Nordstjernan 1509

nordstjernan The Swedish Newspaper of America

Published by Swedish News. Volume 143 No. 09, May 15, 2015. Price per copy $2.50

This Week, Page 10

H.R.H. Queen Silvia visits Vatican City and Pope Francis with Princess Leonore and her parents, Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill.

Sweden, Page 2, 3

Arthur, the stray dog who insisted on joining the Swedish World Cup team in Ecuador is settling in in Sweden / A Swede gives back in Nepal / Dolphins in the Baltic / Sweden’s most popular museum / Two Swedish men held hostage by Syrian jihadists have been reunited with their families in Sweden /The dollar remains strong.

In Brief, Page 3

The tradition of the great American lawn mowing and learning “the value of a dollar.”

Renee Lundholm, SACC NY; Anna Kinberg Batra and Steve Trygg, SACC NY. Anna Kinberg Batra, the leader of the Swedish Moderate Party was on a whirlwind tour of the U.S. ending with a visit to New York and luncheon with the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce on May 1. /Page 9

The shores of Lake Vättern II Bo Zaunders zaunders@nordstjernan.com

Page 7

Feature, Page 7

Swedish architect in America—among the first to arrive in the 19th century.

Ombergs Turisthotell on Lake Vättern’s eastern shore - between Vadstena and Gränna at the beautiful stretch where beech forest meets the expansive view of Vättern and the Östgöta plain.

Celebrating a crown jewel

San Diego’s Balboa Park, a 1200-acre urban cultural park with spectacular botanical gardens, museums, theaters, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo, was built in 1915 and named for the Spanish maritime explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, reminding visitors that California was once owned by Spain. The park was home of the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 and the California Pacific International Exposition of 1935, when it also boasted the new international cottages. As the cottages celebrate 80 years of spreading peace, understanding and goodwill this year, they are also helping Balboa Park commemorate a century of existence, with a smorgasbord of festivities you won’t want to miss during the week of Midsummer. / Page 12

Photo: Bo Zaunders

Arriving at Ombergs Turisthotell, a few miles south of Vadstena, we found ourselves once again in the era of Heidenstam. The hotel, built 100 years ago with support of Ellen Key, another literary luminary, sits on a hill with lush vegetation and boasts a lovely view of Vättern and the surrounding countryside. Inside and out, it exuded an air of Carl Larsson and turn-of-the-century Sweden: pastel colors and lots of white furniture. And the view was always present, from the broad terrace that seemed to stretch around the entire building to the dining room with its huge multi-paneled windows.

The next day we planned to visit neighboring Strand, the home of Ellen Key, which, like that of Heidenstam’s, has been turned into a museum. But right now we were making ourselves comfort- Continued on page 4

Dashboard, Page 10-11

Several Swedish restaurants hailed in Europe / Royal birthday celebration in Stockholm.

Feature, Page 15

They say, when you’ve seen the world, there’s always Greenland...

Sports, Page 19

Big crowds are the norm once more for the top teams in the Allsvenskan league.

Page 11

news in brief. page 2

Swedish News Svårstyrt Löfvén Gästledare

Sydsvenska Dagbladet 4 maj, 2015

DÖ, Decemberöverenskommelsen lät de rödgröna behålla makten. Men nu borde stora löften förverkligas med litet manöverutrymme.

Swedish team captain Mikael Lindnord from Örnsköldsvik with his new friend in Ecuador, the now world famous dog Arthur. Photo: Krister Göransson/Team Peak Perfomance

Celebrity dog settles with Swedish family

Arthur, the stray dog who insisted on joining the Swedish World Cup team during an extreme adventure race through Ecuador, has thrived in his new life in Sweden. Severely injured, the dog was determined to stay close to the athletes, through mud and jungle and water. But that apparently wasn’t enough for the adventurous dog, now healed and healthy and living with Mikael Lindnord and his family in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. Recently, he also participated in the charity race Wings for Life World Run. And he didn’t go unnoticed. Many cheered for Arthur as he ran 18 kilometers (11 miles) with Lindnord in Kalmar. The celebrity dog joined 100,000 runners in the race that was made tougher by a fierce headwind, but it was a breeze for Arthur.

Swede gives back in Nepal

Jenny Adhikari, 33, whose home is in Mariestad, Sweden, works as a tour leader and lives much of the year in Nepal.

On April 25, she was traveling near the village of Gyaltum, Nepal to plan a hike with Swedish tourists, when the road began to shake. Large boulders fell all around the bus she was in. She heard people screaming and saw buildings falling apart. “It was pure luck. We should all have been dead,” she says. That night they slept under the open sky, huddled together with the others and local farmers who cared for each other as one aftershock followed another.

The next day, Adhikari managed to get to Kathmandu and knew she couldn’t return to Sweden on May 10 as planned: The need for help was too great for her to leave Nepal.

“These people are like my family.” Adhikari, whose husband is Nepalese, quickly collected funds from friends in Sweden through Facebook — funds that will go far. She looked for mattresses, rice, salt, cooking oil and tarps. It is difficult to get ahold of goods following the earthquake, and aid consignments get delayed at the airport; it takes long hours for many sufferers to receive anything at all.

She went first to the rice farmers in Gyaltum who took care of her after the quake, and she’ll go with a few friends to other poor villages. “People are very happy, they cry when we come,” she says. “The needs are huge, I see no end. We continue to help as long as we can.”

A quick detour to Sweden

A couple Danes who were recently kayaking in Blekinge’s archipelago in southern Sweden were in for a big surprise when a dolphin and her calf followed them for four kilometers all the way to Järnaviks port. Bottlenose dolphins prefer warmer ocean waters, but due to rising water temperatures, they are occasionally sighted in traditionally colder areas.

The spectacular experience was filmed by the kayakers.

“It’s quite difficult to catch them in the picture because they would prefer to be in front of the kayaks, so it’s only few times I catch them,” wrote Frede Jensen. Research Director Mats Amundin of Kolmårdens Wildlife Center in Stockholm guesses these dolphins may have followed a school of fish and will likely find their way to the Baltic Sea again.

Nordstjernan, May 15, 2015

Väljarna är missnöjda med regeringen.

På annat vis är det svårt att tolka Novus nya sammanvägning av de största opinionsmätningarna. Socialdemokraterna fortsätter att backa och får sin lägsta notering sedan Stefan Löfven tillträdde som partiledare, 27,5 procent.

Bara drygt 1 procentenhet skiljer nu mellan blocken, men någon självkritik hörs inte från S-ledningen. I Ekot på måndagsmorgonen skyllde partisekreteraren Carin Jämtin istället opinionstrenden på arvet från de borgerliga.

Hon fick det att låta som om det bara är en fråga om tid innan opinionsvindarna vänder.

“Vi har så klart stora förväntningar på regeringen från väljarna. De kommer vi att leva upp till när vår budget kommer på plats efter hösten, eftersom vi just nu styr på en borgerlig budget.”

Men borde inte de rödgröna, med sina vårbudgetsatsningar, ha lyckats förklara

Det är långtifrån säkert att DÖ håller i vilken riktning de avser att gå? Och om det verkligen är allianspolitik som mandatperioden ut. Löfven är naturligtväcker väljarnas missnöje – hur kom- vis fullt medveten om det. Som regermer det sig då att stödet ökar för de ingschef lär han dra sig för att driva politiska frågor som kan provocera de borgerliga? borgerliga till att säga upp DÖ. Fast ju Svaren får sannolikt sökas i själva försiktigare regeringen blir, desto mer fundamentet för regeringspolitiken. Så frustration väcks förstås bland dem som länge decemberöverenskommelsen, röstade på S eller MP i valet.

DÖ, består lär stora grupper av väljare Till på köpet har de rödgröna avgett både till höger och vänster om mitten vidlyftiga löften: snabb uppryckning känna frustration. av resultaten i skolan, EU:s lägsta arI avsaknad av en klar majoritet i riks- betslöshet … dagen ger DÖ den största minoriteten Stora politiska ambitioner ska alltså möjlighet att få igenom sin budget. Men samtidigt ökar regeringens beroende uppnås med ovanligt litet politiskt av Vänsterpartiet. Och förutom på manöverutrymme. Enkelt blir det inte. de mest självklara områdena minskar DÖ var vad som krävdes för att undincitamenten till samarbete över blockvika ett extraval. Men det krävs långt gränsen. mer än att hålla sig kvar vid makten för Politiken drar alltså vänsterut med att göra väljarna nöjda. allianspartiernas indirekta medgivande, vilket leder till växande irritation i de borgerliga leden. Missnöjet med DÖ tilltar på gräsrotsnivå – i synnerhet inom Moderaterna. Riksdagsledamoten Finn Bengtsson (M) tar nu öppet strid mot sin partiledning i frågan. Kraven på att överge överenskommelsen lär inte minska när det kommer fler skarpa regeringsförslag i höst.

The stories, the traditions, the people behind the news — NORDSTJERNAN A tradition since 1872, covering three worlds: Sweden, America, and Swedish America order your own copy, $55.00 for a year (22 issues) at www. nordstjernan.com—choose 'subscribe' or call 1.800.827.9333 x10

Founded in New York City in September 1872 Editor & Publisher: Ulf Barslund Mårtensson (editor@nordstjernan.com) – www.nordstjernan.com Assistant Editor: Amanda Olson Robison Managing editor & Production: Everett Martin Metro Editor: Eva Stenskär Sports Editor: Chipp Reid Design: Daniel Berubé-Arbello Contributors: Valorie Arrowsmith - Terry Lee Blunk - Julie Lindahl - Claes Magnusson - Ulf Nilson Kristina Hall - Leif Rosqvist - Ulf Kirchdorfer - Ted Olsson - Jeanne Eriksson Widman - Olle Wijkström - Bo Zaunders Publications Director: Mette Barslund Mårtensson (mette@nordstjernan.com; 800.827.9333 x12) Nordstjernan (ISSN 1059-7670) is published by Swedish News, Inc., 570 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022 • Connecticut - P.O. Box 1710, New Canaan, CT 06840 Periodicals Postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Nordstjernan is published semi-monthly, except for the month of August.

