö, där vi har en gård. Men nu säger Folkhälsomyndigheten att man inte får åka dit från Stockholm. Olle Wästberg Stockholm, Sweden Hi Swedish Press, Thank you very much for the latest edition of the Swedish Press. Very much appreciated by me and my family! Håkan Loob Karlstad, Sweden
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from the Editor’s Desk
The Swedish Diaspora 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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e regularly publish articles in Swedish Press about the fortunes and misfortunes of Swedes who emigrated to America over a century ago. It is generally well known what motivated them to leave Sweden and what awaited them on arrival in the USA and Canada. Through interviews we also inform our readers what it is like being a Swedish expat in North America in this day and age. But what about Swedes in other parts of the world? We thought our largely North American readership might be interested in finding out about the lifestyle of their compatriots in widely differing climates and cultures. This is why we have chosen the Swedish Diaspora as the main theme in the May issue of Swedish Press. With the help of Svenskar i världen (SVIV) we were able to contact movers and shakers in various Swedish communities who have kindly contributed insights into expat life in faraway lands (page 11). SVIV also arranged for us to interview their Chairman of the Board, Louise Svanberg, the ultimate cosmopolitan who shares her time between Stockholm and Boston (page 16). Speaking of SVIV, it is worth visiting their website www.sviv.se which is a veritable goldmine of information for homebound Swedish expats and anybody else planning to move to Sweden. These are strange times when most of us find ourselves locked down due to the coronavirus. My Canadian wife and I just barely made it out of the UK on March 28 to our Canadian home. We count ourselves very lucky, because at least we are not stuck in a deserted hotel or on a wayward cruise ship; nor are we financially dependent on jobs from which we might be laid off. Even so, the constant bombardment of bad news on radio and television is unnerving for everybody, including ourselves. Some foreign news media claim that Sweden is failing to apply the same strict rules that prevail in most other countries to keep COVID-19 in check. This is vigorously denied in both official Swedish circles and private emails. We report on the latest situation on page 6. One unfortunate consequence of COVID-19 is that our sources of advertisements have dried up. These revenues have been crucial in order to maintain the printed version of Swedish Press. We therefore ask our subscribers for generous donations so that we can continue to publish the printed magazine (page 2 – inside front cover). If the shortage of funds continues, we are considering shifting to digital distribution only. In preparation for this eventuality, we kindly ask our subscribers to send us their email addresses to subscribe@swedishpress.com. On a more cheerful note, I think you will enjoy our updates on recent events in Sweden and Swedish-America – despite the fact that many of them have had to be cancelled, as told by Henric Borgström (page 30). Some of the articles will undoubtedly bring a smile to your face, like the one from 1870 offering advice to prospective emigrants from Sweden to North America (page 20). Spring is just around the corner – another reason for us all to smile!
Peter Berlin Editor Peter@Swedishpress.com May 2020
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The Corona and The Crown Covid-19 Update
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By Peter Berlin uring the last week or two, many accusations have been made in foreign media that Sweden is sticking its head in the sand when it comes to managing the coronavirus outbreak. Photos show people going about their lives as usual – shopping, eating in restaurants, traveling on the subway, and taking their children to school. “Irresponsible” is the implied caption. However, private emails from Swedes paint a different picture, as does King XVI Gustaf’s speech to the nation (see below). They describe empty streets, social distancing, selfisolation and taking turns to bring supplies to the front doors of neighbors. The truth lies somewhere in between. The government has issued guidelines that resemble those in other countries: Wash your hands, sneeze and cough into your elbow, and avoid touching your face. Keep at least 6 feet away from other people, and limit gatherings to fewer than 50 people. Restaurants are only allowed to offer table service – i.e. no hanging around the bar or lunch counter. There is one important difference between Sweden and other countries: These are guidelines, not edicts, meaning that nobody risks fines or imprisonment for ignoring them. The assumption is that Swedes trust their government to offer current and correct advice, and in return the government trusts the citizens to follow suit. This assumption of mutual trust baffles many foreign residents in Sweden who are used to their governments taking a more heavy-handed approach to law enforcement in crisis situations. According to a survey published in the
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Swedish online magazine The Local, most foreigners tend to observe the more confining behavior decreed by their own home governments. That doesn’t stop many of them from expressing cautious admiration for what they see as Sweden’s balancing act between preserving public health and economic stability. Others are highly critical and talk about wanting to leave Sweden at the earliest opportunity. Sweden is a sparsely populated country by European standards. More than half of all Swedish homes only have one inhabitant. Also, Swedes
are not as sociable as, say, people in countries around the Mediterranean or in America. Consequently, social distancing comes naturally to Swedes even in normal times and helps mitigate the spread of the virus. Personal hygiene is also high on the agenda of Swedes. It remains to be seen how successful the Swedish “experiment in trust” turns out to be in both social and economic terms. The status of the COVID-19 spread as of April 15 is illustrated in the diagrams below. Source: Hälsovårdsmyndigheten.
Confirmed cases 11,927 Women 6,143 | Men 5,784
In intensive care 954 Women 241 | Men 713
Deceased 1,203 Women 517 | Men 686
Cases per region
Cases per age group
Deceased per age group
Stockholm
0-9 år
0-9 år
Östergötland
10-19 år
10-19 år
Uppsala
20-29 år
20-29 år
Västmanland
30-39 år
30-39 år
Dalarna
40-49 år
40-49 år
Gävleborg
50-59 år
50-59 år
Västerbotten
60-69 år
60-69 år
Jämtland
70-79 år
70-79 år
Kronoberg
80-90 år
80-90 år
Kalmar
90+ år
90+ år
Data not available
Data not available
Gotland
0
1k
2k
3k
4k
5k
0
500
1k
1.5k
2k
2.5k
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s speech
The King in the library at Stenhammar. Photo: Sven-Åke Visén/Sveriges Television
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n his TV speech to the nation on April 5, the King echoed the words of many other Heads of State regarding the pandemic situation in Sweden. He
commented on the eerie emptiness of city streets, in sharp contrast to the hectic activities within the healthcare sector. He praised the people who risk their health by ensuring the continuity of essential services. Lastly, he urged his subjects to make sacrifices during the Easter holidays by refraining from visiting friends and relatives, especially the elderly. “In my 74 years I have seen how crises help us re-evaluate what is important and what is not; how fear is transformed to insight about the seriousness of problems and how they can be solved,” said the King.
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Swedes in the News
Generous Gestures and Entertainment News Danny delivers
When Swedish pop sensation Danny Saucedo, 34, was forced to cancel his highly anticipated concert in Globen Arena in Stockholm due to the coronavirus, he chose to perform in the Arena anyway – in front of approximately 16,000 empty seats. The concert, which featured Saucedo and fellow musician Mattias Andréasson at the piano, was a great success when it was live-streamed on Saucedo’ social media and on Swedish daily news outlet Aftonbladet’s website. In between songs, Saucedo gave thanks to all the medical staff working non-stop to care for those affected by the virus. Saucedo, who hopes to perform in front of an audience in Globen this summer, said appearing in front of empty seats was much fun and a completely new experience. Hagströmer gives thanks In an effort to support the Swedish restaurant and healthcare industry during
the worldwide pandemic, Swedish business executive Sven Hagströmer, born in Stockholm in 1943, has purchased 500 portions of food from Swedish chef and restaurateur Pontus Frithiof and donated it to healthcare personnel at Karolinska University Hospital in the Stockholm suburbs of Solna and Huddinge. Hagströmer is well-known as the founder of Swedish Avanza Bank and investment company Creades. He has also initiated numerous non-profit organizations and engaged in various social projects. Apart from honoring Sweden’s medical staff, Hagström is working hard to get hospital supplies delivered from China to Sweden.
David Batra. Photo: Robert Eldrim
the special – recorded in Globen, Stockholm – is now available on Netflix. In the funny stand-up show (in Swedish with English subtitles) Batra discusses what it is like being married to the former Moderate Party leader Anna Kinberg Batra.
Funny Swede takes Netflix Swedish stand-up comedian and actor David Batra, 47, is the first Swedish comedian to get a stand-up special on American media service provider Netflix. Elefanten i rummet premiered at Rival Theater in Stockholm in September 2017, and
Hosted by Levengood
Caliphate by Kapetanović Mark Levengood. Photo: Stellan Herner
Goran Kapetanović. Photo: SVTPlay.se Sven Hagströmer
planned in Sweden. The woman is married to an ISIS warrior and is acting as an informant in exchange for Swedish assistance in her escape from an ISISoccupied city in Syria. Kapetanović is well known for having directed films such as Kiruna-Kigali, Min faster i Sarajevo and Krig.
Another Swedish production recently released on Netflix is the celebrated 2020 Swedish thriller drama TV series Kalifat (Caliphate) directed by Swedish/ Bosnian Guldbagge awardwinning director Goran Kapetanović, 45. The series centers around a Swedish Security Service agent who receives a tip from a woman that a terror attack is being
Swedish TV broadcasting company SVT recently aired An evening together – a show created to unite Swedes all over the country and celebrate everyday heroes fighting the coronavirus. The program, which was hosted by journalist, author and TV host Mark Levengood, 55, featured several performances by some of Sweden’s most successful artists. It offered the opportunity to financially support those hit especially hard by the virus. Levengood said the show would pay tribute to those who are to be praised, namely everyone fighting on the front line.
