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Swedish Minnesota – A Unique Confluence
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July/August 2017 Vol 88:06 $4.95
06 2017
Interview with Bruce Karstadt Klas Bergman’s New Book Fika Café
Atlas Copco Canada Congratulations Canada for celebrating 150 years www.atlascopco.com
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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 $39 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-IN-CHIEF Claes Fredriksson Claes@swedishpress.com ART DIRECTOR Joan Law Joan@swedishpress.com COPY EDITOR Alisha Fredriksson Alisha@swedishpress.com
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4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk Swedish Headlines 6 Headline News – Nazis in Almedalen 7 Swedes in the News 10 Landskapsnyheterna Business 8 Business News 9 Company File: Sandgrens Clogs Heritage 11 The History of Swedes in Minnesota
SweMail TRANSLATIONS to English of the Swedish parts of Swedish Press are available free of charge every month. Visit http://biolson.atspace.cc/swemail/ © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduction in whole or in part without written consent of Swedish Press is strictly prohibited. Unsolicited material is welcome, but never the publishers responsibility. Enclose stamped self-addressed envelope for return. Statements and opinions expressed by the writers and claims in the advertising are their own and do not necessarily represent Swedish Press. CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT No. 40010214 Return Undeliverable Canadian addresses to Swedish Press, 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada PRINTED IN CANADA NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE: AUGUST 10
Hemma Hos 20 Design: Golden ‘Solar Egg’ Sauna – a Symbol of New Beginnings 21 Treats à la Blake Meier Swedish Press Connects 22 SCA – Swedish Council of America 23 SACC – Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce 24 SVIV – Svenskar i Världen 25 SWEA – Swedish Women’s Educational Association International 26 MIG Talks – Migrationsverket Road to Community 27 The Insider Perspective In the Loop 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info
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Swedish Press
The skyline of Downtown Minneapolis. Photo: Meet Minneapolis
Feature 12 Swedish Minnesota – A Unique Confluence Interview 14 Bruce Karstadt – A Cross-Cultural Success Global Swedes 16 Neil Carlson – Honorary Consul of Sweden in Winnipeg, Canada Lifestyle 18 Top Sju 19 Book: Scandinavians in the State House by Klas Bergman
30 Sista Ordet Hunnestárevyn Genom Tiderna
Cover images: (1) Saint Paul skyline Photo: Nattapol Pornsalnuwat (2) Prince Mural in Uptown. (3) (4) (5) Artist: Rock “Cyfi” Martinez. Photo: (6) Meet Minneapolis (3) Young Minnesota Vikings fan. Photo: Meet Minneapolis (4) Split Rock Lighthouse. Photo: Minnesota Historical Society (5) Spoonbridge and Cherry, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen 1985-1988. Collection Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Gift of Frederick R. Weisman in honor of his parents, William and Mary Weisman, 1988 Art © Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Photo: Meet Minneapolis (6) The Nelson Cultural Center and the historic Turnblad mansion. Photo: ASI
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Swedish Minnesota – A Unique Confluence By Karen R. Nelson, American Swedish Institute
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any Minnesotans proudly claim Swedish heritage, and Swedes find Minnesota to be quite characteristically Swedish, in a rough translation of Svenskbygderna. Minnesota and Scandinavia have been intertwined since the mid-1800s immigration surge. As part of this month’s Swedish Press focus on Minneapolis, the de facto capital of Scandinavian America, we asked a variety of people with strong Swedish/Minnesota connections for their opinions on what has become uniquely Swedish-Minnesotan. Responses ranged from choirs, cabins and sports, to crafts, food and immigration. Roland Thorstensson, a native Swede, 45-year Minnesota resident and professor emeritus of Scandinavian Studies at Gustavus Adolphus, suggested that with the unique aspect of Svenskbygderna, Swedes visiting Minnesota find much Midsummer celebrations at ASI. evidence of “Swedishness,” Photo © ASI especially around the Chisago Lakes area, northwest of the Twin Cities. While many Swedes did settle there, it gained a mythical quality as the setting for Sweden’s extremely popular novels by Vilhelm Moberg (1950s), the films based on them (1970s), and later the highly successful musical Kristina in Duvemåla (1990s) by Benny Anderson and Björn Ullvaeus of ABBA and Mamma Mia fame. Thus, the mix of fact and fiction strengthened the aura of connection. Travelers and residents alike encounter signs in Swedish, the Swedish flag and names of Swedish sister cities.