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News in brief. page 3

Swedish News

The Great American Lawn Mowing When I was growing up, during formative years that seemed very long and agonizing, my father tried to teach my brother and me “the value of a dollar.”

A major, memorable way in which he practiced this slow step toward illustrating the American Dream, as if we were puppets of this demonstration, was to have us mow the lawn.

I am here not concerned with my brother’s experience, because somehow due to maternal intervention it was quickly determined he had allergies and was thus exempt from walking back and forth, back and forth behind a lawnmower in 100 plus degree Texas heat … which meant that as a teenager fit from repeated bouts of this hard labor I was soon able to finish mowing the lawn in two and a half hours.

At the time I did not understand the value of earning a dollar, on which my father appeared so fixated, nor why I had to suffer at the work-ethic hands of a father who apparently thought I would never know what it was like to grow up as a child in post-World War II Germany; somehow he connected my twice a week lawn mowing sessions with his tough past, while ceding to my Swedish mother. In Dallas, a well-fertilized and sprinkled lawn required uber-frequent mowings, which would have suited my father just fine — he did not want his eldest son to turn out to be one of those kids going to a “fancy-pants” school where my only sweat might come from yielding a lacrosse stick and pain in my ankle from twisting it on a tennis court. Instead, dazed from the heat and extended sessions of labor, I had to walk into metal sprinkler heads and stumble, and if I was not paying attention and nicked them, I was made well aware, even back then, that one head cost $25 and other injurious parts were included

in the experience. The value of a dollar must be multiplied many times to reach the full amount of $25.

As I walked behind the self-propelled mower — which my father proudly proclaimed was “self-propelled” to anyone who would listen, as if this feature was an incredible luxury and feat of technology — I did not understand why the neighbors truly practiced trickle-down economics and had adults come to take care of lawns so their children could lounge inside air conditioning or on the hot deck of a pool, while fathers worked in their home “studies,” with framed photographs of Ronald Reagan winking at them. And my trickle-down was all across my bare back, itching from the inevitable interaction with the grass that had to be emptied into black trash bags that would burst from the heat as they were packed perfectly close to the lawn without touching it and leaving the driveway clear for a fancy automobile the American Dream was rolling along.

Yes, whether or not teenagers are conscripted to do the labor of lawn mowing, they will bite the hand that feeds them.

The question now (after many years of enjoying mowing my own lawn, before beginning to practice trickle-down economics and having it treated like a mistress: styled, blown and fertilized to consummate perfection with a jewelworthy huge carbon footprint to top the trophy possession), is if my laborious encounter with the lawn and lessons of the value of a dollar make me a better American and contributor to society?

Did being called out from my room where I was reading benefit anyone other than my father and his notions of what it takes to raise a son who would make him as proud as the American flag and Republican party?

I think of Walt Whitman now, and his

Born in Sweden and raised both in Europe and the U.S., Ulf Kirchdorfer , is as Swedish American as we come. Ulf, who has a Ph.D. in English, is currently teaching modern American literature and English composition at Darton College. He was selected the Carnegie Foundation U.S. Professor of the Year for the State of Georgia in 2001, and served as Board of Regents Distinguished Professor of Teaching and Learning in 1996-1997 and 1997-1998.

obsession with grass, and his famous lines from, what else, Leaves of Grass … a state of mind I am certain my father did not intend; and, it is too easy to pluck “Resist much, obey little” or my favorite, “If you want me again look for me under your boot soles” as a reminder that a) I fought mowing for money all the way, and b) my father is now dead and cannot see how I turned out as an adult walking through life, often on carpet or flooring.

Should we put “fancy-pants” Trevor out there in the heat with a lawnmower and let him have his long walks to mull things over this growing season of 2015? Will it make a difference? If so, what kind of difference. It doesn’t matter, just put him out there. Unless, of course, he has asthma and you are not willing to pay for the pharmaceutical treatments, more expensive than the trickle-down lawn care, just to prove a point.

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Open-air museum Skansen in Stockholm, the most visited museum in Sweden. The summer highlight at Skansen is the three-day Midsummer celebration with the traditional maypole, garlands, small frogs and dancing until midnight.

Most popular museum in Sweden?

Which of Sweden’s museums has the most visitors? Where is more than half the audience of children and young people? And which are most popular among men? The Agency for Cultural visits has released statistics for 2014.

Total visits in 2014 more than 6.7 million visits to 27 museums and attractions that belong to the central museums, which was an increase of 2%. Skansen had the most visits - almost 1.4 million - and stood together with the Vasa Museum, the Modern Art Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Technology for more than half of all the audience. Many smaller museums also had a positive trend in 2014. Among the visitors are many more with higher education than in the population at large, in all surveyed age groups. Where you live influences how you use the museums’ offers - those who live near the museums visit more often. Every fourth visitor is under 18, and 6 of 10 visitors are women “If you look at audience development over time, you note a sharp increase in 2005- 2006, when many of the museums had free entry. But aside from those years, the total number of visits over the past decade has been stable, with a slight positive trend,” says one of the analysts at Kulturanalys, www.kulturanalys.se.

Swedish hostages in Syria return home

Two Swedish men held hostage by Syrian jihadists have been reunited with their families in Sweden, Sweden’s foreign ministry recently said. The hostages, Thomas Olsson, 50, and Martin Reen, 33, were freed with the help of Palestinian and Jordanian authorities. According to the newspaper Dagen, the men were released after 508 days in captivity. Both men belong to churches in northern Sweden and were taken hostage in 2013 when they crossed the border into Syria while doing missionary work in Jordan.

“We are doing well under the circumstances and want to thank everyone who was involved in setting us free. Now we want to be with our families and meet our children,” Olsson told Swedish TT, adding that they needed peace and quiet and would not answer questions about their ordeal.

Sectra receives Swecare Export Award

The Swedish IT and medical technology company Sectra (http://www.sectra.com) has received the Swecare Export Award 2014. The award is intended to encourage and highlight successful Swedish companies and create good examples of successful export ventures. Sectra develops and sells IT systems and services for radiology and other image-intensive departments orthopaedics and rheumatology. More than 1700 hospitals clinics and imaging centers worldwide use the systems daily.

The Exchange Rate: $1.00 = SEK 8.23 05.06.2015

May 15, 2015 Nordstjernan

feature. page 4

From Vadstena to Visingsö: Along the shore of Lake Vättern Continued from page one

able in the hotel, chatting with chef Marcus Larsson and his wife Pernilla, who together with his brother Jonas and sister Linda, bought the hotel about six years ago ago and now run it.

Dinner was about to begin. A selection of

Above: Omberg Turisthotell; left: Cucumber soup over char, bleak roe and sour cream; below: Marcus Larsson

opening tidbits stretched almost the entire length of a long table. After that came an exceptional, most creative cucumber soup poured over a small piling of char, bleak roe and sour cream. A tenderloin brisket of beef followed, with brown sauce, carrots and potato purée. As for wine, we began with a glass of white Bordeaux and continued with Valpolicella, an Italian red. And we must not forget the dessert: a cheesecake with rhubarb, raspberries and white chocolate — given a maximum five-star review by Roxie, who is generally not that crazy about sweets.

ize in subjects of their own choosing, not be spoon fed with humdrum knowledge, and since young people should be able to grow up without fear, she takes a firm stand against all forms of corporal punishment. A sought-after lecturer, she traveled extensively, especially in Germany; Goethe was one of her idols, as were Henrik Ibsen and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, both of whom were also dear friends.

Key lived in Strand from 1910 until her death in 1926. According to her wishes,

portraits of Key, one of which was by the well-known painter Richard Bergh. Apparently he was another good friend. “To Ellen from Dick,” he had written on a print of his famous painting of the poet Gustaf Fröding, also on display in this remarkable Lake Vättern homestead.

Back in time

the house was turned into a summer home for indigent working women, and has today become a place where adult female students can engage in study and meditation during the summer.

As curator Hedda Jansson guided us from room to room, I took note of a couple

Ellen Key’s home

At Strand, Ellen Key’s home, Carl Larsson’s presence could once again be felt. As it happened, the famous painter and his wife Karin were both close friends of Ellen and presumably had something to do with the way she decorated her house.

Like Heidenstam, Ellen Key is no longer much talked about these days. And like him, she was once one of the most prominent writers in the country. An early feminist and suffragist with strong political views on most subjects, she’s best known for her book Barnets århundrade, “The Century of the Child,” which has been translated into 26 languages and reprinted many times. It contains her ideas on education and school problems, many of which are so modern that they are only now being put into practice.

In it she emphasizes the importance of allowing children to special- Ellen Key’s Strand, interior and top; exterior.

Nordstjernan, May 15, 2015

Before continuing to UrNatur, a most unusual accomodation, we paid a visit to Rökstenen, a rune stone from the early 800s, boasting the longest and arguably most difficult-to-decipher rune inscription in the world (I remember seeing it featured in the New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology). A great tourist attraction, it’s some 8 feet tall and stands under a protective roof near the church in which it was discovered.

Adjacent to it is a Viking-inspired shop and café, complete with a woman in Viking garb.

... back to the future

Once again a married couple in charge of running a place! This time it was Håkan Strotz and Ulrika Krynitz, he a Swedish forester and she a German biologist and

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Rökstenen.

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feature. page 5

Part II - Heading south toward Visingsö

Travel writer and photojournalist Bo Zaunders often reaches back in history to shape the itineraries of his expeditions. This two-part account of a journey through Östergötland in south central Sweden is no exception.

Part I ran in Nordstjernan 08/15

Views of the varied types of accommodations at Urnatur, the air castle and relaxing at the lakeside sauna. Right: Håkan Strotz and Ulrika Krynitz preparing dinner.

designer, both with a “back to the future “ dream, which slowly but surely has become a reality.