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[Landskapsnyheterna] BLEKINGE Inger Samuelsson, 63, räddade nyligen en liten uggleunge. När hon körde genom Asarum såg hon ett stort gäng med kråkor som attackerade en uggleunge liggande mitt i vägbanan. Inger, som tror att ungen var en kattuggla, bestämde sig för att ingripa. – Jag kände att vi måste rädda den men visste inte hur, sa hon. Inger lyfte upp uggleungen med hjälp av en handduk och bad sedan fågelintresserade om råd på Facebook. Hon misstänkte att ungen kommit från grönområdet Offerkällan och tog den därför dit. Hon fick tips om att sätta ungen i en tät häck i hopp om att dess mamma skulle kalla på den senare. Inger oroade sig för uggleungen, men tyckte att den såg ut att vara i gott skick. Till hennes glädje var ungen borta när hon återvände till grönområdet senare på kvällen. – Man hoppas att den har klarat sig och hittat mamman. Jag var och pratade med en granne som hade hört ugglor hoa i just de träden. Det var inga fjädrar kvar, så den hade nog inte blivit attackerad. VÄSTERGÖTLAND När Ingel Sinander, 57, skulle handla åt sin pappa Göran Axell, 84 som sitter hemma i karantän fick hon både en inköpslista och en detaljerad karta över butiken. Kartan skickades ner med hiss till Ingel som väntade på bottenvåningen. – Det är typiskt honom att göra en sån sak. Det är alltid ordning och reda i hans liv. Hemma har de också numrerat alla tekniska prylar som har en bruksanvisning. Sen har han kategoriserat dem i sitt förråd med olika pärmar, sa barnbarnet Emma Axell, 25. Emma la ut inköpslistan och kartan som Göran ritat på Twitter. Inlägget blev genast populärt och gillades av tusentals. Många av dem som gillat Emmas inlägg har gissat på att Göran har jobbat som ingenjör, vilket inte
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stämmer. Enligt Emma har hennes farfar ritat den fina kartan på grund av att hans dotter Ingel inte hittar i Görans matbutik i Alingsås. – Hon hade skrattat lite och tyckt att det var roligt, men samtidigt inte blivit förvånad, sa Emma. Göran, som kan sin butik, ritade kartan ur minnet. – Sen hur mycket hon följde färdbeskrivningen vet jag inte, men jag tror absolut inte att hon kunde ha fått en mer hjälpsam inköpslista, sa Emma. STOCKHOLMS LÄN Läraren Susan Riter på Ekhammarskolan i Upplands-Bro kommun hade läst i Aftonbladet om en läkare som tillsammans med sin tolvåriga dotter tillverkar skyddsvisir. Efter att ha sett deras instruktionsvideo och handlat material, frågade hon sina elever i nionde klassen om någon ville komma in under påsklovet för att göra visir till hälsovården. Många elever hade ställt in sina planer, och några nappade direkt och undrade när de skulle komma in. – Klockan tio på måndagen, första dagen på påsklovet, kom det tio elever. Det var strålande solsken och jätteskönt ute men vi stod där inne och gjorde visir. De var så duktiga och entusiastiska över att hjälpa till, och vi höll på till klockan fyra, sa Susann Riter till Aftonbladet. Redan samma dag hämtades skyddsvisiren och fraktades till äldreboenden i kommunen. JÄMTLAND Magnus Olsve, med rötter i Sällsjö, Jämtland, springer trots att han sitter i karantän i sin lägenhet i Barcelona. Han bestämde sig i januari för att springa varje dag under 2020, men på grund av Corona-epidemin kunde han inte fortsätta att springa utomhus. Istället springer han nu mellan köket och sovrummet i sin lägenhet på cirka 60 kvadratmeter. Magnus satsar oftast på en mil om dagen.
LAPPLAND NORRBOTTEN
VÄSTERBOTTEN
JÄMTLAND
HÄRJEDALEN
ÅNGERMANLAND
MEDELPAD HÄLSINGLAND
DALARNA GÄSTRIKLAND VÄSTMANLAND VÄRMLAND
NÄRKE
UPPLAND
SÖDERMANLAND
DALSLAND ÖSTERGÖTLAND BOHUSLAND VÄSTERGöteborg GÖTLAND SMÅLAND HALLAND SKÅNE
Stockholm
GOTLAND ÖLAND
BLEKINGE
Malmö
– Men häromdagen blev det en halvmara. Jag planerar att springa ett maraton här hemma nästa torsdag, alltså 4,2 mil, sa Magnus. Trots att det går bra att springa inomhus längtar Magnus ut i naturen. – Nog för att jag får min dagliga dos tillfredsställd på det här sättet. Men kan jag springa längs jämtländska fjälltoppar eller vid havet här, så väljer jag det sju dagar i veckan, sa han. Summary in English: A woman in Blekinge saves a baby owl from being attacked by crows. An elderly man in Västergötland draws a detailed map of his local grocery store for his daughter. The grocery list and map are published by the man’s granddaughter on Twitter and receives many likes. A schoolteacher in a community near Stockholm persuades her pupils to interrupt their Easter holidays in order to come to school to make facemasks for the local homes for seniors. A long-distance runner from Jämtland who lives in Barcelona is forced to do his daily 10 km run indoors between his kitchen and bedroom because of the Spanish pandemic regulations.
[Business] News Business bracing itself against the pandemic Swedish Resilience Put to The Test
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By Peter Berlin
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Gotland caught in Catch-22
he picturesque and archeologically important Swedish island of Gotland featured as the main theme in the April issue of Swedish Press. At the time of writing in early March, the coronavirus had not yet triggered lockdown measures across the globe, and the business prospects for the spring/summer season looked as bright as ever for Gotland. But in just one month, the situation has changed dramatically for the island whose economy is highly dependent on tourism. Some of the main attractions are the Almedalen Week and the Medieval Week, both of which might be postponed. These and other theme events help attract around 100,000 visitors every summer who spend generously on hotel accommodation, restaurants, arts and crafts, and general shopping. Many mainland Swedes own summer residences on Gotland and do their share to make the local economy thrive. As the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold in Sweden, Gotland has so far been largely spared. By April 7, only 13 cases of contamination had been confirmed. The island’s 60,000 permanent residents are now torn between keeping it that way, or relying on the usual influx of visitors to stay afloat economically. Reluctantly, it seems, health authority leaders in Gotland have sided with their Swedish mainland colleagues in urging the whole country to refrain from travelling anywhere for the time being. As a result, 85 percent of all Easter bookings
Town Wall in Visby, Gotland. Photo: Medeltidsveckan på Gotland AB
in Gotland have been cancelled, and the prospects for the summer holidays remain in doubt. In addition to the tourist sector, Gotland does have a network of small manufacturing and agricultural enterprises. COVID-19 has prompted business owners and community leaders to brainstorm about how to change the island’s socio-economic fabric to make it less dependent on tourism and instead become a Baltic hub of technological and ecological innovation. A daunting task in the best of times, but not beyond the realm of possibility for the intrepid Gotlanders.
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BRA on the brink?
iting dwindling ticket sales due to COVID-19, the Swedish regional airline BRA suspended all flights in the middle of March and furloughed its 600 staff. On April 6, the company announced that it had filed for “reconstruction” in the Swedish courts – a procedure similar to Chapter 11 in the United States. Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, the airline provided 30 percent of domestic flights in Sweden.
IKEA closes 300 stores
he spread of the coronavirus has prompted the Swedish home furnishing giant to temporarily close 300 of its 434 stores worldwide, including the ones in North America. In Sweden, Norway, Finland, Japan, South Korea, China and Australia the stores do continue to operate normally, albeit with a sharply reduced customer base. Many of the 211,000 employees have been furloughed, while others are being re-trained to work in the company’s online business sector. IKEA’s top management hope to be able to re-open the closed stores gradually, beginning in the fall of 2020.
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A fresh breeze in the doldrums
t is not surprising that the hotel business around the world is struggling as governments impose ever more severe travel restrictions. In Sweden, the ubiquitous Scandic hotels are familiar to many foreign visitors. The hotel chain owns 280 establishments in six European countries, most of them in Scandinavia. Even though the Swedish implementation of COVID-19 lockdown is seen as relaxed by many, the room occupancy in Scandic hotels is down to a mere 10 percent of capacity. As of April 9, more than half of the hotels had been closed and 80 percent of the staff laid off. Paradoxically, that same day the company’s shares rose 30 percent on the stock market. The reason appears to be that investors have faith in the company’s future prospects once the pandemic crisis is over, and the share price is still viewed as good value following a dramatic slump in February.
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Company File
Innovative Blood Sampling Device Saves Time and Money By Peter Berlin
M
ost people don’t mind having a finger pricked by a nurse who collects a few droplets of blood and sends it to a laboratory for analysis. However, what many of us do mind is spending time to make the appointment, travelling some distance to get to the lab, searching for a parking space, and perhaps having to sit in the waiting room for a time. The process is particularly disruptive if the blood test has to be performed routinely, like once a week or once a month. Typical examples are tests related to analysis of a person’s glucose levels, haemoglobin levels, mononucleosis, and INR. Another example is tests aimed at establishing the correct dose of medication through trial and error, as is often the case for people suffering e.g. from epilepsy or who have undergone organ transplants. The Swedish company Capitainer AB has developed an innovative, prize-winning device called Capitainer qDBS® for collecting small blood samples in the comfort of one’s home instead of at a labo-
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Swedish Press | May 2020 10
Capitainer qDBS enables patients to collect their own volume-defined dried blood spot at home. All photos copyright: Capitainer AB
ratory. The skin is pierced with a small lancet of the kind typically used by diabetics. A drop of blood is deposited on the device inlet port. This is the only action required by the user. A smart mechanism automatically fills a microchannel before removing the excess blood. Subsequently, the blood volume contained in the microchannel transfers to the specimen collection membrane, so as to form a highquality dried blood spot sample which is preserved for quantitative bioanalysis. The device is then folded, inserted in a protective sleeve and sent directly to the laboratory by post.