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Founded by Immigrants If you wonder why Scandinavian knowledge and cultural traditions remain so vital in Minnesota today, look no further than the many organizations that were founded by Nordic immigrants. Educational and cultural institutions see the Nordic influence as dynamic and ever-changing and want their programming to reflect that, observed Thorstenson. Concordia College and its language villages, Gustavus Adolphus, the University of Minnesota and Saint Olaf College, for example, all have Scandinavian study opportunities. The American Swedish Institute (ASI) offers workshops, language and genealogy classes, exhibitions, festivals and more. Various Nordic churches, clubs and organizations including Gammelgården and Nisswa Stämmen host traditional celebrations like Midsommar and Lucia. While not founded by immigrants, the Vikings, Henrik Williams from Uppsala Minnesota’s professional University advised on the authenfootball team, is the most ticity of Vikings symbols depicted in the Minnesota Vikings logo. obvious example of a uniquely Nordic-Minnesotan icon. With a new billion dollar stadium set to host the 2018 Super Bowl game, the name and symbols are clearly inspired by Scandinavia, yet the team is irrevocably Minnesotan. Food and Family Traditions Literally ‘taking the cake’ of Swedish-Minnesota icons, are food and holiday rituals that have helped to generate the longest-lasting cultural links (and strongest aromas). Swedish meatballs, lutfisk, lefse, pepparkakor and glögg are staples of many Midwestern holiday tables. Ironically, these food traditions may have memorialized immigrant food items from a lost moment in time. According to acclaimed Swedish Chef Magnus Nilsson, who visited ASI in 2016 along with his Nordic cookbook and photographs exhibition, what diner in today’s
Sweden would opt for the reconstituted, lye-treated lutfisk when you could easily have a nice fresh piece of cod? Yet, lutfisk lives on in Minnesota. Notable too, is the proliferation of top-notch Minnesota restaurants focused on modern Nordic cuisine. Among these are Upton 43, named 2016 Restaurant of the Year by the Star Tribune, the awardwinning FIKA Café at Photo: Susanne Walström/imageASI, and Bachelor Farmer, bank.sweden.se whose Chef Paul Bergland earned a 2016 James Beard Award. Related, Ingebretsen’s market in Minneapolis, has been the go-to place since 1921 for herring, lingonberries, blood sausage and all things Scandinavian with lines out the door during the holidays. Craft, Art and Culture Similar to the food revival, the tradition of slöjd or handcraft revered in Swedish culture is very much in vogue now, as evidenced by participation in workshops at places including North House Folk School in Grand Marais and ASI. Chelsea Bowen, ASI’s Educational Programs Coordinator, says, “We see a pronounced interest by makers and art lovers in the traditional connection between the natural world and creative expression. Slöjd has shifted from a utilitarian necessity to an art form. Eating lunch with a spoon that you hand carved from fresh cut birch is a win-win.” What’s more, some crafts like woodworking and blacksmithing that have been, and in many cases still are, considered men’s territory are increasingly mastered by women, both in Sweden and Minnesota. Women’s Woodshop, now open in Minneapolis, empowers women through the art of woodcraft. Bruce Karstadt, President/CEO of ASI, notes other cultural trends that have branched out from Swedish roots. According to Sveriges Körförbund (the Swedish choir union), Sweden has the largest number of choirs per capita in the world, strong choral traditions and a deep-seated culture of singing folk songs. Minnesota shares this choral affinity with its abundance of professional, amateur and church choirs.