It began 20 years ago when they bought a 100-acre farm. In the midst of meadows and forests and next to a small lake, it suited their purposes to perfection. A forest hermitage evolved, a poem to Swedish nature, and what could be termed the epitome of eco tourism — where everything is driven and inspired by nature and sustainability.

UrNatur, which roughly translates to “essence of nature,” is now the perfect place for relaxation and reflection. Here, without electricity, in the soft light of a kerosene lamp, you can sit by the fireplace, listen to the crackle of wood burning and to the soft wind in the trees outside. Each residence is a unique handcrafted cabin with an evocative name, such as Hat Cabin, the Charcoaler’s Hut, Wolf Cot, Pilgrim’s Hut, Little Tree House and Air Castle.

On our arrival, Håkan was there to greet us. Subsequently, we and a few other guests were hoisted onto a horse-driven cart and taken to our respective cabins. The cart bumped and rumbled. A herd of black sheep showed up behind the traditional fence lining the path on both sides. Soon we reached our destination: the Air Castle.

As “perchers” rather than “nesters” (to use definitions picked up during a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water), we had asked for this, the newest and highest of UrNatur’s two tree houses. Twenty-nine steps up a spiral staircase and we were at our temporary home halfway up a tall pine tree.

A small roof deck perched on top of it, and a suspension bridge led to a nearby platform wrapped around another tree, and with two

chairs and a small table. Now we just had to wait for twilight to light the kerosene lamp.

I mentioned that there was no electricity.

All the toilets were outdoor wooden huts, impeccably clean, with little flower bouquets to make you feel extra pampered. The no-electricity rule did not, however, apply to the metal-roofed Tin Castle, UrNatur’s largest building. Here we gathered for wine, company and a delicious improvised dinner, which, with a little help from Håkan, was whipped up by Ulrika, and not surprisingly consisted of fresh ingredients appropriated from the farm.

Foraging, timbering, building a fire, using an axe and wood chopping — these are some

View of Lake Vättern and Visingsö from Brahehus.

of the classes offered at UrNatur, and which are part of its back-to-nature, back-to-basics agenda. Or you can borrow a rowboat or canoe and go fishing or sweat it out in the forest sauna.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast we visited Ulrika’s studio, a spacious loft

with a display of various furnishings: carpets, interior textiles, glass and more. I was struck by the utter simplicity of many of the patterns, all linked to nature with names such as “Seaweed, Jellyfish” and “Bark Beetles.” Before departing, we went for a short walk and found a young woman busily cutting down the upper branches of a tree. A pruning system called “pollarding,” this is yet another one of those things you can do at UrNatur.

Next stop: Gränna-Visingsö

Mention the name, and everyone in Sweden thinks of polkagrisar, the red and white candy for which the town has become faContinues on next page

LINGONBERRIES • Fresh Frozen • Dried • Preserves www.sturdiwheat.com May 15, 2015 Nordstjernan

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Continued from previous page

mous. Though aware of Gränna’s popularity among tourists, I was amazed at the crowds lining the main street, not to mention lots of honking cars. We had just paid a visit to Brahehus, the ruins of the 17th century castle situated on the outskirts of town, and were now heading for the harbor, where the ferry to Visingsö, our final stopping point, awaited. On the subject of Gränna, we must not forget its famous son, August Andrée, who in 1897 with two companions, attempted to reach the North Pole in a hot air balloon. The town remembers him with a museum as well as a very popular annual balloon festival.

So this was the tuft of grass that the giant Vist threw into the lake! Visingsö was pretty much as I remembered it from an earlier visit, except for the increased number of tourists. As I did 10 years ago, I climbed onto one of the rustic “Remmalagen” horsedrawn carriages for a tour of the island. Off we went, 20 passengers equally divided on the left and right side of the wagon, proceeding in a leisurely, clickety-clack fashion to various island sights. I recall an herb garden and a place where a couple hundred Russian prisoners of war were buried back in the early 1700s. And I remember passing through a beautiful oak forest before reaching the Kumlaby church, where we made a brief stop. Invited to visit the church’s high lookout tower, I decided to give it a miss after I got stuck with my camera bag in the incredibly tight space in a medieval stairway.

Lunch at Café Solbacken came next.

Here, at an outdoor table, overlooking the harbor and the old castle ruin, we dug into a summery salad with herb dressing and a generous serving of those delectable tiny shrimp you get only in Scandinavia. Smoked whitefish followed, complete with a creamy roe sauce, slices of red onion, and — of course — new potatoes.

Here ends our Vättern adventure: four days of history, unique accommodations and good food. It was also tinged with a bit of nostalgia since it was in this neighborhood we stayed overnight in Gränna during Roxie’s first visit to Sweden. For some reason we were offered the bridal suite, a lovely room with a superior view of the lake. And in the dining room, which we had all to ourselves, Roxie had her first taste of vätternröding.

She still raves about it. n

Vsisingsö in the center of Lake Vättern is less than a half hour’s ferry ride from Gränna.

Off we go. The horsedrawn “Remmalagen” carriages are the civilized way of getting around on Visingsö / Solbacken lunch.

Helpful links:

Bo Zaunders trip along Lake Vättern took him to two of the 25 traditional provinces; Östergötland and Småland, both easily accessible from any of the main Swedish gateways and either by boat, car, train or air.

Travel times differ, from an hour from Stockholm by air, 3.5 hours by train or car and a day an a half by boat. Below are general and more specific links to the areas visited: www.visitsmaland.se www.visitostergotland.se www.gotahotell.se www.ovralid.net www.starbyhotell.se www.ombergsturisthotell.com www.ellenkey.se www.urnatur.se

Nordstjernan, May 15, 2015

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Swedish Architect in the USA Peder H.Hammarskjöld (July 6, 1817 - February 16, 1861)

Peder Hjalmar Hammarskold (Hammarskjöld in Sweden) was the second of all Swedish architects to immigrate to the United States after Charles Ulricson. He came as early as 1844 — two years prior to the year considered the beginning of the Great Swedish Emigration to America and two years before Erik Jansson and his followers settled down in Bishop Hill in Illinois.

Hammarskjöld is a noble Swedish family name. Its oldest ancestor was a Cavalry master, Per Mikaelsson, who was knighted in 1610.

Peder Hammarskjöld was a distant ancestor of Dag Hammarskjöld.

Peder Hammarskold’s family once owned Surahammar’s Bruk (ironworks) in Västmanland. His father Wilhelm Hammarskjöld ran the business until the early 1840s when he was stricken with illness and let Peder take over.

That did not turn out well at all. The company went into bankruptcy. As a consequence Peder decided to emigrate. The same year, 1844, his father died and Peder married.

The bride was 23-year-old pianist, singer and composer, Emilie Holmberg. Her songs were melodic and had become very popular. Among them was “Till skogs en liten fågel flög,” by P.D.A. Atterbom. At age 15, Emilie had published her first songs and in 1841 she founded a music school in Stockholm. The same year she was elected in to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, only 20 years old.

Off to a good start

The first years in the United States were bright and successful. Emilie was invited to participate in a concert in Washington, D.C. with famous violinist Ole Bull in 1845. During the next years Emilie gave several concerts of her own.

In 1846, Emilie’s mother Johanna Holmberg came to live with her daughter and son-in-law.

After a few years in New Orleans, Louisiana and Montgomery, Alabama the family settled down in Charleston, South Carolina. At the time, Charleston had only three architects and Hammarskold became well known.

Emily got a job as an organist at St. Peter’s Church there. She also founded a music society.

The family lived in a beautiful house that visitors described as “a little paradise” and where many music lovers met.

It is not known exactly what kind of education Hammarskold had. He most likely studied at the Institute of Technology in Stockholm, though probably not in architecture. In an 1849 American paper he is described as a civil engineer and draftsman. The same paper describes drawings he had presented of a rice mill he made while in Alabama. The paper says, “the ornamentation details are exquisite and the elevations are magnificent.”

His greatest success was in 1851 when his drawings for a new state capitol in Columbia, SC, were accepted. Hammarskold was chosen to be the leading architect. He had used a lot of steel in the building and here his experience

The state capitol building in Columbia, South Carolina—originally designed by Swedish born Peder H. Hammarskjöld. Construction begun in 1851 under Hammarskjöld, who was replaced by John Niernsee in 1855. The building work was not completed until 1907 after several redesigns and after being partly destroyed during the Civil War.

from Sweden proved useful. His knowledge impressed the building committee, and in January 1852, The Courier newspaper said: “Mr. Hammarskold has shown how completely he is master of his profession and the plan as it comes from his hand, is happily touched with the exactness of science, and the mellow and graceful tints of art.”

One blow after another

In the beginning of 1854 Hammarskold was at the summit of his career. But then came one blow after another. In March, Emilie died, shortly after the birth — and death — of the family’s fifth child. In May the commissioners inspected the state capitol building and found serious defects in the construction of the walls.

Hammarskold was accused of lack of practical experience and other shortcomings. He was fired. One month later the building committee advertised for a “competent architect.” Hammarskold sued the committee for erroneous conduct, but the proceedings were quashed in the Court of Appeal in 1856. The defective walls had to be pulled down and rebuilt after an extensive redesign that was made by the newly employed architects, George Walker and John Niernsee. However, these two men did not get along very well. Walker called Niernsee “humbug” and in doing so also got fired.

Peder Hammarskold remarried in January 1856. His second wife’s name was Annie J. Hancock. In 1858 the couple moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he designed the Robert-

son Topp House, a large and elegant residence in two stories for one of Memphis’ developers, Robertson Topp. The entrance was a classic court carried by four Corinthian columns. The building was demolished in the 1930s.

Hammarskold died in Memphis, only 43 years old. He had four children with his first wife: Svea Emilie, born in 1845 in New Orleans, LA; Anna Coralie (who became an opera singer), born in 1848 in Montgomery, AL; Edvard Vilhelm, born in 1849 in Charleston, SC, and Hulda Maria, born in 1852 in Charleston.