The use of Capitainer qDBS® not only saves time for the patient and the laboratory, but it also saves
the patient’s travel cost. This is particularly significant in cases where the patient lives in a remote area. The same is true if the patient is so severely disabled that he/she would normally require home visits of a nurse. Capitainer qDBS® can also be used by law enforcement to test for alcohol and drug abuse. Capitainer AB is based in Stockholm and was founded in 2016 as a collaborative effort between the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and the Karolinska University Hospital. That same year, Capitainer was selected Best Start-Up at the Nordic Pitch Night event in Silicon Valley, USA. The novel Capitainer qDBS® device is registered at FDA as well as with the Swedish Medical Product Agency (Läkemedelsverket). It is also CE marked, a mandatory conformity marking for certain products sold within the European Economic Area as well as registered. The patent has been approved in the US, and the device has already been ordered by major laboratories in the EU. This is seen as a very important step in anticipation of strong interest from the European as well as the North American markets, considering that in Sweden alone more than a million therapeutic drug monitoring samples are taken each year. See also www.capitainer.se.
The Swedish Community in Spain By Gunilla Westerlund, SVIV Representative
Why do so many Swedish people live temporarily or settle down for good in Spain, of all places? That is a very good question.
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any Swedes have a dream for their retirement: to buy a house or an apartment and spend time in the sun while Sweden is blanketed with rain or snow, especially during the dark months of October through March. They tend to settle in two main areas – one on the East Coast known as Costa Blanca from Valencia to Orihuela, and the other area further down south along the Costa del Sol with Malaga, Marbella and Gibraltar as the main attractions. The journey from Stockholm takes 4 – 5 hours by plane and 2 – 3 days by car. The East Coast is for Above: The Andalucian city in Malpeople who aga. Below: Carnival in Alicante. prefer long beaches with white sand and sunny weather 360 days a year. The South Coast sees more rain and is therefore greener; it is also fancier and more expensive. Some Swedes become Spanish citizens, learn the language, mingle with
the locals, and try hard to be as “español” as possible in their new environment. Prices are reasonable by Swedish standards, making travel, eating out and buying real estate quite affordable. In Costa Blanca, where I live part-time, we have two excellent schools, one Scandinavian and the other international. In the big cities of Alicante and Torrevieja there are good employment possibilities working as teacher, broker, servant or builder, but you must still be able to speak Spanish. We have many Swedish associations – Mas Amigos, Club Nordico, Rotary, SWEA, SVIV and The Swedish Church. All of them arrange activities, and some of them offer car hire and apartment rentals. Above: Beautiful beaches in Costa The Swedish Blanca. Below: Torrevieja. consul helps Swedes with practical information and passport renewals. Sunny weather, seldom rain, much to see, extraordinary beaches, clear water for swimming, and friendly people – what more could a person wish for?
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Swedish Press | May 2020 11
Hong Kong attractive to Swedes
The Swedish Community in Hong Kong By Ingrid Reinli, SVIV Representative
Ingrid Reinli. All photos © Andrea Björsell
According to the Swedish Consulate General there are approximately 2,000 Swedish nationals residing in Hong Kong, and this number includes children. Personally, I think the number was higher until recently, considering the many young, ambitious Swedish entrepreneurs who have been tempted to try out their business ideas in an advanced, densely populated and financially strong part of the world, in particular in the e-commerce sector. But one has to take into consideration the turbulent times that started with the protests in early June 2019 and continued throughout the second half of 2019. The demonstrations have affected business in Hong Kong negatively ever since. This period was succeeded by the even more devastating coronavirus situation. But Hong Kong people are resilient and strong. Their efforts to retain local democratic rule of law as well as introduce strict measures to control the coronavirus are exemplary.
Hong Kong is a city the size International city and regional hub of the Swedish island of Öland Most Swedish nationals come to with a population of 7.3 million. Hong Kong through a job assignment. Hong Kong is a regional hub in Asia A former British colony and and many companies have regional now Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), it will remain “one country, two systems” until the year 2047. It is a regional hub, a financial business center and a fascinating place that leaves nobody untouched by its charm. It is also the home of a small community of Swedes.
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Swedish Press | May 2020 12
offices in the city. The regional office staff cover many countries in the south east Asian region from here. Hong Kong SAR offers rule of law, an independent judiciary system and fundamental freedoms of information and expression, which makes business life easy. Hong Kong SAR means that Hong Kong keeps its own rules until 2047 according to the 50-year transition agreement from 1997. However, the interpretation of this agreement is under scrutiny by the current mainland Chinese Government which has resulted in protests such as the umbrella demonstration in 2015 and the most recent one in 2019. Hong Kong has a stable economic environment, an attractive tax regime and a transparent banking system, so foreign businesses can feel safe, and company registration is easy and non-bureaucratic. Hong Kong cannot be replaced by any other Chinese city in the short term.
A great way of life
The vast majority of Swedes stay 2 – 4 years in Hong Kong and then move on to somewhere else or return home. A few stay on longer and make Hong Kong their home either permanently or for 20+ years,
but most of them leave before retirement as the cost of living in Hong Kong is high, with housing and medical insurance being very expensive. Spouses are granted dependent visa status which allows them to work, and some spouses do take advantage of this possibility. However, many parents with children in international schools are expected to help out with activities organized in and around school as well as after school, making it difficult for both parents to maintain a full-time job. Also, since there are many nice arrangements organized through SWEA and other communities, everyday life is full of social events. Hiking is a popular activity among Swedes in Hong Kong; the city offers fantastic hiking routes, marked by distance posts and nicely maintained by the Government. Hong Kong is very mountainous, so the hiking is challenging but the views are breathtaking. Most Swedes who reside in Hong Kong for a shorter or longer time period simply love the life here. Hong Kong is a place where one can maintain a Western lifestyle with the added exotic flair of Asian influence. Hong Kong offers a high standard of living, a safe and organized society with a modern infrastructure system of internet connection, metro, buses, trains, trams, ferries, etc. In addition, the city has an incredible food scene
suitable to all budgets, great entertainment, fantastic rooftop bars and party life in abundance. When the weather is at its best in Hong Kong (Oct – Nov) it is the opposite in Sweden. Conversely, the weather is bad in Hong Kong during the summer months June – August, i.e. the typhoon season with hot, humid and rainy weather. This is when most Swedes enjoy the beautiful Swedish summer back home in Europe. To many Swedes living here, Hong Kong offers a perfect mix of both worlds.
Extensive Swedish traditions and activities
The Swedish organisations present in Hong Kong are the Consulate General, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, the Swedish Church (1.5 staff shared between Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Taiwan), Business Sweden, SWEA, and the Swedish School which is currently available in 3 different locations around Hong Kong (offered to children aged 6 – 13 after regular school). There is also a possibility to study Swedish as a minor subject at Hong Kong University. Some 90 Hong Kong students sign up each year to study Swedish because they watch Swedish movies and listen to Swedish music. They like to impress on their friends with IKEA vocabulary, i.e. knowing the meaning of the IKEA product names. They are also fascinated by Swedish advancements regarding equality, paternity leave and environmental concern. There are four IKEA stores in Hong Kong, all equipped with a food store section, but the really good shop to buy Swedish and Nordic delicacies is at SverigeShoppen where the
whole community as well as other people buy food (dry, fresh and frozen), candy, spirits, snuff (snus), ice cream for pet dogs, gifts, and much more. The Swedish organizations arrange regular cultural activities such as Walpurgis night on Repulse Bay beach, Midsummer luncheon for the business community plus a Midsummer fair with games, market stalls, garland making, singing and dancing around the maypole, Lucia procession at St John’s Cathedral, Swedish film festival at Hong Kong University, Nobel gala dinner, Swedish winter (introduction to winter sports, snow, Santa and Christmas traditions), Scandinavian Christmas fair, Easter mass, and many other events. The activities are dependent on voluntary help from the community, and many Swedes feel happy and proud to assist in any way they can. For Lucia, “lussefika” is offered thanks to SWEA members baking saffron buns. SverigeShoppen’s owner dresses up as Santa and hands out candy bags to the children, the Consulate sponsors “glögg” and coffee, and the Swedish Church staff lead the choir rehearsals. In short, Swedes in Hong Kong live an enjoyable life and cherish the time here to explore the city and its neighbouring region.
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Swedish Press | May 2020 13
The South of France: More than sun, beach, lavender & rosé By Louise Ling-Vannerus, SVIV Representative
Beautiful mountain villages are popular amongst the Swedes in Provence. (Bormes-les-Mimosas)
Beautiful weather, delicious food, world class wine and rich culture have attracted Swedes to the French Riviera for centuries. Starting with Swedish Queen Victoria and inventor Albert Nobel (founder of the Nobel Prize) in the 19th century, the number of Swedish tourists has grown to over half a million annually.