“Cabin Culture” – or the sommarstuga, adds Karstadt, is another shared institution. There are nearly 600,000 summer houses in Sweden. Minnesotans, with their 10,000 lakes, long-ago discovered the attraction of a Swedish-like summer cottage, regularly going ‘Up north to the cabin.’ Swedes and Minnesotans also possess a love of nature and a desire to share the landscape with others – hence Sweden’s allemansrätt – the right of people to wander freely in the countryside. Minnesotans, likewise, have a statewide park system and voted years ago to establish a Legacy fund to protect the wilderness. The Future Some educators in the Twin Cities say they are witnessing something remarkable: the birth of a new and vibrant Scandinavian-American scene from the old immigrant foundation. Interest in genealogy is fed by increased access to digital records and Turnblad Mansion. Photo © ASI there is a growing interest in travel, learning languages, Nordic music (My Bubba and First Aid Kit), crime novels, films and TV series like Bron/Broen, and shopping at IKEA, H&M and Fjällräven. Younger people are embracing Nordic ideas regarding sustainability, gender issues, multiculturalism and fashion. The internet and social media easily feed these flames. Sweden and Minnesota have both welcomed large populations of Somali and other immigrants that continue to shape their futures. Swedish-American journalist Klas Bergman, author of Scandinavians in the State House: How Nordic Immigrants Shaped Minnesota Politics, commented that this state’s identity is now its own. “We should not say that Minnesota is the new Scandinavia. It has got its own strong political tradition and culture. It’s that spirit — and not the national origin of the people who articulate it — that will give Minnesota a 21st-century advantage. In this century, societies that can incorporate immigrants successfully will have a competitive edge. They’ll benefit from fresh ideas, entrepreneurial energy and multicultural savvy in a global economy.” Or, put another way, it’s part of being uniquely Minnesotan. www.asimn.org
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Svenskar i Världen
Welcome to Swedes Worldwide’s Summer Program and the Parliament of Swedes Abroad
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very year in August, when many Swedes living abroad visit Sweden, the organization Swedes Worldwide arranges a week-long event called the Summer Program. The week is filled with interesting and inspiring meetings.
Stockholm panoramic view. Photo: Ola Ericson/ imagebank.sweden.se
The Sixth Parliament of Swedes Abroad Now for the sixth year the diaspora’s own parliament has been arranged. It takes place every other year. In 2017, Vice Deputy Speaker Tobias Billström will open the sessions. All participants will then be divided into three working groups to discuss various issues concerning Swedes living abroad.Each group will come up with a number of resolutions to be presented by each working group’s chairman to all participants at the re-gathering in the Industrial Hall in the House of Enterprise in Stockholm. The basis for the discussions will be sent in advance to all who report to the Parliament.
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The working groups will be divided into: 1. Taxes, pensions and insurance – issues concerning, among other things, social insurance and health benefits for Swedes abroad as well as taxes including the so called SINK-tax. 2. Citizenship issues – resolutions for simplified passport renewals and passports as identity documents will be presented as well as a special constituency for Swedes abroad and e-voting issues. 3. Migration, Mobility and Swedes Abroad as a resource – issues related to the school voucher, availability of services for those returning back to Sweden and Swedes living abroad, and problems for Swedes returning home will be discussed in this group. Experts and politicians will be informed about the proposed resolutions that will guide the work of the organization Swedes Worldwide for the next two years until the next Parliament. A panel of Members of the Swedish Parliament will give their opinions and comments on the resolutions on the stage and answer questions about the proposals. The meeting will end with an inspiring speaker as well as with a lunch. In the evening all participants in the Parliament will be invited to a reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Arvfurstens Palats in Stockholm. Margot Wallström, Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be the host of the reception. A valid ID is essential for entry.