Swedish Architects in America The new Nordstjernan book Swedish Architects in the USA, 1846-1930, due out later this year, offers a look into the fascinating stories and lives of some of the 150 Swedish architects who immigrated to and worked in America during the Great Swedish Migration. While a lot is known about professionals in education, religion, journalism and farming, very little has been written about Swedish architects in America — until now. After years of research, Göran Rygert compiled this comprehensive collection of architectural histories in “Svenska Arkitekter i USA 1846-1930,” to be published in English by Nordstjernan. Above text on Hammarskjold is and excerpt about one of the many architects to make it in America.

May 15, 2015 Nordstjernan

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local events. page 9

SACC-New York hosts Anna Kinberg Batra

John Matthews, Olle Wästberg and Mats Carlston

Anna Kinberg Batra and David E.R. Dangoor

Anna Kinberg Batra and Steve Trygg, chairman of SACC New York.

On May 1, the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce welcomed the leader of the Swedish Moderate Party, Anna Kinberg Batra, to a luncheon at Restaurant Aquavit.

The party leader concluded a study trip that brought her to Washington DC, New York, Boston and Omaha with ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ. Anna Kinberg Batra took office in January, after the coalition Alliance lost the general election in fall 2014. Addressing the crowded room, the opposition party leader highlighted the Moderates’ developing policies for the next general election.

At the New York luncheon she said there are two lessons her party now needs to start building on: creating a transformation from government to opposition and also gaining confidence in better ideas. “We need to get better at meeting the future,” she said.

“And meeting the challenges ahead for the Swedish industry, economy and people.”

She stated that the Moderate party has high confidence numbers in regards to the economy, but they need to learn from their failures in order to gain confidence.

She identified three areas where the Alliance will develop policies: 1. Help smaller companies grow. Help entrepreneurs go from idea to execution, and improve the speed of setting up a company.

2. Maintain and strengthen the inclusion into Swedish society. Help people, including foreign born residents, get their first job in Sweden. That means education and employment reform.

3. Be open and cooperate. Cooperation between countries and regions with open markets and as low barriers as possible for trade. Part of Kinberg Batra’s discussions in Washington were, needless to say, on the proposed free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

Kinberg Batra’s concluding remark was, “We want to take government office to build a stronger Sweden.”

By Alexandra Ivancevic www.saccny.org

Crowded room with guests at Aquavit

United Swedish Societies, Inc. Presents

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May 15, 2015 Nordstjernan

dashboard. page 10

Stockholm, Sweden

A representative dish and presentation for the new Swedish/Scandinavian cuisine that is winning so much admiration and followers in the world: Sweetbreads with liquorice and caramelized yuzu at Restaurant Frantzén in Stockholm (www.restaurantfrantzen.com). If it’s been some time since you last visited Stockholm’s capital, the restaurant on Lilla Nygatan 21 used to be Frantzén/Lindeberg but the two partners parted in a friendly way to go in different directions with Daniel Lindeberg pursuing the dream of finding a bakery a couple miles outside Stockholm. (www/lindebergbageri.se). They reportedly continue to cooperate.

Food

The Vatican, Italy

H.R.H. Queen Silvia with granddaughter Princess Leonore in her lap in conversation with Pope Francis. The Queen recently visited Vatican City with Princess Madeleine and her family, where they all had a meeting with Pope Francis. The Swedish royals are there as representatives of the Childhood Foundation and Childhood USA, taking part in “Human trafficking with a Special Focus on Children,” an anti-trafficking seminar held at Vatican City. Photo: www.kungahuset.se

Swedish restaurants hailed in Europe

A list of Europe’s 100 best restaurants has been released by Opinonated About Dining, and several Swedish restaurants made it to the list.

Thirteen countries are represented, with Spain having four places in the top 10 alone.

Sweden’s Fäviken restaurant is ranked as

the 11th best restaurant in Europe. Fäviken, run by Magnus Nilsson in a remote resort town in Jämtland, was also named Sweden’s best restaurant by the White Guide earlier this year.

The restaurant, like many of the winners, makes creative use of the wild, organic plants and natural resources around it. Sweden took six places on the list, three of which are in the top 50, including Frantzén in Stockholm and Daniel Berlin in Skåne-Tranås; Oaxen, Mathias Dahlgren Matsalen and Ekstedt Sweden also made the list. Opinionated About Dining (OAD), which published the winners list, consists of a jury with food bloggers, journalists and other food ambassadors who travel the world to eat.

Results are based on over 140,000 reviews compiled by the jury. (www.opinionatedaboutdining.com)

Sweden’s new top chefs are not all in Stockholm—above Fäviken’s Magnus Nilsson explains his cooing art to attentive and amused guests.

(Flickr/Jürgen Schmücking) Alas, four out of the six are, including Björn Frantzén’s Restaurant Frantzén right. www.ekstedt.nu www.oaxen.com www.restaurantfrantzen.com www.mdghs.se www.danielberlin.se www.favikenmagasinet.se

Nordstjernan, May 15, 2015

dashboard. page 11

Drottningholm, Sweden

This year is the 300th anniversary of Queen Dowager Hedvig Eleonora’s passing. A remarkable woman who realized her political and dynastic ambitions. The exhibition Garden and Nature of the Royal Court is shown at Drottningholm Palace.

History

Farmington Hills, MI

Stockholm Castle

Thousands of people had gathered in Stockholm to celebrate the King’s 69 birthday on April 30. The royal family gathered for the celebration on the Castle’s outer courtyard where the King’s granddaughters stole the show - here’s Princess Estellle, 3, trying to help Princess Leonore, 1, who just wasn’t interested in standing still... Photo: www.kungahuset.se

May 15 in Swedish History

1914: The Baltic Exhibition was held in Malmö from May 15, 1914 until October 4, 1914. (The official closing date, September 30, was later extended by four days, as permitted in the general rules.) The event showcased the industry, art and culture of Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Russia—the four countries then bordering the Baltic Sea. The city itself has no beaches on the Baltic, but there is one nearby at Öresund.

The Baltic Games were held at the same time; the swimming competitions, lasting for twelve days, attracted many internationally known athletes.

For the occasion, many of Malmö’s parks were renovated and a large new park, Pildammsparken, covering more than 100 acres, was created. The Swedish architect Ferdinand Boberg designed several of the buildings constructed for the exhibition. Although most were removed soon afterward, a few have survived.

World War I interrupted the exhibition when Germany and Russia entered the conflict on opposing sides. After the war, Russia no longer existed, and some of the Russian art displayed in Malmö remained and eventually became part of the city’s own collections.

The Swedish Film Institute, SF, has a 15-min-

ute film clip on the exhibition in its online archival film collections at www.filmarkivet.se.

The popular songwriting team Hellström and Svenning—the ABBA of the times—created a waltz to commemorate the exhibition.

Valborgsmässoafton in Farmington Hills was celebrated by the Swedish Club together with SWEA Michigan on April 25. On Valborg, observers mark the start of spring with music, singing and bonfires. About 50 grown-ups and children enjoyed this sunny spring event with good food and singing of the beloved spring songs like “Varvindar frisk,” “Majsang,” “studentsangen” and others.

Swedish Club president Nils Peterson, always busy, spent the morning cleaning up in the garden and gathering wood for a great bonfire.

Egg and sill, Jansson’s frestelse, Swedish meatballs, limpa and Swedish cheese, quiche and salad were enjoyed together with a big cake. After learning that it’s not just the kids who enjoy grilled sausages, there was plenty to for everyone — of all ages — this year. Photo: Nils Peterson

Herr & Fru | Mr. & Mrs.

“I’m gonna take it easy today.”

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The Pacific states. page 12

Balboa Park’s 100th Anniversary Celebrations One hundred years ago, the city of San Diego created Balboa Park to host the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, which was attended by President Woodrow Wilson.

The exposition was a way for San Diego to advertise itself as the first U.S. port for ships arriving from the east coast via the new Panama Canal.

Seedlings and trees planted in Balboa Park in 1915 grew to create today’s spectacular botanical garden, which was the vision of horticulturalist and San Diego pioneer Installation ceremony at House of Sweden, House of Pacific Relations, May 12 1935.

Kate Sessions. Alwas financed by $50,000 of donations and though the exposition’s buildings were meant Chamber of Commerce.

From 1997 to 1999, the House of Sweden fundraising activities. The cottage’s interior was to be only temporary, some of them became permanent fixtures in the park. The Spanish underwent an extensive renovation, which painted to resemble the light and bright décor of Colonial style of architecture reminds visitors that California, as well as San Diego, was once owned by Spain.

Considered a crown jewel of the city, Balboa Park is so large that it is home to nearly 20 museums showcasing the arts, history and natural history, the military, sciences, sports and technology. Balboa Park includes the “world famous” San Diego Zoo. Not only is it a zoological park full of animals, but it is also an impressive botanical garden in its own right featuring a forest of ferns and an orchid house.

While Balboa Park promotes its centennial throughout 2015, the House of Sweden and other houses — known as “the international cottages” — are celebrating 80 years of spreading peace, understanding and goodwill. In 1935 — decades before Walt Disney Co. coined the expression, “It’s a small world, after all” — a campus of houses representing different countries was built.

This “mini-United Nations” coincided with Balboa Park’s hosting of the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition. Visitors that year included then U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and his rival, the former President Herbert Hoover. The House of Sweden and the international cottages outlasted the League of Nations and are consequently older than the United Nations. Each Sunday a different house serves its traditional foods and entertains the public with music, folk dancing, singing and other live performances.

Then as now, members of the House of Sweden included new immigrants, descendants of immigrants and people with a special interest in Swedish culture and history. Year in, year out and year round, the house has sponsored Swedish language lessons and cultural presentations. It has close alliances with the Swedish Women’s Educational Association (SWEA), Svenska Skolan and the Swedish-American

Nordstjernan, May 15, 2015

In San Diego, California, the House of Sweden’s popular and colorful Midsummer celebration in Balboa Park represents the multiculturalism and rich history of the United States’ first west coast city, which happens to border Mexico.