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any of them, approximately 15,000, have settled down more or less permanently to enjoy the glamourous and beautiful coastline, the charming Provençale villages and, last but not least, the 300 days of sunshine. They have invested in houses and apartments and together created a nice community to make them feel at home. The center of this community is Villa Ingeborg, the beautiful home of the Swedish Church and the Riviera Club. The club was founded in 1975 and has around 3,300 members, which makes it the largest Swedish association in France. If you fancy bridge, golf, yoga, tennis, hiking, arts, concerts or wine tastings, this is the club to join. The Riviera Club also helps its members with insurance, tax issues, moving in and out of France, and other challenges that the Swedish expat community has to face in everyday life. Many Swedes living on the Riviera are retired, but the younger generation is coming. Nice, Cannes and Sophia Antipolis are hubs that attract many employees. Then there are the people who want to fulfil their dream of running a restaurant or a bed and breakfast in Provence. To stimulate networking and interaction among these professionals, there is an initiative by the Riviera Club called Riviera Business. Other important assets for younger families are the international schools and the Swedish School Association which helps young Swedes (6 – 18 years of age) keep their language and culture through extra-curricular activities. The mission of the Association is to help the students keep their Swedish heritage, and also to make it easier
for students who want to return to the Swedish school system. A lot of Swedish women join the Swedish Women’s Educational Association (SWEA), as well as the Swedish Golf Society, the Munskänkarna wine society, etc. There is also a Facebook group with over 7,000 members where one can find new friends and answers to many questions. More support can be found at Swedish banks, real estate agents and the Swedish Consulate. All of these organizations interact closely with each other, and you will see most of their representatives gathered at Villa Ingeborg for different activities. Among the most popular Swedish gatherings are Lucia, Midsummer and Easter celebrations, the Christmas fair, etc. They give you an opportunity to get a taste of Swedish traditions and delicacies. If they don’t satisfy your cravings, there are quite a few Swedish restaurants and bakeries to save you.
Villa Ingeborg is at the heart of the Swedish community on the French Riviera. Photo: Gösta Wendelius
Facts & Figures:
Swedes in the South of France: approx 15,000 Swedes in all of France: approx 30,000 Immigrants from Sweden to France 2019: 1,007 Total population in Greater Nice area: approx 1,000,000 Extra plus: Quick and cheap flights from Sweden to Nice and Marseille
The Swedish Community in Singapore By Pernilla Hjelm Danielsson SVIV Representative
Singapore, the Lion City (singa = lion and pura = city), is a sovereign city-state and island country with a population of close to 6 million. It became independent in 1965, so it is quite a young country. There are no official numbers of how many of those are Swedish, but it is estimated that approximately 2000 Swedes live here.
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ost of the Swedes come here for work or to study, and there are many big companies and banks that employ Swedish expats. For an accompanying spouse it is easy to find things to do. There are a lot of interesting places to visit. If you are into sports and want to be active, the choice of opportunities is vast.
A challenge confronting most people moving here from Sweden is the climate. It is a tropical climate and the temperature stays around 30 degrees Celsius every day, all year around; but the most exhausting aspect is the humidity. Like someone said: you have to learn to love your own sweat. It is also difficult to keep track of the passing of time when there are no changes in the weather. So even if it sounds lovely with the warm weather all the time, most Swedes miss the seasons after a while. In Singapore there are various Swedish organisations such as SWEA and SwedCham. We also have the Swedish School which has been here since 1974. They have lessons once a week, two hours at a time, and the children come from different schools all over the island. Besides practicing their Swedish, it is also a place for the kids to meet friends that speak the same language, and a great place for parents to mingle. Every family can enjoy some Swedish traditions like Lucia and the endof-the-year celebration before the summer holidays. Some Swedish activities and celebrations, like the National Day, are arranged jointly by the different organisations and the Embassy of Sweden. It is very easy to move to a country like Singapore, not least because the official language is English. The country is very well organised and extremely safe mainly because of the strict laws and the fact that there are surveillance cameras everywhere. One thing that impresses many newcomers is that in Singapore people from many different religions and cultures live peacefully side by side. They all have their own places
of worship and celebrate their own holidays. Many Swedes who move to Singapore stay longer than they planned initially because it is very easy to love the lifestyle here, and it is tempting to compare one’s next assignment to Singapore. Some Swedes here live abroad for the first time, while others have been to one or more countries before. Some move back home to Sweden after their years here, and some continue to another country – just like most expats do all over the world.
Photo above and below: Svenska Skolan i Singapore
In international surveys, Singapore is always listed as one of the top countries to live in. It is easy to understand why. Even when you move away, a piece of your heart will probably always remain here!
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Swedish Press | May 2020 15
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Putting Sweden on the Map At Home
“Swedes abroad are an untapped asset ...
Global S
Louise Svanberg, Chairman of the Board of Swedes in the World (SVIV).
Louise Svanberg. Photo: Bengt Säll
Louise Svanberg is Chairman of the Board of Swedes in the World (SVIV). She is the former CEO of EF Education First, the world’s largest private educational company. She joined the company in 1985 and became CEO in 2002. In 2004, Louise was named the Most Powerful Swedish Business Woman by the economics magazine Veckans Affärer. She also ranked No. 35 on Fortune Magazine’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. She was awarded the Franklin D. Roosevelt Humanitarian Award, as well as the European Union Business Women Award as one of the ten most powerful business women in Europe. Louise serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, of Essity, Sweden and of CERAS Health, New York.
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Swedish Press | May 2020 16
Please tell us where you were born and where you grew up. I was born in Stockholm by two very nice parents. My dad had lived a long time in Asia. However, they discovered that they had different definitions of what to call “home”. My dad moved back to Singapore and my mom stayed in Stockholm. I spent a lot of my youth travelling back and forth between Asia and Europe. I felt equally at home in both places. I graduated in Economics from the University of Stockholm and earned degrees in languages and political science at Sorbonne in Paris. I lived in Paris, Lugano, Milan, Rome and Zurich. One thing became clear to me: you will be changed forever after having lived abroad. In 1985 I ended up in Boston after being offered an interesting job with EF Education First. I didn’t feel very American and agreed to the position for one year only. Now, 32 years later, I am still here and loving it. My husband Carl-Henric Svanberg and I spend most of our time in Boston and Stockholm. Between us we have six children – two here in Boston. Tell us about the barriers Swedish expat professionals encounter when returning to Sweden. One thing I hear often is that Swedes returning home after a number of years find it difficult to re-integrate
into the company and into Swedish society. Also, the companies sometimes acknowledge that they could do a better job of re-integration, and especially of taking full advantage of the returnees’ valuable experience and cultural awareness. You need, however, to be flexible, either with the timing of your return or on the type of job you wish for – you can rarely have both. It can take time to rebuild a social network. Often, expats form their own networks to share their experiences, and one of the roles SVIV plays is to participate in those networks. We can offer practical advice regarding schools, healthcare issues, etc., to bring the networks up to date. Many other countries experience the same difficulties. For many years, highly ambitious Asians have applied to American universities and colleges, and many have remained in the U.S. to pursue great careers. But a new trend has emerged, in that Asians countries are increasingly encouraging these graduates to return to seize new opportunities. The same thing is happening with students from countries like Germany, France, the US … but not Sweden. It is fine to send people out in the world to gain valuable experience,
l Swedes
...“that Sweden should be grateful to have.”
but the true value is if we can attract them to return later. This is what is called “brain circulation”. Sweden doesn’t quite appreciate the tremendous value that returning Swedish expats represent. We have more multinational companies per capita than any other country. One key reason, I believe, is our long-standing tradition of being open-minded, traveling abroad, speaking foreign languages, integrating in foreign cultures and then coming back. The low level of “brain circulation” is an untapped prerequisite for Sweden’s continued international competitiveness. To find a top job, whether private, public or in academia, there is a growing expectation that you should have worked abroad. How does SVIV interact with the Swedish government to lower these barriers for returning expats? We are working with the Department of Justice to find ways of facilitating the integration of foreign spouses in terms of residence and working permits. SVIV has also been approached by the government to use our nearly 100 representatives around the world to report on Swedish expats’ concerns. These concerns may have to do with passports, visas, work permits and jobs for spouses, and how to trans-
late children’s grades from foreign schools to Swedish equivalents. The reason the government has asked SVIV for help is that we have more direct contact with individual expats. Do you foresee any interest in SVIV and the Swedish government to collaborate with Swedish Press in supporting expats? First of all, Swedish Press is doing a great job raising the above issues by publishing related articles. One reason why married Swedes are reluctant to move abroad nowadays is that often both husband and wife have parallel careers, so if one of them is offered a career-enhancing position abroad, the accompanying spouse is unlikely to find a similar opportunity. We have therefore instituted a program called the medföljarprogrammet, in which the spouse is invited to join the local SVIV, work with us, represent us, taking on assignments from us – voluntary work that helps enrich his/her own CV while abroad. The program also aims to facilitate jobseeking and social re-integration for returning spouses. Another program aims to develop a better appreciation of “brain circulation” among companies and other institutions. The more people who know about these two programs, the better, and Swedish Press serves an important role by increasing awareness of these in North America. [Swedish Press publicized both programs through Cecilia Borglin’s
articles in our February, March and April 2020 issues.] Lastly, in these unprecedented Corona times, we have had very constructive discussions with Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Ann Linde, how to work together to support Swedes living or traveling in North America. We would look for Swedish local residents to act as “mini-ambassadors”, to offer advice to trapped Swedish visitors in practical matters and also offer emotional support. Swedes abroad are an untapped asset that Sweden should be very grateful to have. In which area do you feel Sweden contributes most globally? The U.S. has an endless number of technology companies – Amazon, Google, Facebook, to name a few. Sweden does not have many big tech companies, but we have a large number of smaller ones. Google and others buy our embryo companies for a lot of money, which is a pity for Sweden, because we should hang on to them. We also have a long tradition on the cultural side, such as in film and music. For being such a small country, we are quite versatile. Another area where Swedes contribute globally is in leadership. Many companies are thriving because of our open, non-hierarchical, transparent leadership style – an approach which is also one of our great exports. Interviewed by Peter Berlin
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Swedish Press | May 2020 17
H ERITAG E
In the Tradition of Immigrants Everywhere By Patricia Sandberg
I
started writing about my cherished grandfather Johan Ferdinand Sandberg (‘Fred’) on Canada Day, July 1, 2019, our national holiday. I tried to imagine the excitement, uncertainty and homesickness that 17-year-old Fred and his 24-year-old brother Albert must have felt on leaving their home in Domsjö, Västernorrland, Sweden over a century ago.