Margot Wallström, Minister of Foreign Affairs Photo: KristianPohl/Regeringskansliet
Annual meeting and Price Ceremony to The International Swede of the Year 2017 The day will begin with the organization’s Annual Meeting in Vapensalen at Grand Hôtel in Stockholm followed by lunch in the Mirror Room. At lunch, the prestigious Price to The International Swede of the Year will be awarded. Meeting for Local Representatives Swedes Worldwide has a broad network of 120 local representatives all over the world, who act as contactpersons for Swedes living in the area. All representatives have been invited to a company visit at one of Swedes Worldwide’s partners. Staff from the office, the Secretary General and part of the Board will also be joining this meeting in Stockholm. You can find more information, prices and tickets at https://billetto. se/en/e/svenskar-i-varldens-sommarprogram-2017-tickets-188107
Svenskar i Världen is a non-profit, independent organization that, since 1938, acts in the interest of Swedes abroad by monitoring, informing and influencing. We have a unique role as the representative of more than 660 000 Swedes who work, study or for other reasons live abroad, as well as the hundreds of thousands who have lived or will live abroad. For more information, visit www.sviv.se
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Swedish Women’s Educational Association international
Intressegrupper inom SWEA SWEA Professional SWEA Professional är intressegruppen för dig i SWEA som är nyfiken på företagsverksamhet och intresserad av arbetsliv och yrkesfrågor. SWEA Professional grundades i SWEA San Francisco 2010. Efterfrågan var stor på aktiviteter med fokus på karriärsfrågor och yrkesliv och tanken var att yrkesverksamma Sweor skulle kunna träffas för att byta erfarenheter och idéer.
svårbesökta arbetsplatser och deltagarna fått inspireras av föredrag av intressanta entreprenörer i näringslivet. Många SWEA-medlemmar har också själva spännande yrken och framgångsrika karriärer nu eller bakom sig och mycket intressant att berätta från sina egna yrkesområden. SWEA Professional-träffarna är alltid öppna för alla intresserade medlemmar oavsett ålder eller om man själv yrkesarbetar.
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SWEA Art i din avdelning arrangerar möten för att inspirera till skapande verksamhet utbyta erfarenheter och idéer arrangerar workshops och kurser organiserar utställningar SWEA Care
SWEA Art Är du kreativ? Självklart! Alla är vi kreativa – och på så många olika sätt!
Intresset blev stort även bland medlemmar som tidigare arbetat eller som var på väg in i arbetslivet och därför skapades en grupp inom SWEA San Francisco som kallade sig för SWEA San Francisco Professional. Idag finns SWEA Professional representerat i SWEA-avdelningar över hela världen och flera nya grupper startas upp varje år. SWEA Professional erbjuder bl.a. föredrag, studiebesök på företag och andra arbetsplatser, universitet och lokala eller internationella organisationer m.m. Tack vare många medlemmars kontakter har SWEA Professionalträffar kunnat arrangeras på annars
Vill Du utveckla din kreativitet? SWEA Art är ett nätverk för alla skapande kvinnor inom SWEA. Vi vill vara en inspirationskälla att börja skapa och främja utbyte mellan konstnärer – för Dig som är professionell, för Dig som är amatör, för Dig som just börjar – och alla däremellan. Vi arbetar tillsammans, inspirerar varandra, arrangerar workshops och utställningar; utbyter erfarenheter och idéer, besöker utställningar, träffar konstnärer. Alla SWEA Art-grupper är olika och arbetar utifrån sina lokala förutsättningar.
Vad är SWEA Care? SWEA Care är en intressegrupp inom en SWEAavdelning med syfte att hjälpa andra medlemmar och finnas till som stöd lokalt när olika behov uppstår. Namnet kan variera något men syftet är att finnas till lokalt som stöd för SWEA-medlemmar i svåra situationer och efter överenskommelse erbjuda praktisk hjälp, råd eller bara någon att tala med. I SWEA delar vi ett systerskap världen över men lokalt kan praktiska och logistiska problem göra vardagen svår och ensam i vissa perioder. Grundtanken är att vi som Sweor visar vänskap och närvaro även i livets svåra stunder. Det kan handla om sjukdom eller ensamhet av olika anledningar och ibland är den bästa medicinen ett telefonsamtal eller en kopp kaffe. Är du intresserad av någon av dessa grupper? Kontakta din närmaste lokalavdelning, www.swea.org eller skriv till: office@swea.org. Mer information finns på www.swea.org
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