House of Sweden, Balboa Park, San Diego.

Swedish artist Carl Larsson’s home, which is a major tourist attraction in Sweden. Swedish retailer IKEA donated Pergo flooring to the project.

Each year the House of Sweden joins the houses of Denmark, Finland and Norway in hosting Nordic Night, an evening of dining “al fresco,” which is a lovely tribute to Scandinavia. All the international cottages participate in Balboa Park’s International Christmas Festival, also known as December Nights. The event kicks off with a traditional Swedish Saint Lucia “festival of lights” procession. Photographs of students wearing white robes and crowns of lighted candles have become an icon of Balboa Park’s holiday season.

To help Balboa Park commemorate a century of existence, the House of Sweden is offering a smorgasbord of festivities, including food for thought, during its annual Midsummer event in June. What’s more, the house will be open the entire week leading up to Sunday, June 21, which marks the summer solstice as well as Midsummer.

To highlight Balboa Park’s 100th anniversary throughout 2015, the city of San Diego is requiring all of its international houses to expand their hours and be more accessible to the public.

Although the pressure on the nonprofit volunteer organizations to do more is immense, it’s an opportunity to educate people about different national traditions and recruit new members.

A week of Midsummer activities

The House of Sweden has a variety of educational activities planned for the six days before Midsummer. There’s a little something for everyone, but the central theme is story-telling.

A “mini” Ingmar Bergman film festival is set for Monday, June 15. Smiles of a Summer Night and Autumn Sonata are in the mix of classics to be shown, but special requests will be considered. Biographical information about Bergman will be on hand.

The Pacific states. page 13

The House of Sweden’s crafts group, Pysselgruppen, will demonstrate skills and answer questions on Tuesday, June 16. The talented members of Pysselgruppen use clay, papier mache, salt dough, yarn, cloth, paint, paper and wood to make greeting cards, figurines, hats, pot holders, trivets and other colorful folk art.

A “church chat” is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17. Pastor Staffan Eklund, of Svenska Kyrka in Los Angeles, is participating in the House of Sweden’s public outreach before Midsummer. Pastor Eklund will talk about matters material as well as spiritual. The history of Christianity in Scandinavia and the development of the Lutheran Church in the United States are possible topics of conversation.

Members of the Swedish Women’s Educational Association (SWEA) are graciously serving coffee and buns on June 18 and 19. The

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Activities on Saturday, June 20 are centered on kids and family fun. House of Sweden volunteers will read children’s literature, fairy tales and some of Astrid Lindgren’s popular Pippi Longstocking stories. Other books, games and coloring books with Swedish images will be available.

All the festivities culminate on Sunday, June 21 with a dance around the maypole. Live entertainment will include Ylva, her women’s chorus and Balboa Park’s International Dancers, and volunteers will serve plates of Swedish meatballs, cookies and beverages.

By Suzan Hagstrom Freelance journalist, recording secretary and editor for the House of Sweden in San Diego’s Balboa Park.

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Viewpoints. page 14

InBox

The Changing Face of Sweden

On March 19, 2015 Sweden awoke to breaking news that shocked the country. Gothenburg in particular was rocked, as was the world. I reported on these events as they happened for a local news organization in Gothenburg.

So unusual was the news coming from Sweden that international news outlets were initially reporting it as possible terrorist activity.

At 10:23 p.m. on March 18, police were called to the scene of a local pub on Vårväderstorget, Biskopsgården in Hisingen. Two people were found dead and eight others were wounded as two gunmen entered the pub with automatic weapons and fired shots through the establishment. Prior to fleeing the scene, one of the perpetrators took photographs of his victim with his cell phone.

The crime was called ruthless in Swedish newspapers. Terms such as barbaric, heartless and indiscriminate were repeated by city officials. One Installation ceremony at House of Sweden, House of Pacific Relations, May 12 1935. of the victims was a known gang in Västra Götaland and Halland Counties, Klas these debates may be relevant they miss the leader. The second victim was a 20-year-old Friberg, told Göteborgs Posten, “The prevailing point: the source of the problem. Not one city man employed by the restaurant. Others hurt ‘silent culture’ means that unfortunately we official, to my knowledge, has suggested the and wounded were neighborhood locals who rarely get a conviction. We often receive lots of notion of providing jobs and education, or is stopped at the bar that night to drink a beer and good tips, but when it comes to giving evidence working on better integration policies. Part of watch a sports event on television. This was the before a court, it stops.” the problem with these crimes is that they are first time in Gothenburg that innocent bystandOver the last two years, I have written exten- seen as actions committed by “others.” ers had been caught in a gang related shooting. sively on Sweden’s learning curve regarding diA report recently conducted by SIFO, a April 16, nearly a month after the Hisingen versity, immigration and integration. I have also market research group in Stockholm, shows shooting, new breaking stories came from Gowritten about the silent culture in Sweden. But that Sweden still remains confused on what thenburg. I once again found myself reporting as an English writer, like so many other report- exactly diversification is and how to reach on two fatal shootings which occurred in the ers writing for English outlets, these editorials diversity goals in the workplace. While the city in less than 12 hours. The first shooting get lost in the Swedish world. Our articles and number of companies that work actively with happened overnight on Wednesday April 15 in editorials are not read here. diversification has risen from 69 percent to Hisingen and claimed the life of a 55-year-old Writing for English outlets in Sweden is rather 80 percent this year, managers who said they man. The second, which occurred at approxilike preaching to the choir. We, the non-Swedes, were succeeding in diversification fell from 69 mately 8:30 a.m. Thursday in Angered, took are able and willing to discuss ugly realities percent to 57 percent. the life of a 30-year-old former gang member. knowing that it is through shared knowledge The SIFO survey, which was commissioned and open and honest dialogues which can — if by recruitment agency Proffice, asked 400 These crimes have many here shaking their not cure many evils — at the very least actively public and private sector executives about their heads and asking “why?” It has caused inexplore solutions. practices in hiring. ternational news publications to speculate on “The number of executives who think they try possible causes and conditions.

So, what exactly is the problem here? Are to achieve diversity has increased significantly; On March 30, Ben Kendall of Göteborg Daily Sweden’s ears truly closed to all other voices however, they still do not do that when they wrote a piece citing that “conflicts within and in the world? recruit,” Sibel Wolff, communications director among Gothenburg gangs have resulted in 14 There is much discussion on “taking back the at Proffice, told the news agency TT. murders since 2011. In not one of these cases streets” and “ridding the city of illegal guns” The Guardian’s David Crouch, corresponhas a perpetrator been convicted.” and “increasing police surveillance.” While dent in Gothenburg, wrote on March 20: “The Kendall goes on to report that Head of Police

While Sweden is believed to be one of the happiest and greatest countries in the world, it’s ignoring issues that come from integration or lack thereof.

tragedy has shone a spotlight on a hidden aspect of Swedish society that reads like the sub-plot of a Stieg Larsson novel, in which poverty, racism and segregation are driving young men from immigrant backgrounds into gangs and gun crime.”

While Sweden’s PR machine leads the world to believe that all is well in one of the happiest and greatest countries in the world, it hides its head in the sand ignoring real issues that must be addressed for Sweden to become the country it needs to be in a multicultural global environment. There is no longer time for a learning curve.

You can not shine a light on your shore causing lost souls to believe they have found hope, only to turn a blind eye to the cultures of the world. You can not claim to be a humanitarian country and yet segregate those you do not understand. You can not keep opportunities for employment only for the blond haired and the blue eyed. For if you do, Sweden, you can expect more heartless, ruthless crimes being committed by those who feel they have no other choice.

Lisa Mikulski www.lisamikulski.com

The oldest continuously published ethnic immigrant journal: NORDSTJERNAN Your newspaper. Your stories.

Submit to editor@nordstjernan.com Nordstjernan, May 15, 2015

feature. page 15

Insights on Greenland Daughter.” The group enjoyed fruit soup, coffee and cookies, and also conducted some business, which included a vote to sponsor scholarships for children and youth to study Norwegian at language camps at Skogfjorden, at the Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji, MN or Masse Moro near Eau Claire, WI. The Rumelva Sons of Norway Lodge draws members from the Cambridge and Princeton areas in the vicinity of the Rum River, hence the name rumelva (Rum River). One need not be of Nordic heritage to participate in attending programs or participating in badgeearning cultural learning experiences. An upcoming

Valorie Arrowsmith, Minnesota valorie@nordstjernan.com

Greenland was the focus of a program at the Rumelva Sons of Norway meeting in Cambridge, MN in February. Marilyn McGriff, independent local history researcher and Nordic cultural investigator shared a presentation on a summer trip to Greenland. After showing images of Danish explorers Peter Freucher and Knud Rasmussen, she quoted Freucher as saying, “Near the North Pole there is no such thing as an easy and safe outing,” which he could verify personally. In one expedition, he was buried when a snow cave collapsed on him, and after finally digging himself out he discovered he had a frozen foot. When he finally rejoined his party, they cut a hole in the tent and stuck his foot out at night, to keep it frozen until they returned to a place with more options. McGriff noted that he later lost part of his leg, which she suggested he had to amputate himself since there were few other options available.

Marilyn McGriff recently gave a presentation on Greenland at the Rumelva Sons of Norway meeting, held in the gathering room at the Isanti County Historical Society. The group meets the last Tuesday of the month and all are welcome. The April program will focus on the Sámi, the indigenous people from northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia.

A serendipitous moment occurred during the program when it was discovered that two men in the audience had both worked in Greenland in the late 1950s and 1960s. McGriff invited each of them to share something about their

Editor’s Incidentals When you’ve seen the world, there’s always Greenland — or so the saying goes. What a shame to wait until then. As uncharted territory for most of us, Greenland has kept a certain icy mystique, tinged with wild romantic notions of the Vikings. Though today most people shiver at the mere mention of Greenland, the name was initially given as a lure. Erik the Red, father of explorer and America discoverer Leif Eriksson, named the island in what must have been the marketing coup of the century. Enticing his fellow Norsemen on Iceland to come to this new land (where he himself had lived in

experiences while there.