Fred and Jonas Sandberg.
A younger brother Jonas would follow in a few years. Their father Erik could not support wife Albertina and nine surviving children on stoker’s wages at a sawmill in Sweden. Canada, actively recruiting immigrants before World War I, favoured people from England, The United States, Scandinavia and
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Swedish Press | May 2020 18
The young Johan Ferdinand Sandberg.
Germany. Given limited opportunity in Sweden, the two brothers set their course for Canada. Sailing in fog near the Canadian coast in late April 1912, their ocean liner the Empress of Britain struck an iceberg. Luckily for the future Sandberg family, it was a glancing blow. Two weeks earlier, the unsinkable Titanic had sent 1523 passengers and crew to an icy grave after hitting an iceberg in the same area. Landing in Saint John, New Brunswick, Fred and Albert boarded a train and made their way west. They stopped in Winnipeg in the heart of Canada, possibly because the famously cold intersection of Portage and Main Streets made them feel almost at home. More likely though, it was because Winnipeg – already a popular destination for Swedish arrivals – welcomed the two young men who did not speak English. A railway terminus being built at Port Nelson on Hudson’s Bay in northern Manitoba soon offered job opportunities, so they headed north. Fred delivered mail by dogsled between the
slow-moving endpoints of the railway and the port, while his brother worked on the construction side. Brother Albert elected to go fur trapping in northern Manitoba, while Fred returned to Winnipeg. In 1921 he married Frida Alida Lindberg (later changed to ‘Freda’). Frida’s family had emigrated from Undersåker, Jämtland County, Sweden at the beginning of the century. Fred heard of a gold mine being built in an isolated region north of Winnipeg that offered better money for a now growing family. He hiked with a friend through bush and muskeg for days until they arrived at Gunnar Gold Mines, named after prospector Gunnar Berg, another Swedish immigrant who became a close friend. Fred’s entry in 1929 into Canada’s small but active mining community at Gunnar Gold Mines, with its owner Gilbert LaBine, would shape the remainder of his life.
Delivering mail by dogsled.
Fred was a loving, jocular fellow with a mischievous sense of humour who made many friends, perhaps none closer than Lars Molund, a quiet fellow from Ångermanland, Sweden. In 1917, at the age of 17, Lars was part of a railway gang building a new rail line in Russia, the most notable attributes being hard labour,
H E RI TAG E long hours, low pay and peasant food. Assessing these factors and the unrest that preceeded the Russian revolution, Lars decided Canada was a better option. Intending to farm, he bought a plot of land in Northern Ontario not far from James Bay, in an area not known for farming. After clearing bush, Lars had to pick and remove rocks from his land. He was not one to complain about hard work, but became discouraged, thinking he was only farming rocks. When his brother Nils arrived from Sweden in 1923 and said, “Nice farm,” Lars said, “You want to buy?” Nils accepted, and Lars happily moved to Winnipeg. Fred, now construction superintendent at Gunnar Gold Mines, hired Lars when the man arrived at the mine on foot seeking employment during the Depression. The two men raised their families there, and began their lifelong journey as working companions and close friends. Fred and Freda raised a daughter and two boys at the mine, one being my father Jack whose best friend was Lars’s painfully-shy son Agnar. It was also in this tiny community that Jonas rejoined brother Fred, and where my father met a new nursing graduate who would become my mother. Fred worked for MacDonald Bros. Aircraft early in World War II. It built aircraft in Winnipeg designed to train Allied air force pilots from around the world. Fred and Lars next supplied their skills to the expansion of port facilities in Prince Rupert on the West Coast, strategic for Canadian and American war traffic. Having hit two coasts and the southern border, Fred would venture even further north to Port Radium, a radium mine founded by Gilbert LaBine on Great Bear Lake. The mine’s waste product, uranium, was
Fred Sandberg heading to Canada in 1912.
the only known source of the metal in North America and had attracted keen American and British interest. In 1942 Fred was tasked with supervising the new construction. The mine held such high strategic importance that Fred, and Lars and fifteen-year-old son Jack who later joined him, were frozen into their positions until war’s end. After the war, people would learn that Port Radium’s uranium contributed to the U.S. development of the atomic bomb. Fred would again manage construction at new Manitoba gold mines and uranium mines discovered on Lake Athabasca during the Cold War. Three generations of the Sandberg family, including me from the age of four months, lived at two of these mines. Fred died unexpectedly in 1959. My grandmother lived for another ten years, never rebounding from her loss. Fred was in many ways a typical immigrant, picking up jobs when and where available. He travelled the breadth of this country and succeeded
as a new Canadian due to his work ethic, participating by chance in significant developments in the early 20th Century. My grandparents were passionate Canadians. They chose to fully contribute and assimilate into Canadian society while maintaining their core attachment to Sweden. Fred was only able to visit his family once, which must have been very difficult for all. Although I heard Swedish on records that Fred and Freda played on their turntable, I never heard them speak it. None of their children spoke Swedish. My grandparents showcased their heritage in their love of entertaining, the lavish Christmas table weighed down with pickled herring and pigs’ feet, and my grandmother’s famous meatballs. Many thanks to my mother in whom all our family history resides.
The newly-weds Fred and Freda Sandberg. Photos: Sandberg family
Footnote: Patricia Sandberg is the author of the book Sun Dogs and Yellowcake which was reviewed in the October 2018 issue of Swedish Press. The book is available on Amazon and also via the author’s website www.patriciasandberg.com.
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Swedish Press | May 2020 19
H ERITAG E
Some Useful Advice for Emigrants to America Here is the English translation of an advertisement pamphlet published in 1870 by an emigration agent in Gothenburg. He offers some advice to prospective customers before they leave Sweden for America. In particular, note the dig at Irish passengers in paragraph 12, and the SwedishNorwegian criticism of Denmark in paragraph 15 for offering emigrants cheaper fares across the Atlantic.
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hen someone decides to emigrate to America, the following questions arise: Which shipping line and which routes should I choose in order to avoid dangers and obtain the greatest advantages; what belongings should I carry with me; and, lastly, which destination should I aim for, so as to maximize my chances to find work, etc. Since these questions should be answered before departure to ensure that the journey might be embarked upon with confidence, I the undersigned will address them based on many years of experience. No.1: Anyone who is doing well in Sweden should remain there, rather than venturing out into the unknown. However, should your income not cover your expenses, then do travel to America while you still have the means to do so. Any remaining savings may be used on arrival to start a new business. Even though America has its problems, it also offers advantages that no other country can match. No. 2: Anyone afraid of hard physical labour should not emigrate. No. 3: As long as you do not have unrealistic expectations, you will succeed.
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Swedish Press | May 2020 20
No. 4: Stay sober, honest and industrious, and you will succeed better there than anywhere else, because these are qualities that are respected and rewarded in America. Over there, laziness is despised and hard work is esteemed. No. 5: Commence your journey with a firm resolution to establish a home. Apply patience, energy and persistence, and you will succeed. No. 6: Choose Chicago as your destination, and accept immediately whatever position you are offered. No. 7: People who do not possess professional skills should continue westward via Nebraska, e.g. to Iowa, Missouri or Kansas, since jobs are readily available there, as is arable land on favourable terms. No. 8: Farmers, craftsmen and labourers, as well as maids, can always count on a secure and adequate income. No. 9: Make sure that your trunks and bags are clearly marked, and don’t leave cash inside. No. 10: Do not leave Gothenburg or England without ensuring that your accompanying luggage is present. Otherwise report the situation to Headquarters. No. 11: When buying your ticket in Gothenburg, make sure that you are not embarked on one of the old steam freighters. Instead, ask for accommodation on the new Royal Mail Steamers whose prices are equally reasonable.