Sherman Anderson and Marvin Mathiowetz were not previously acquainted, even though they both currently live in the neighboring town of Princeton. Each had been a contract worker near the Thule military base, Anderson about 55 years ago, and Mathiowetz some 10 years later. The jobs were of a six-month duration, working seven days a week before getting a break to leave the work site.

Anderson reported that they put plywood on top of the snow and ice, and had canvas tent walls. One day the wind gauge registered at 100 miles per hour but as the wind exile as a murderer), with tall stories about its lush green landscape and potential for farming, Erik led a convoy of 25 ships in the summer of 986. Although temperatures were higher then, one can only imagine the shock these people suffered upon arrival. According to the Norse sagas, 11 of the ships either perished or quickly turned around. Yet there were those who stayed and made Greenland their home.

Perhaps they felt they had no choice — there are stories of famine on Iceland —perhaps they succumbed to the otherworldly quality of the Arctic. Perhaps they, like tourists today, felt the strong pull of the cold, mysterious island.

Arctic dreams? Greenland is not just a desti-

subsequently tore the gauge off its moorings, after which it vanished, Anderson said they could not really know just how fast the wind blew that day. Mathiowetz said in his situation, it was necessary to keep the permafrost from thawing, and so tunnels under their radar equipment and buildings were established to blow cold air keeping the floor temperature at suitable level, in other words, like a refrigerator.

To prepare for the experience of living and working in Greenland, they each received a suggested clothing list prior to departure. However, they were not supplied with gear that was tested and known to work well, so they had to make do with what they brought.

The men witnessed glaciers calving, an Inuit being pulled by a team of dogs, but neither saw any polar bears. Both maintained that it was “not very comfortable” a place to live and work, and in a very understated manner they said, “Yah, it was kind of a long six months.”

After the program, guests had a chance to continue their learning about Greenland as McGriff distributed a selected bibliography including, “Snow Baby: The Arctic Childhood of Admiral Robert E. Peary’s Daring

nation; it’s an adventure and a wonderful possibility for spiritual respite. The largest island in the world may not be as easily accessible as the rest of Scandinavia, and it’s worth it to take some time to dream and plan a trip. Un-

Unbeknownst to all, Sherman Anderson, Marilyn McGriff and Marvin Mathiowetz had common experiences in Greenland, something they discovered as a recent Rumelva Sons of Norway meeting in Cambridge. Anderson and Mathiowetz are from Princeton but were not acquainted prior to the program. Photos by V. S. Arrowsmith.

program of note is a presentation about the Sámi, the indigenous people of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia, which is scheduled for April 29 at the Isanti County Historical Society.

For more info about Rumelva Lodge and the scholarship, contact dasaterbak@gmail.com. less you are a seasoned traveler, Greenland is easiest approached with some help. There are no direct flights from the U.S.; instead, you must fly via Copenhagen or Iceland and there are no roads or railways connecting towns and villages on Greenland — airplanes, helicopters and ferries do the job.

Useful websites for planning a trip: www.airgreenland.com www.greenland-travel.com www.greenland.com www.hotel-arctic.com www.soemandshjem.gl

May 30, 2009 Nordstjernan

Viewpoints. page 16

Ulf Nilson Sweden, May 2015 ulf.nilson@nordstjernan.com

Is the U.S. about to, finally, get its first female president? Will she be named Hillary Clinton? My answer to both questions is, in some ways unfortunately, no. Eventually wins the conservatism and voters will decide on a man.

But, but, but ...

I write this with great hesitation, because maybe, just maybe, the world’s leading democracy has concluded that women actually are just as capable as men.

Moreover, Hillary has trained closely with one of the ablest politicians the country has ever had. I personally never liked her husband, Bill Clinton, but his skill is undeniable. That Hillary played a major role in his career is also impossible to deny. So the question might be who has gone to school with whom.

Hillary and Bill have probably learned from each other.

Personally, I would never have voted for Bill, but Hillary, well, who knows, maybe....

It is certainly time for that half of humanity that is female to get the job that’s regularly described as the toughest in the world.

Germany has Angela Merkel, Britain had Margaret Thatcher, India had Indira Gandhi, Israel had Golda Meir — the list of female

Olle Wijkström olle.wijkstrom@nordstjernan.com

Många hävdar att boxning är en ädel sport. ”The noble art of self defence”.

Märkligt nog och kanske tack och lov går det att uppfatta saker och ting här i världen på många olika och ibland motstridiga sätt. Personligen har jag svårt att se bilder på gamla tungviktsboxare som en gång gjorde bejublade karriärer i ringarna men som nu efter att ha fått den ena stjärnsmällen efter den andra framträder på bilder i TV som veritabla ringvrak. Jag finner det till exempel svårt att lyssna på en gaggig Muhammed Ali eller någon annan gammal världsmästare med ögon som inte längre lever och som med slöddrande tal helt saknar förmågan att få fram meningsfulla ord. Muhammed är inte den ende som både beundrats och som slagits sönder som levande människa. När jag bevittnar sådana framträdanden tycker jag mig befinna mig miltals borta från idéerna om vad som menas med ”The Noble Art”.

Jag är fullt medveten om att förmodligen flertalet människor uppfattar boxning på ett annat sätt än jag. Ingemar Johansson blev en av vårt lands mest populära idrottsmän, när han lyckades golva Floyd Paterson.

Det låg något fascinerande i att en glad svensk Kålle från Göteborg kunde slå ner en svart amerikan och ge honom på käften så kraftigt att han ramlade omkull. Undra på att mamma och hela släkten Johansson som farit upp till Stockholm och bevittnade matchen från Madison Square Garden hurrade ikapp med svenska folket

Nordstjernan, May 15, 2015

In the end it will be a man leaders is already long. But the U.S. has never given a woman the chance. (Neither has Sweden by the way.)

Hillary Clinton would likely pull God knows how many other women into key positions.

Elections are contagious and if Hillary would be elected, several thousand women would suddenly be in a better position for advancement.

Hillary has made mistakes, for sure. I am not thinking primarily of the stories surrounding her husband, but that she still presents herself as an ordinary American, even though she is in fact a member of what is becoming a political dynasty. First as wife of a governor, then eight years as very influential First Lady in the White House, then Senator and Secretary of State.

It deserves to be said that presidential candidates must present themselves as just ordinary Americans, which they never are. On the contrary. Anyone who manages to make his or her way to a presidential election is of course a politician first, hardened in difficult campaigns and skilled at selling themselves and the message.

A certain Richard Nixon was actually a champion in this area. I happened to shake hands with him once, and the fact is he man-

aged to make me feel really significant. Nixon wouldn’t have gotten my vote, but he convinced enough people to win two presidential elections.

Hillary tried in 2008, but lost to Barack Obama, who became the Democratic candidate and later won. Obama at the time represented youth, minorities and the future after the difficult Bush era. Hillary was seen, however, as part of the Democratic Party’s old establishment.

Now she is said to have a good chance to get the Democratic nomination. No other strong candidates have entered the race so far. The Republican line-up is weak so far, too. So maybe Hillary has at least a chance despite my pessimistic predictions.

I am glad she threw herself into the fray.

It is, as I said, high time for a woman to be president. But the road is long. Above all, she will, paradoxically, have a hard time winning women’s votes.

Quite possibly, the U.S. is ready for a Hillary Clinton. We’ll see. We who are not Americans must be content to sit by the side of the pitch and cheer on the election process.

Att slå varann på käften Muhammed Ali hette från den match hon nu är i färd med början som många erinrar sig att utkämpa. ”Min boxningCassius Clay innan han bytte steknik, min utveckling, kropnamn. Han var en gång en pen, musklerna, allt känns tänkande person. Bland annat väldigt i fas.” Om jag vore publicerade han sina tankar i Annabella skulle jag nog börja en bok ”The soul of a butterdarra när jag läser vidare. ”Det fly”. När jag letar upp honom viktigaste för mig blir att bryta på nätet får jag också veta att ner Annabella psykologiskt i Klara Svensson /sverige.nu han är känd för att ha strött ett matchen och inte backa. Jag antal bevingade uttryck omkring sig. Ett av måste jobba på ”mitt game face”, det är dem lyder: ”Den som inte är modig nog att rond ett. När man på invigningen står ta några risker uträttar ingenting”. Ali var öga mot öga med någon får man en tydlig säkerligen ingen dumskalle. känsla av vilken du har framför dig. Du ser I dagens tidning läser jag att det näs- det i blicken. Själv har jag stor pondus och ta lördag kommer att gå en match om ett ganska bra självförtroende. Det handlar världsmästerskapstiteln i boxning welter- mycket om att folk måste se att du är vinvikt. Vad som speciellt intresserar Sverige naren när du går upp i ringen. Du måste i den drabbningen är att det kanske blir en utstråla det.” svenska som, om hon lyckas slå sin motJag har givetvis ingen aning om Annabella ståndare tillräckligt hårt på käften, kommer från Argentina är lika kaxig som Klara från att lämna ringen som världsmästare. De Höllviken. Dock måste jag medge att jag två drabanterna heter Klara Svensson från blev så tagen av Klara Svensons analys Höllviken söder om Malmö och Erica An- av sig själv och sin motståndare och den nabella Farias från Argentina. förstående matchen att jag trots att jag Klara säger i den intervju jag just läser att ogillar när folk slår varandra på käften skall hon tycker att boxning är som ett schack- försöka följa uppgörelsen mellan Svensson parti, när det är som bäst. Hon medger att från Höllviken och Annabella från Argendet varit hennes dröm sedan proffsdebu- tina. Särskilt gäller mitt ogillande ifråga ten för snart fyra år sedan att besegra en om boxning mellan två kvinnor. Jag finner världsmästare. Den chansen får hon på det opassande att kvinnor såväl sådana av lördag i Köpenhamn. Då skall hon gå upp i den sköra som bastanta sorten slår varann ringen och möta Annabella från Argentina. på käften.