H E RI TAG E
No.12: Take good care of your belongings and never leave them unattended, because a fellow passenger, especially the Irish, might steal them. No. 13: Do not leave the ship in New York without obtaining a receipt for your belongings. This receipt takes the form of a brass plate with a number. Your belongings are marked with the same number. This procedure is not in use for crossings to Quebec. [Translator’s comment: Unsure about how this worked in practice.] No. 14: Arriving emigrants are accommodated in an especially large building in New York known as Castle Garden. There they may remain for two days at no cost in order to recover after the sea crossing. The building is managed by the American Government and ensures that the emigrants are protected against local fraudsters who are not allowed to enter. This is also where you may seek employment, change money, buy railway tickets, etc. These services are not offered if the journey takes you to Quebec, because there the emigrant is left at the mercy of the shipping line. No. 15: There is no doubt that the route via Gothenburg, Hull & Liverpool, and onward to New York, is the best. The other advantage of choosing this destination over Quebec is that the passage to New
York is not as obstructed by ice as the one to Quebec. In the latter case the passengers are often dropped off in Portland, Maine, even though their tickets state Quebec as the destination. As for travelling from Copenhagen, the following announcement by the Swedish and Norwegian Consulate General in Washington warns against poor standards and associated dangers. [The gist of ] the announcement is as follows: As proof of the difficulty of informing emigrants about the most favourable route, I wish to mention that a ship-owner in New York told me that a large number of emigrants nowadays travel from Gothenburg to Copenhagen in order to transfer to American steamers destined for New York. Because the Royal Danish authorities allow more emigrants to be embarked than permitted by His [Swedish] Majesty’s decree dated February 5, 1869, the fares on those steamers are cheaper. The downside is that the emigrants do not enjoy the good treatment on the emigrant vessels that His Majesty had intended to guarantee them through the above-mentioned decree. I have criss-crossed and visited most of the Western States in America. I am also in possession of detailed knowledge about the soil and its composition, as well as other conditions. I am therefore prepared to provide all information that may be of utmost usefulness to emigrants, either by letter correspondence (including postage), or by a personal visit to my office at Sillgatan 44 in Gothenburg. When there, please ask to see the undersigned. Since I myself am an Emigration Agent, I will never hesitate to offer truthful information and advice; nor will I spare any effort to find the most advantageous deal for the emigrant, even if certain competitors might disapprove. To gain first-hand knowledge of the difficulties that emigrants may encounter, I undertake a [fact-finding] journey to America every year (usually during June and July). Furthermore, I should mention that anyone who is conveyed to America by me will be received by my representatives on arrival in Chicago. They will also offer assistance with finding employment and work, thereby protecting the immigrants as far as possible from the multitude of fraudsters who usually descend on the newcomer in these places. Nota bene: I only convey emigrants on the recently built Mail Steamers via Hull & Liverpool directly to New York. Martin Olsson Office: Sillgatan 44 GÜteborg
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Swedish Press | May 2020 21
[Lifestyle]
Top Sju
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Eat well without breaking the bank. The book “Billigare vardagsmat” – by Swedish author Monica Sundberg and recently released by publishing house Bokförlaget Semic – is filled with over 100 recipes, weekly menus, dishes in season and plenty of advice on how to take advantage of your leftovers and be climate smart in the kitchen. “Billigare vardagsmat” is a perfect book for anyone who wants to cook simple, good food from scratch using high quality ingredients. All it takes is a little planning. “Billigare vardagsmat” is great for your wallet and the environment!
9 Swedish flatbread tunnbröd is celebrated on May 9. Especially popular in the northern part of Sweden, flatbread was traditionally made from barley, salt and water. Today, Swedish flatbread can be enjoyed crisp or soft with fermented herring (surströmming), potatoes, sliced red or yellow onion, sour cream and black or white pepper. Other additions include whitefish roe, mackerel in tomato sauce and hard-boiled eggs.
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Hiking in the Ångermanland province of north eastern Sweden. Photo: Friluftsbyn Höga Kusten/imagebank.sweden.se
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Reach for some healthy cashews instead of chips the next time you crave a salty snack. “Exotic Snacks” recently launched roasted cashews spiced with classic chips flavors. Dill and chives are bound to become a favorite of many. Cashewflavored sour cream and onion, as well as parmesan, are also available in Swedish grocery stores. “Cashew Torrostade Sour Cream & Onion” contains 150 g of nuts and costs approximately 39.95 SEK.
13 Hiking is an energetic way to explore Sweden. Traveling guide “Allt om Resor” recently listed Sweden’s best and most beautiful hiking trails, which are ideal for beginners and professionals alike. Breathtaking views and magnificent nature experiences dominate many of the trails.
“Signature trails” named by the Swedish Tourist Association (Svenska Turistföreningen) are described in detail. These signature trails offer uniqueness and accessibility by public transportation. Sweden’s 13 best walking trails according to the travel site are Kebne kaise, Höga Kusten, Kungsleden, Tiveden, Sörmlandsleden, Roslagsleden, Östgötaleden, Mörbylångaleden, Edsåsdalen, Bohusleden, Funäsdalen, Upplandsleden and Jämtlandstriangeln.
2 According to a dissertation at SLU Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, whole grain rye lowers blood fats and can reduce mortality in people with type 2 diabetes. The explanation is believed to be the bioactive substances, lignans (lignaner in Swedish) found in rye. Look for whole grain bread or crackers at your local grocery store, or bake your own.
Swedes celebrate spring and brighter days on Walpurgis Night (Valborgsmässoafton). The tradition, which came to Sweden from Germany during the Middle Ages, includes bonfires (lit to “burn the old” and “make way for the new”), as well as supernatural beings believed to be flying about. The tradition’s origin is Catholic and is celebrated in memory of the German Saint St. Walpurgis (Valborg), an abbess who lived in the 8th century.
6 “Den stora hälsoresan – från soffpropp till superkropp” premiers on Swedish TV channel Kanal 5 and Dplay on May 6. In the reality series, celebrities Agneta Sjödin, Martina Haag, Anders Öfvergård, Martin Melin, Özz Nujen and Måns Möller take on an intense exercise program called ”16 weeks of hell”. The concept was founded by Tony Andersson and designed to get participants in excellent shape. Andersson, who has a background in soccer, ice hockey and strength training, will serve as a coach on the show.
[Lifestyle] Book The Swedish art of making the most of life, passa på By Sofi Tegsveden Deveaux
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n the book Beyond Fika, Mattias Axelsson stresses the inherently Swedish concept of passa på. The closest English equivalent would be making the most of it, or grabbing an opportunity. On a sunny day, no Swede will stay inside and watch a film. A whole population will leave work early, without any manager raising an eyebrow. During the sacred days of summer, any activity is relocated to a spot in the sun. With vigour and determination, Swedes engage in picnics, kayaking, strawberry picking, ice-cream, and skinny-dipping at midnight, racing up against the return of the colder season. And although winter can be long and dull, a beautiful February day with a sparkling sun and Arctic temperatures will again make the Swedes flock to the outdoors, equipped with thermal underwear and a packed lunch, matsäck. Life is ephemeral, there is no time to waste. This almost desperate pursuit of the sun is perhaps a natural symptomatic of the Nordic climate, but also a defining characteristic of the Swedish psyche. The typical Swede is active, optimistic and solutionsoriented. There is always a way. They engage in sports, plan ahead and celebrate their pastries on dedicated dates. But is it possible to define national culture like this, based on generalisations? Tomas Spragg Nilsson, a British-born communications
professional residing in Stockholm, asked himself this question last year when he realised he would soon be eligible to apply for Swedish citizenship. What should he do to become Swedish in a cultural sense? Would it be possible for him to embrace Swedish ways, to integrate mindset through practice? He turned to the internet to ask the Swedes themselves. Twitter delivered and, after a few hours only, Tomas had received hundreds of suggestions that boiled down to a 73-item list after duplicates had been emitted. There were places to visit, films to watch, books to read, and traditional food and drink to try. Tomas decided to take a non-discriminatory approach and complete the full bucket list within ten months, before submitting his citizenship application. Somehow, this personal project mirrors the concept of passa på. By doing things he normally wouldn’t in the company of people he didn’t know, Tomas pushed himself far beyond his comfort zone, but also learnt how to find joy and meaning
in new situations. He learnt the Swedish National Anthem, and was invited to sing it on live radio. He learnt how to enjoy the (in)famous dish of surströmming, fermented herring, by giving it a chance and eating it the traditional way. In this sense, he embraced the local culture not so much in the tasks themselves but in his determined approach to complete them. Tomas handed in his citizenship application in September 2019. At this point, he had managed to complete 60 tasks from his list of 73, and also turned his project into a book: Fear and Falukorv. “Born and bred in Stockholm, I couldn’t resist going through the list myself, discovering that I could tick off 48 out of 73 tasks. Perhaps it is time for me to grab the opportunity to become more Swedish.” Fear and Falukorv by Tomas Spragg Nilsson was published on April 3, 2020, by LYS. Beyond Fika by Mattias Axelsson was published March 25. Read more about the books on lysforlag.com.
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Hemma hos
The Streets are a Playground for Artist Johan Karlgren
[Design]
By Kristi Robinson
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f there is one thing that needs to be seen right now, it is the art of Johan Karlgren. Johan’s street art is where imagination, nostalgia, and humor meet up for an epic play session. Going by the name Pappas Pärlor, translated as “Daddy’s beads”, Johan uses the unlikely medium of plastic fuse beads to create his gaming-inspired pieces of art. Through landscapes and built objects set in the natural environment, he brings his characters to life in the most entertaining ways.
With candour he describes what he calls his “strange work situation and strange life”, and the journey that brought him to where he is. As a child he was an avid Nintendo player and spent much of his adult life trying to reclaim parts of his childhood by collecting video games. Having amassed a huge collection, he refers to himself as not so much of a collector, but more of a hoarder. Fast forward some years and Johan had two young kids. He and his wife swapped traditional gender roles to show them that, regardless
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Pappas Pärlor Johan Karlgren. Photo: Pontus Johansson
of gender, they can do anything. Johan tried cross-stitching but found it too time-consuming. He found Perler beads, known as Munkplast beads in Sweden, and says he immediately fell in love with them. The bead aesthetic was a perfect match with Johan’s affinity for pixelated 8-bit video games. He began by selling his gameinspired art at markets and fairs, and then moved on to comic book conventions and video game fairs. About half a year later he became a full-time street artist, after his first Instagram post launched his career. From that single post he sold so many pieces in one day that he just couldn’t ignore it, and realized it was possible to make a living from his art. Now, six years on, and he hasn’t looked back. Most of what he does is inspired by his childhood, whether it is a video game, or a
movie scene he wants to interpret. He considers his work play, and he just wants to make people laugh. What he enjoys creating most is smaller pieces. He finds that the biggest challenge is to minimize something down to its raw essence, and make something recognizable out of the smallest possible quantity of beads. Johan calls his street art ‘social disobedience with a conscience’. He is careful not to leave his art on private property, or in places where it could end up in the water. His hometown of Motala has been the backdrop for much of his art, but his pieces can also be found hiding or hanging out in the streets of cities like Stockholm, Paris, and Barcelona. The biggest issue with
having his art in an urban setting is that it gets stolen, so he doesn’t always leave his work at the scene; some are given away, and some are sold. With his large online following and successful webshop Pappas Pärlor which has been put on hold for the moment to pursue other projects, it is clear that people are excited to see more of what Johan has to share. Check out all of Johan’s amazing street art at pappasparlor.com All photos except top middle ©Johan Karlgren
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Road to 2045
Road to 2045 Green Tech Through Improvement As Well As Innovation By Jakob Lagercrantz
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here have been many attempts over the years to establish a Swedish green tech export. Green tech is an area which offers hope and inspires technological development. It is also growing. According to the Cleantech Global 100 Report 2020, investments in their selected 100 top companies reach 3 billion dollars annually. Bloomberg News reports an astounding 330 billion dollars invested in clean energy globally in 2018, with 80 percent allocated to sun and wind. There are large gains to be made; moving towards a circular economy in the EU would save up to 380 billion dollars. Yearly. This makes sense, because emissions and waste are lost resources. The more we recycle the more we save. Sweden has, in reality, moved one step further than a focus on green tech. Rather than concentrating only on new innovative companies, we should look at how green solutions are implemented
in traditional industries. Why not recognize Scania’s or Volvo’s export of state-of-the-art buses as green tech, or the super-efficient ball bearings from SKF? Not to mention developments in the pulp and paper industry where energy efficiency is finally gaining ground, and also pulp mills which are now producing fuels for the transportation sector from former waste streams. Volvo is still well known and respected in California, as is was the only car company that met the environmental challenges set up by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in the 1970’s. Volvo developed the catalytic converter, thereby introducing a way to decrease nitrogen oxides and other harmful pollutants from vehicles. This was helpful in limiting smog – recalling that, at the time, Los Angeles was the most polluted city in the US. CARB was counting on companies to rise to the challenge, and Volvo came up with a technological solution. It took more than ten years before Volvo introduced the same catalytic converters in cars in Sweden. So, was Volvo a green tech company, or “just” a car company using innovation to win market shares? The key is
continual improvement. In 1970 the total Swedish energy demand was 375 TWh, including industry, cars, housing, etc. In 2018, with almost twice the population and number of cars, and with a huge increase in the number of electric appliances, the demand was 373 TWh. Where one would expect increased energy use, we have in fact had a small decrease. This was achieved in small steps through diligent work by committed companies. If, back in 1970, we had set up a target to decrease energy use, we would today be even further along than the Swedish 2045 target of netzero CO2 emissions. All done through smart thinking, whether or not we call it green tech. 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. Top left: © Swedish Algae Factory; Middle: Solvatten is water treatment and solar water heating in one. © Solvatten; Top right: Northvolt is Europe’s first homegrown gigafactory for lithium-ion batteries. © Northvolt; Bottom left: The Mimbox allows users to wash more sustainably. © Mimbly; Bottom right: Thin solar cells roll out from the printing press. © Epishine/Thor Balkhed
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An Insider’s Look at Swedish Culture Jakten om repet och Corona i Vasaloppets snöstorm Av Yvonne Gossner
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fter 20 mil längdskidåkning genom hela mitt liv var dagen äntligen kommen. Jag skulle bevisa för mina tusentals följare på Instagram att skåningar visst klarar av att köra 9 mil på skidor. Att som en “Swedish Influencer” uppleva samma sträcka, som Sveriges första kung Gustav Vasa fick erfara då han blev jagad av danskarna, kändes som en stor kulturell höjdpunkt och var tvunget att genomlidas även om jag kände mig vilsen i vasaloppskarusellen. Väl på startlinjen med hackande tänder och en oro över att skidorna skulle gå sönder innan jag ens hunnit starta bland alla 15 000 åkare, så fanns det inget annat val än att följa strömmen. De flesta deltagare tycker att backen uppför är ansträngande. För egen del var det
perfekt eftersom jag mest fick stå i kö och hämta andan. Valet att inte valla mina skidor kändes plötsligt helt rätt i uppförsbacken, för nu slapp jag glida baklänges och skapa
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“domino effekt” för de åkare som var bakom mig. Lyckan att ha klarat första reptiden i Smågan var en enorm glädje, för nu hade jag i alla fall inte gjort bort mig helt. Det var bara att hälla i sig sin blåbärssoppa utan att ta av stavarna och köra vidare, för fler reptider ville jag klara. Jag klarade andra reptiden och även tredje. Naturen hade hunnit att ändra sig när jag begav mig mot fjärde kontrollen, där jag förhoppningsvis skulle kunna få en kopp kaffe i all hast. Nu började skåningen känna sig ordentligt trött, och en viss irritation uppstod över hur arrangörerna kunde missat att sätta ut kilometerskyltarna längs spåren. Det visade sig sedan att skyltarna fanns där, det var bara för mig helt obegripligt hur lång en kilometer skulle kunna vara samtidigt som klockan rusade iväg. Aldrig hade tiden gått så snabbt samtidigt som kilometerna känts så långa. Efter 8-timmars skidåkning fick jag avsluta mitt vasaloppsäventyr. Vid det laget var jag så trött att funktionären fick ta av mig chipet som skavt i 8 timmar på min fotled, för jag orkade inte ens böja mig. Tårarna rann när jag fick ringa familjen som hade suttit bänkade
lika länge som jag åkt att nu var min vasaloppsresa slut. Tro nu inte, att jag efter detta äventyr aldrig skulle bli sugen på att åka längdskidor igen. Tvärtom. Jag inser att Vasaloppet har förtrollat mig och jag har redan anmält mig till två lopp nästa år. Tydligen har jag även lyckats inspirera min annars något bekväma make att ställa upp tillsammans med mig samt även våra flickor i Ungdomsvasan. Varken Corona eller snöstorm kan stoppa oss från att deltaga i det svenskaste och coolaste som finns, nämligen Vasaloppet! Summary in English: The author offers a hilarious description of her first participation in the venerable Vasaloppet, the world’s oldest crosscountry ski race with the largest number of participants. Exhausted after 8 hours of skiing, she still had not reached the goal and had to admit defeat. Not that the surrender has discouraged her from taking part in other skiing contests next winter. She has even persuaded her husband and daughters to give it a try.
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 Connects
‘Utlandssvenskar en viktig nod för strandade svenskar’
Nätverk av utlandssvenskar en resurs i coronakrisen När det verkligen gäller, ja då måste man hålla huvudet kallt och hjärtat varmt. Den förmågan behövs speciellt i dessa tider då coronaviruset skoningslöst drar fram. Svenskar i Världens fantastiska nätverk hjälper såväl utrikesministern som strandade svenska turister.
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tängda gränser och indragna flyglinjer drabbade över en natt människor världen över. Plötsligt fann sig tusentals svenska turister instängda på hotell i länder där militär patrullerade på gatorna för att säkerställa att undantagstillståndet följdes. Samtidigt insåg permanent boende utlandssvenskar att deras möjligheter att kunna besöka sjuka eller döende släktingar i Sverige var så gott som obefintliga. I det läget kan man välja att rasa av sig i sociala medier, eller så gör man sitt bästa för att hjälpa till.
Möte med utrikesministern
I mitten av mars fick Svenskar i Världen, SVIV, ett samtal från utrikesministerns stab som berättade att utrikesministern ville ta del av organisationens uppfattning om situationen. Samma dag skickade därför SVIV ut en enkät till sitt nätverk, och på nolltid trillade svar in från drygt 1 300 utlandssvenskar och andra strandade svenskar. Några dagar senare hade SVIV:s ordförande Louise Svanberg och generalsekreterare Cecilia Borglin ett telefonmöte med utrikesminister Ann Linde, biträdande enhetschef på konsulära enheten Peter Svensson Kemeny och sakkunnige Johannes Danielsson, där resultatet av enkäten presenterades. I korthet var det största orosmolnet alla reserestriktioner, både vad gäller evakuering men också begränsningar beträffande möjligheten att besöka sjuka släktingar. Oro kring logistik av passförnyelse och visum lyftes också fram av många, liksom det faktum att även utlandssvenskar kan ha språkliga utmaningar med att följa lokala instruktioner. Det vore önskvärt att få ta del av information på engelska eller svenska, ansåg många. I en situation som i stort sett enbart består av problem blir det extra viktigt att försöka se de möjligheter som finns. Det framkom tydligt i samtalet med utrikesministern att UD och ambassaderna gör sitt yttersta i en extraordinär situation som denna, och det ska de ha en stor eloge för.
Det är först när krisen är över som det är läge att utvärdera de initiativ som gjordes för att komma fram till ännu bättre framtida lösningar, säger generalsekreterare Cecilia Borglin.