Jag har aldrig förr hört en person vara så (“Vår” svenska prinsessa förlorade mot aröppenhjärtig om sig själv och taktiken i gentinskan på poäng—96-94, 96-93, 98-92.)

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local events. page 17

Swedish Immigrants in Rhode Island Nellie Lovisa Borrner

Both of Nellie’s parents arrived in the U.S. from Sweden through Ellis Island but at separate times. Her mother came from Småland; in 1906, her father came from Skåne.

The family’s burial ground is located there.

Borrner’s two brothers had emigrated before him and a younger sister remained in Sweden. The men were seeking “a better life.”

Borrner is an unusual name and has a unique history of origin. Nellie’s father’s father, her Farfar, Lars Olausson, married Pernilla Grandkvist, whose nickname became Nellie, which was passed down to Nellie Borrner (and Lovisa, Nellie’s middle name, was her aunt’s name).

Farfar’s son (Nellie’s father) Larson came from the area of Borringa Kloster. When he arrived in the U.S., he dropped the name Larson, and like his two brothers who ar-

Sweden’s Best

rived before him and took their name from Borringa, he too called himself Borrner.

Her father settled in Springfield, Massachusettes, working as a toolmaker. Nellie’s mother went first to East Hampton, Massachusettes to join her sister who was a cook. Eventually, she became the caregiver of an elderly couple in that household. The young immigrants met each other through Vasa Lodge.

The couple married in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and moved to North Providence, Rhode Island, where they remained. They became U.S. citizens but returned to Sweden when Farfar died. Remaining there longer than expected, they were pleasantly surprised by the birth of Nellie, in Lund. Her birth was registered in Gothenburg but she was still a U.S. citizen. A boy, Ernest, was born later in Providence.

As soon as the Borrners had arrived in the new country they took English language lessons as they refused to shop and point rather than speak their new tongue. They insisted on learning the language of their new home.

When relatives visited they spoke Swedish, otherwise English was always spoken at home. Nellie and Ernie could understand Swedish but did not learn to fluently speak it. Nellie never felt as if she was a minority or discriminated against. The many Swedish immigrants were good, skilled workers and often sought after; they were likeable, hard workers, especially in homes and domestic work.

Raised in Gloria Dei Church, they were confirmed by The Rev. Andeen, part of his last class. Their parents made sure they started early — Nellie remembers attending Sunday School as early as age 5. Now they attend St. Andrew Church, Charlestown, Rhode Island.

The Borrners joined the Quahog Lodge where they have attended many sponsored events. Most of their friends of many years are connected with their churches and Vasa Lodge. In every room of their home are Swedish artifacts: paintings, handiwork, crystal, china dishes, Dala horses, kitchen tools, vases, and of course, a flag. Nellie is indeed proud to be of Swedish heritage.

They have the custom of opening gifts on

Christmas Eve. Over the years, Nellie and Ernie have returned five times to Sweden and many cousins have been to visit and stay with them in their seaside home.

By Lorraine Colson Bloomquist Professor Emerita of University of Rhode Island Dept. of Kinesiology, member of Quahog Lodge, Vasa and member of the Board of RI Swedish Heritage Association

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In the late 1880s through the early 1900s, Providence, Rhode Island, Boston and other cities in New England became a destination for many Swedish immigrants with industrial skills. Lorraine Colson Bloomquist interviewed members of five Swedish immigrant families that settled in Rhode Island in this series of stories.

PO Box 3081 Bourne, MA 02532 1-800-380-5977 www.capeclogs.com info@capeclogs.com

Norway Day and Svenskarnas Dag join together to bring the best of both traditions.

Come join the organizers at the first annual Scandinavian Summer Fest.

Norway Day and Svenskarnas Dag have a long tradition — over 80 years — of holding separate events, but this year on Sunday, June 28, these two groups are working together to bring the best of both and make an even bigger and better ethnic celebration for the Norwegians, Swedes and the Scandinavian community.

Our day begins with an 11 a.m. Norwegian/Swedish worship service led by Pastor Kristin Sundt from Mindekirken (the Norwegian Memorial Church), and Pastor Antonio Spargo will preach. Then there will be Barnetog (Children’s parade), dancing around the Midsommarstång (Midsummer pole) led by Elise Peters and the ASI Spelmanslag, and the afternoon program culminates with the crowning of Miss Svenskarnas Dag 2015. In addition, delightful and authentic Scandinavian foods, vendors, demonstrators, exhibitors and handicrafts make for a family-friendly event with activities and fun for all ages!

Our entertainment includes Norwegian and Swedish performing groups, Leroy Larson and the Minnesota Scandinavian Ensemble, ASI and St.Paul Swedish Male Choruses, Norwegian Glee Club, Daughters of Norway Chorus, Svenskarnas Dag Girls Choir, Vasa Jr. Folk Dancers, Twin Cities Swedish Folk Dancers and the Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers.

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May 15, 2015 Nordstjernan

More events and list your own, at www.nordstjernan.com-EVENTS

local events. page 18 l California

05.30.2015 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM 2015 Connecticut Sweden Day 110th Anniversary of Svea Social Club Music by Ed Hendela $20.00 adults, 9-15 Yrs $15, 8 Yrs and under free. Includes all food and draft beer. Swedish vendors. SVEA SOCIAL CLUB. 860-828-9447. steinmillerl@gmail. com.

l California

04.01.2015 - 08.01.2015 Lekis Välkommen till lekis i Walnut Creek, Kalifornien Vi har lediga platser! Alla barn som är från 2 år och 9 månader upp till 6 år är välkomna. 3 söndagar i månaden. Swedish preschool East Bay. www.lekis.org

l Florida

Continuously The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce of Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach has begun working to promote trade, commerce and investment opportunities between Sweden, Fort Lauderdale Palm Beach and members. See www.sacc-sfl.org

l Illinois

05.15.2015 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Hejsan – Story & Craft Hour, now on Friday mornings at the Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration. This spring the theme is animals and nature of Sweden. www.swedishamericanmuseum.org | 773.728.8111 05.17.2015 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Bullerbyn Swedish Language Playgroup. www. swedishamericanmuseum.org | 773.728.8111 05.31.2015 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Bullerbyn Swedish Language Playgroup. www. swedishamericanmuseum.org | 773.728.8111

06.04.2015 01:00 PM - 06.04.2015 09:00 PM Film Thursday Take a break from your regular schedule and enjoy a movie at the Swedish American Museum the first Thursday of every month this spring - at 1 p.m. AND again at 7 p.m. Reservations are required and can be made via email (museum@samac.org). This event is free; coffee and sandwiches are available for purchase. This spring we will be showing all ten episodes from the first season of the Swedish and Danish collaboration, The Bridge (Bron/Broen). Two hour-long episodes will be shown during each Film Thursday from February to June. About The Bridge (Season One): A woman is found murdered in the middle of the Oresund Bridge, on the border between Sweden and Denmark. Police from both countries are called to the scene and what looks like one murder, turns out to be two. It’s a spectacular double murder: the bodies have been brutally cut in half at the waist and put together to form a single corpse. It’s also just the beginning of a wave of violence the likes of which no one has ever seen before. Both police forces find themselves in a race against the clock in a deadly showdown with a superior enemy, and no one will be the same when it’s over. www.swedishamericanmuseum.org | 773.728.8111 Continuously Step back in time in historic Bishop Hill. Utopia on the Prairie, then and now. For information call 309-927-3899 or email heritage@bishophill. com. Visit our Website at: www.bishophill.com

l Minnesota

05.01.2015 06:30 PM - 05.16.2015 09:30 PM Ole’s Last Bow Vaudeville with a Nordic accent returns to the Twin Cities ... and your’e invited! In the early years of the 20th century, traveling vaudeville shows offered a little taste of home for newly-arrived immigrants from Sweden, Norway and other Scandinavian countries. Peter Holbrook’s new musical, “Ole’s Last Bow,” recalls those days, with a story about the on- and off-stage antics of

Välkommen till

a Scandinavian vaudeville troupe teetering on the brink of disaster. Inspired by the life of Olle i Skratthult, a popular Swedish-American vaudeville star, Ole’s Last Bow features a variety of songs from the era, as well as a number of Holbrook’s original compositions. www.oleslastbow.com.

l New York

04.17.2015 10:30 AM - 06.28.2015 03:00 PM Jack and The Beanstalk at the Swedish Marionette Theatre. Based on the classic English fairytale, this fresh retelling of the Swedish Cottage original production takes Jack on an enchanting adventure up a magical beanstalk. In this starry new world, Jack encounters the notorious Giant, Milford, whose thieving ways have brought misfortune upon Jack and his mother. Determined to make life better for his family, Jack, with help from friends old and new, risks his life to take back what the Giant stole. http://cityparksfoundation. org/arts/swedish-cottage-marionette-theatre/

Fredagslunch

med andakt och inbjuden gäst.

Söndag den 7 juni kl. 11

Nationaldagsfirande med med gudstjänst och lunch.

Söndag den 20 juni kl. 15

Midsommarfirande på Gilmore Adobe

Desssutom: Öppna Förskolan, Svenskafton, student/au pair träffar och mycket annat.

TIll hösten bjuder vi in till konfirmation för svensktalande ungdomar från 14 år.

Se vår hemsida för anmälan och information.

VÄLKOMMEN TILL DIN KYRKA!

Church of Sweden Los Angeles 1035 South Beacon Street, San Pedro, CA 90731 Tel. 310-832-6800 • Epost: losangeles@svenskakyrkan.se Hemsida: www.svenskakyrkan.se/losangeles På facebook heter vi “Svenska kyrkan i Los Angeles”

04.18.2015 12:00 AM - 08.01.2015 06:00 PM Prize Prints: The Queen Sonja Print Award Prize Prints celebrates The Queen Sonja Print Award, a biennial prize established to encourage young artists working in the graphic arts.

The exhibition features recent work by the 2012 and 2014 prize winners, Tiina Kivinen (Finland) and Svend-Allan Sørensen (Denmark), as well as a selection of works by the prize’s founders, printmakers H.M. Queen Sonja of Norway, Kjell Nupen and Ørnulf Opdahl. www.scandinaviahouse.org | 212.847.9717.

04.24.2015 11:00 AM - 05.14.2015 06:00 PM Inspiring Swedish Art The original work of two Swedish artists Gudrun Alvebro and Mikael Ackelman will be on exhibition April 24 until May 14, 2015. Agora Gallery. 212-226-4151 | www.agoragallery.com 05.11.2015 06:00 PM - 05.12.2015 08:00 PM Sámi Performing & Visual Arts Festival Sámi Teáhter Searvi (STS) and Scandinavia House join together for a two-day festival to celebrate Sámi culture and address topical political and social issues expressed through theater and dance, storytelling, traditional joik, poetry and films from leading Sámi artists. www.scandinaviahouse.org | 212.847.9717.

svensk fika, läsa tidningar, låna böcker samtala och tända ljus i kyrkan och be för något som är angeläget Hos oss kan du ta en

SÖNDAGAR

MÅNDAGAR

06.13.2015 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Sweden Day, New York. Annual “Midsummer” Event, held in New York & sponsored by The United Swedish Societies, Inc. The event is held at The Manhem Club, located at 658 Clarence Avenue Bronx NY 10465. Park opens at 11 AM, main event starts at 2 PM. More information, call 516-565-2091, email SwedenDay@Yahoo. com or see www.swedendayny.com

05.11.2015 07:00 PM - 05.17.2015 09:00 PM ‘5BOYS’ premieres in NYC, featuring an allSwedish, female cast We are proud to announce the New York City premiere of 5boys (originally titled 5boys.si), an award-winning play by the Slovenian playwright Simona Semenič. Produced by Sandra Herlog, directed by Rico Rosetti and featuring an all-female, all-Swedish cast. 5boys runs May 12-17th at the Access Theater.

May 12th @ 8.00 pm (open dress-rehearsal) May 13th @ 8.30 pm (opening night) May 14th @ 8 pm May 15th @ 8 pm May 16th @ 3 pm & 8 pm May 17th @ 3 pm Blaž, Vid, Krištof, Jurij and Denis, meet up to play in an empty lot. The innocent games they create - superheroes, house, cowboys & indians - slowly, and inadvertently, expose a deep-rooted legacy to the violence, misogyny, bigotry

Fredag den 22 maj kl. 12

Öppettider 10 maj–23 maj

and homophobia in our modern world. Blending humor, physical action and an unflinching honesty, 5boys invites its audience to view the world as seen through the eyes of 10 -11yr old boys. TICKETS ARE FREE. For more information and seat reservations please visit: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1460672; www.facebook.com/events/416200685216716/ Access Theater. 347.278.5185. 5boysnyc@gmail.com www.accesstheater.com

5 East 48th Street, New York, NY 10017 Tel: +1 (212) 832-8443

www.svenskakyrkan.se/newyork

TISDAGAR

ONSDAGAR

TORSDAGAR

10 maj Högmässa 11.00 Caféet öppet 12-18 ÅRSMÖTE 13.00 Ung Svensk i NYC 14-16 16.00 Mässa, Gloria Dei

Caféet öppet 12-18

Caféet öppet 12-18

Kristi himmelsfärds dag Caféet öppet 12-18 11.00 Mässa Caféet öppet 12-16

17 maj Högmässa 11.00 12.15 Middagsbön Caféet öppet 12-16 18.00 Aftonbön Ung Svensk i NYC 14-16 18.00 Konsert med Kyrkokören

12.15 Middagsbön 18.00 Aftonbön

12.15 Middagsbön 15.00 Träffpunkt 18.00 Mässa

12.15 Middagsbön 18.00 Aftonbön

Nordstjernan, May 15, 2015

FREDAGAR

12.15 Middagsbön 18.00 Aftonbön

LÖRDAGAR Avslutning för kyrkans barngrupper

Caféet öppet 12-16

sports. page 19

Swedes tumble at WFC Championships Sweden failed to win a medal for the first time in floorball, but newcomers USA showed they could become a force.

Big crowds are the norm once more for the top teams in the Allsvenskan. Photo: Petter Arvidson /Bildbyrån Chipp Reid, Sports Editor chipp@nordstjernan.com

It was a tournament of firsts at the Under-19 Floorball World Championships April 8 to May 3 in Helsingborg, Sweden as a record 16 countries participated in the tournament.

Floorball, or innebandy as it is known in Sweden, is a combination of floor hockey and bandy. Teams of six — a goaltender, two defenders and three forwards — compete on a basketball court sized field. The players use short curved sticks to control a small ball that has holes in it, almost like a whiffle ball. Each match is played over three 20-minute periods, just like hockey, and the players take the court in shifts, again like hockey.

First timers Japan, Australia and the United States acquitted themselves well as organizers split the championships into two flights, the A-Division which battled for the title and the B-Division, which fought for a spot in the top flight. Finland took home the gold medal with a 13-3 win over Switzerland, marking the first time since the tournament began a team other than Sweden reached the final. The Swiss beat the Swedes in a thrilling penalty-shoot-out semifinal to reach their first-ever gold-medal game. Sweden ended up in fourth place after dropping the bronze-medal game to the Czech Republic.

The Finns were clearly the best team in the tournament as they won all five of their matches. After opening with a narrow 8-6 win over a surprising Slovakia, the Finns hammered the Swiss 12-2 and Latvia 10-1, setting up a semifinal with the Czechs. After a slightly slow start, the Finns cruised to a

6-2 win to reach the final, where they faced a surprise opponent.

Switzerland, playing in its fifth straight semifinal, grabbed a 6-3 second-half lead over Sweden and appeared set to move to the final when the Blue and Yellow suddenly woke up. Swedish forward Markus Karlsson scored three times in the last 90 seconds of regulation to knot the score at six. Following a scoreless overtime, the two teams went to penalties.

Andrin Hollenstein scored to give Switzerland a 9-8 lead and when Viktor Nystedt missed his shot, the Swiss mood turned to joy.

The Finns dominated the final, beating Switzerland 13-3 as tournament leading scorer Ville Lastikka scored four times to lead the Finns to the win. The Swiss never really got going in the game, trailing 8-1 after two periods.

For the Swedes, the tournament was a worstever as they failed to win a medal for the time in their history.

In the B-Division, newcomers USA did what they could against international competition and despite losing all three of their group matches, the Americans proved they could play. The U.S. opened with a 12-3 loss to Hungary before the Danes topped them 13-2.

Despite the lopsided losses, the Americans, led by leading scorer Adrian Hiram, gave the Canadians their toughest match of the tournament. The U.S. led 6-5 after two periods, but the Canadians overwhelmed their neighbors in the third, scoring 11 goals to claim a 16-10 win. The U.S. then faced Japan in the game for 15th place. Japan was also winless in group play and was able to do little against a wellorganized American offense. Isak Angerstif

Team USA in action against Japan May 3 at the U-19 Floorball World Championships in Helsingborg.

had three goals while Hiram netted his teamhigh seventh of the tournament to lead the U.S. to an 11-6 win.

Allsvenskan generating renewed interest

Seven games into the 2015 Allsvenskan, public interest in the league is running at an all-time high as Malmo looks to forge the type of dynasty it once enjoyed back in the 1970s.

The two-time defending champions are in first place in the league with 17 points from seven games. IFK Goteborg is a close second with 16 points. Malmo has yet to lose this season, going 5-2-0 to start the season while the Angels’ only blemish in a 5-1-1 start came at the hands of Malmo in round three.

MFF’s quest to become the next Scandinavian superclub — a team that not only wins domestically year after year but reached the upper stages of the UEFA Champions League — has made Malmo the top story of Swedish football, but Hammarby remains the biggest draw, thanks in large part to its Stockholm derby matches with Djurgarden and AIK. Hammarby returned to the Allsvenskan after four years in the Superettan and its fans have certainly celebrated, turning out in droves for the Bajen’s first three home games. Hammarby has drawn 83,029 people to the Tele2 Arena (which it shares with Djurgarden) for a league-high average of 27,681 fans per game.

In four road matches, 83,229 have turned out, an average of 20,807.

AIK, which plays at the new Friends Arena, is second in attendance with 93,253 fans flocking to its four games for an average crowd of 23,381. Malmo is third with 80,027 fans com-

Photo: Calle Ström/IFF

Big crowds are the norm once more for the top teams in the Allsvenskan.

ing to its four home matches at the Swedbank Arena, for an average of 20,007. Falkenbergs FF, which plays in the smallest stadium in the league, brings up the rear with slightly more than 3,000 attending each home game.

Malmo leads the league in scoring, netting 17 goals in its seven matches, with Jo Inge Berget leading the way with six goals. The Norwegian joined Malmo from Cardiff City on the English Premier League along with teammate Magnus Wolf Ekrem. Ekrem leads the league in assists with six and in overall points with eight.

The top defense belongs to IFK Goteborg, which has allowed just four goals in seven matches. Goalkeeper John Alvbage leads the Allsvenskan in goals against average with a tiny 0.57 GAA. He has three shut outs and his 85 percent save average is also best in the league. Gefle netminder Emil Hedvall leads the Allsvenskan with four shut outs but has also allowed 12 goals in his three other matches. Malmo goalkeeper Robin Olsen has two shut outs and a 1.00 GAA. AIK goalkeeper Patrik Calgren and Elfsborg netminder Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard are the only other keepers to allow fewer than one goal per game. Each has given up six goals in seven games.

While Malmo, Elfsborg and IFK Goteborg have all won five games, Cup finalist Orebro continues to look for its first league victory of the season. The most intriguing match, upcoming Round 8, is Elfsborg playing host to Malmo at Boras Arena. That match is on May 11 and is available as a web cast on both the Malmo FF (www.mff.se) and Elfsborg (www. elfsborg.se) websites.

May 15, 2015 Nordstjernan

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