Landsmän redo att hjälpa till
Svenskar i Världen har drygt 90 representanter världen över som står redo att dela med sig av sitt nätverk och ge råd och tips. Därutöver når organisationen ut till tusentals utlandssvenskar via sitt nätverk bestående av andra svenska organisationer och klubbar. I coronavirusets framfart utgör dessa utlandssvenskar en viktig nod för strandade svenskar. I Peru stod SVIV:s nomad-representant Joakim Söder för en enastående insats då han tillsammans med en chaufför för Rosa Bussarna hämtade upp svenska turister från olika delar av landet och körde dem till Lima för vidare transport till Sverige. Räddningsinsatsen gjordes i nära samarbete med Svenska Ambassaden. I Danmark har utrikesdepartementet tagit initiativ till en Facebookgrupp där danskar boendes utomlands hjälper strandade danskar under tiden de befinner sig i landet utan möjlighet att komma hem. Det kan handla om översättning, tips på boende eller hjälp med mediciner. Något motsvarande har inte gjorts av svenska utrikesdepartementet. Istället kan den handlingskraftige söka upp Facebookgrupper som har startats av strandade turister för att se om det är något man kan hjälpa till med. Det handlar inte om att ha kontakter för att chartra ett plan, utan snarare hjälp med att få tag på mediciner, rena kläder eller ge lokala råd i väntan på att turisterna kan ta sig tillbaka till Sverige. Svenskar i Världen har ett stort antal representanter i USA, bland annat i New York, Houston, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Chambersburg, Pasadena och Honolulu. Kontaktuppgifter till dessa och övriga finns på SVIV:s webbplats, www.sviv.se.
Summary in English: Following a discussion with Sweden’s Foreign Minister, SVIV undertook a survey of its membership to find out about concerns that pre-occupy Swedish expats the most. The survey drew 1,300 replies from Swedish residents, and also from Swedish tourists stranded abroad as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns. Swedes trapped in the United States can seek advice and support by contacting SVIV representatives found on the SVIV website, and also by consulting Facebook groups created by stranded Swedes.
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Calendar & Events
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A guide to fun and interesting Swedish events outside Sweden
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CHICAGO Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 Tel: 773-728 8111 | info@samac.org www.swedishamericanmuseum.org Due to ongoing concerns for public safety related to the Coronavirus, the Swedish American Museum is closed to the public until further notice. Visit the Swedish American Museum website for more information. 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 For health and safety, Nordic Northwest has closed its doors until April 30. Please check the updated information on the Nordic Northwest website. SEATTLE Swedish Cultural Center 1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 Tel: 206-283 1090 | www.swedishclubnw.org info@swedishculturalcenter.org May 16 – Back to Our Roots gala – canceled; tentatively rescheduled for October Nordic Museum 2655 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107 Tel: 206-789 5707 | nordic@nordicmuseum.org www.nordicmuseum.org 8
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The National Nordic Museum will stay closed until the state-wide "Stay at Home" order is lifted. This is done in an effort to reduce the acceleration of the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). 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 the rapid developments of COVID-19 the Embassy is only offering limited consular services at the moment and will be closed to visitors until April 17, 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 May 9 – Sat 1:30 pm: Scandinavian Design and The United States exhibition presented by Monica Obniski, Curator of 20th- and 21stCentury Design at Redemption Lutheran Church, 4057 North Mayfair Rd. (Hwy. 100, just north of Capitol Dr.) Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Over 180 objects are included in this first major exhibition highlighting the collaboration of Scandinavian and United States deginers planned to open at the Milwaukee Art Museum, May 15 to September 7, 2020. OTTAWA Embassy of Sweden Ottawa 377 Dalhousie Street, Suite 305, Ottawa ON K1N 9NB Tel: 613-241 2277 www.swedishembassy.ca Temporary Travel Ban and limited possibili ties of obtaining a visa to Sweden took effect on 19 March and will initially apply for 30 days. This is an exceptional measure that will not apply for longer than necessary. Due to the coronavirus and the temporary entry ban to Sweden, the Swedish Migration Agency has decided that the majority of visa applications will be rejected. This applies if you wish to visit Sweden and are a citizen of a country outside the EU. 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. Any further updates will be posted on our websites www.scancentre.org. WINNIPEG Swedish Cultural Assn of Manitoba 764 Erin Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4 | Tel: 204-774 8047 | Reservations at: svenskclub17@gmail.com Due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak all events scheduled with the Swedish Cultural Assoc have been postponed until further notice. During these weeks of recommended isolation, our members are reminded that we are all family and have encouraged everyone to reach out to one another, either by going to the grocery store, by phoning or through technology so that everybody know that someone cares. We must do our best to focus on the positive – on the giving nature that has come forth; the ingenuity and creativity exhibited for the betterment of others and the selfless acts of kindness conveyed. This unprecedented time in our lives will pass and we will learn some profound lessons from the experience. 28
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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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dinner. Pancake breakfasts on first Sundays of the month. Rental venue for meeting, parties, etc. www.swedishclubnw.org 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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GRATTIS PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN May 04 Sophia Hermansson, 15 år May 12 Mattias Allgurén, 11 år May 16 Amelia Allen, 14 år May 25 Rosa Wallenius, 7 år May 29 Isak Allen, 12 år
NAMEDAYS May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17 May 18 May 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31
Valborg Filip, Filippa John, Jane Monika, Mona Gotthard, Erhard Marit, Rita Carina, Carita Åke Reidar, Reidun Esbjörn, Styrbjörn Märta, Märit Charlotta, Lotta Linnea, Linn Halvard, Halvar Sofia, Sonja Ronald, Ronny Rebecka, Ruben Erik Maj, Majken Karolina, Carola Konstantin, Conny Hemming, Henning Desideria, Desirée Ivan, Vanja Urban Vilhelmina, Vilma Beda, Blenda Ingeborg, Borghild Yvonne, Jeanette Vera, Veronika Petronella, Pernilla
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Swedish Press | May 2020 29
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Sista ordet
‘Många kulturevenemang har inställts...’ Coronan flyttar Polarpriset till maj 2021 Av Henric Borgström
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tdelandet av Polarpriset, ett av världens mest kända musikpris, skjuts upp ett år på grund av coronaviruset. Amerikanska låtskrivaren Diane Warren och ryska operasopranen Anna Netrebko, som uppträtt flera gånger på Carnegie Hall i New York, får därför vänta till lördagen 22 maj 2021 med att ta emot priset ur kung Carl XVI Gustafs hand. Priset delades ut första gången 1992, sedan det tre år tidigare instiftats av Sveriges främste låtskrivare Stikkan Andersson, mannen bakom musikgruppen Abba. Men han får tyvärr inte se USA:s främsta i sin egen bransch eftersom han avled 66 år gammal redan 1997.
Många av Stikkans ”Slagdängor” fick nationellt genomslag. En av de första hette Vi hänger me’ med fotbollsspelaren Nacka Skoglund som sångare. Nordiskt genomslag fick Är du kär i mig ännu, Klas-Göran? med Lill-Babs. Stora succéer blev också Sånt är livet samt Är det konstigt att man längtar bort nån gång.
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Swedish Press | May 2020 30
Enligt Svenska Tonsättares Internationella Musikbyrå (Stim), som svarar för fördelning av intäkter till upphovsmakarna, finns Stikkan registrerad för 1143 låtar. Till ABBA blev han från första början främst promotor. När de stora inkomsterna rullade in köpte Stikkan kontrollen av cykeltillverkaren Monark med Crescent. Han bosatte sig i Villa Ekarne (ritad av Ragnar Östberg) invid Skansen på Djurgården där familjen bodde tills han avled. Polarpriset delas årligen ut inom populärmusik respektive klassisk till personer eller grupper, ibland till institutioner i musiklivet vid ceremonier i Konserthuset i Stockholm. 63-åriga Diane Warren har skrivit låtar till bland andra Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Cher och Elton John. I motiveringen sägs att hon har den ovanliga kombinationen av att skriva lättlyssnade låtar och ändå säga något till lyssnaren. 48-åriga Anna Netrebko debuterade 1994 i Sankt Petersburg. Juryns motivering är att ”med sin fantastiska röst och självlysande karisma är hon en större-än-livet-sångare som håller klassikerna vid liv.” Många kulturevenemang har inställts, främst den mycket populära Melodifestivalen som turnerar runt i landet under våren. Detta för att få fram en svensk finalist till Eurovision Song Contest i holländska Rotterdam i maj. Men även den europeiska finalen ställs in. I stort sett alla större teatrar har ställt in. Kungliga Operan i Stockholm visar dock vissa föreställningar digitalt.
Örebro Konserthus fick hård kritik på insändarplats i den ledande lokaltidningen Nerikes Allehanda när man meddelade att en konsert den 12 maj ändå skulle hållas genom att man skulle se till att åhörarna inte blev fler än myndigheternas beslut om högst 500 personer. Det talades om dumhet, girighet och elittänkande. Senare inställdes en rad konserter.
2020 års mottagare av Polar Music Prize är sopranen Anna Netrebko (Foto vänster: Kirk Edwards) och låtskrivaren Diane Warren (Foto ovan: Emily Shur).
Summary in English: The Polarpriset (the Polar Prize) is one of the world’s best-known music prize. It was founded by Stikkan Anderson of ABBA fame and was presented for the first time by the King of Sweden in 1992. The Prize is awarded annually to individuals, groups or institutions in the field of popular and classical music. This year’s winners are the American songwriter Diane Warren and the Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko, but because of the coronavirus they will have to wait until May 22, 2021 before they receive the Polarpriset from the King. COVID-19 is also the reason why many other Swedish musical events and contests are being postponed. Henric Borgström är mångårig ekonomijournalist i svensk radio, TV och press. Artikeln publicerad i finlandssvenska Hufvudstadsbladet.
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