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The Old Country Newsletter – A Reader's Story from the Past
Your Weekly Newsletter from Sweden!
Philip Hannes
October 31, 2025
Good morning!
It’s Friday, October 31.
Whether you're enjoying a full day off, sneaking out after lunch, or drowning in emails like it’s a horror movie, we at The Old Country would like to wish you a Happy Halloween! May you have givmilda grannar (generous neighbours), and your candy bowl never run dry.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Philip & Hannes
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Word of the week
SNÖFLINGA [snuh-fleen-gah]
snowflake.
Top Official Investigated for Leaking Info on Former PM’s NATO Diplomacy
Attribution: SvD
A senior Swedish government official was quietly investigated in 2022 for leaking sensitive information about then-Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s travel plans and strategy ahead of a crucial NATO meeting with Turkey’s President Erdoğan. The incident, never reported to police, involved classified discussions about how Sweden planned to address Ankara’s concerns during its historic push to join NATO. The official still holds a high-level role in the Government Offices today.
As Sweden scrambled to secure NATO membership amid Turkey’s sudden resistance, Andersson was traveling to Brussels for talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Meanwhile, the unnamed, non-political official was overheard speaking on speakerphone in an airport lounge at Stockholm Arlanda. According to SVT’s reporting, the call revealed undisclosed details about Andersson’s itinerary, including a confidential U.S. meeting by her state secretary, and Sweden’s negotiating stance toward Turkey’s demands.
The breach was flagged by someone in the lounge who alerted Sweden’s military intelligence service, which contacted the Government Offices security team. The assessment: highly inappropriate behavior, poor judgment — but not deemed a criminal security breach. No report was made to the Security Service, and the official was allowed to remain in post.
Government spokesperson Johanna Aschan confirmed the incident occurred but said there was no evidence classified information was exposed. Andersson’s team was informed at the time. The official declined to comment.
For a country that entered NATO amid heightened geopolitical tension and scrutiny, the revelation underscores how even seemingly mundane slip-ups — like a loud phone call in an airport lounge — can shake confidence in national security practices.
Postcard from the North
Karlstad, Värmland
In other news
🗳️ Liberal Party leader Simona Mohamsson has stated that she will vote against Ulf Kristersson (M) as prime minister if the Sweden Democrats (SD) are included in the next government. The Liberal Party’s executive board recently decided unanimously that the party will not support any government involving SD. Mohamsson emphasized on SVT’s Agenda that she is even prepared to risk a new election over the issue but believes the situation will likely be resolved through continued cooperation within the current government framework.
🤔 Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson allowed his daughter and her student association to hold a private party at the state-owned residence Harpsund in 2023, according to Aftonbladet. A legal expert from Uppsala University called the event a matter of public trust, questioning Kristersson’s judgment. The Prime Minister’s wife, Birgitta Ed, defended the family, criticizing the newspaper for invading their privacy and arguing that Harpsund is regularly used for gatherings beyond official government purposes.
🚓 A 22-year-old man associated with the vigilante group “Pedo Hunting Sweden” has been convicted of child pornography offenses and offensive filming, according to TT. He secretly filmed girls in a school locker room in Örnsköldsvik. The man and four others were also convicted of aggravated assault after luring and attacking a man through a dating app, during which the child pornography suspicions emerged.
Man Dies After Being Shot Near Klippan During Ongoing Hunt
Attribution: SvD
A man in his mid-50s has died after being found with gunshot wounds in a forest outside Klippan, southern Sweden. Police are investigating whether the shooting was a tragic hunting accident or a self-inflicted mishap.
A quiet Sunday morning turned tragic when a local man was found seriously injured around 11:30 a.m. near a property where hunting activity was underway. According to police, the man—identified as a Danish citizen—had gone to the area to feed wildlife. He was rushed to the hospital but later died from his injuries.
Neighbor Olle, who knew the victim, described the harrowing moments that followed the gunshot. “I heard a shot, and then he came running,” he said, recalling how he and others tried to save the man’s life before emergency services arrived. “I don’t feel very well,” he added, visibly shaken by the ordeal.
Police have launched a broad investigation and are considering multiple scenarios. One theory is that the man may have been accidentally shot during the ongoing hunt. Another is that he may have discharged his own weapon by mistake. Several firearms have been seized for forensic testing, which will determine which weapon was fired recently.
The case, initially classified as gross negligence causing bodily harm, has been reclassified as gross negligence causing death. No one has been charged at this stage, and police say the hunting party has been questioned as part of the investigation.
The scene has since been cleared, but for locals like Olle, the shock remains. “It’s hard to believe something like this could happen here,” he said quietly from his kitchen window overlooking the forest.
Swede-ish Notes
The Carpenter from Mörje: Building a Life Across Oceans
The following is a submission from our devoted reader, Barbara McLean. She shares the story of her grandfather, Hjalmar August Söderberg, who left Östergötland in Sweden to brave the waves in company with his “Amerika koffert.”
Do you have a similar story you’d like to share? Follow the button at the end of the newsletter. Enjoy the read about the son of Mörje.
His name was August Hjalmar Sjöberg and he was born August 16, 1876 in Mörje, Östergötland. He left Sweden for the US arriving in 1902 on board the Ariosto. He traveled to Berwyn, Illinois (known then as Swedetown) where he married. His first wife, Ida Larson, died of pneumonia in 1911 leaving him with 4 children. He married his housekeeper, Karen Wilheminia Lindquist, and they took the family to San Francisco, California where Minna, as she was known, gave birth to a daughter. Minna died in 1950. He married once again to Louise Garmes, who was a lodger in his home.
August & Ida
August was a carpenter – not sure if he built the trunk but there’s a good chance he did. I also have his wooden carpentry tools that I have distributed to some of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In his retirement he still kept at his carpentry making wooden toys for his grandchildren.
My favorite memories of him were celebrating his birthday each year when the entire family would get together at my aunt's house for smörgåsbord. My uncle made lutefisk, my aunts made sylta and potatiskorv. Also watching him read the newspaper, which was published in English, but he read it aloud to himself in Swedish.
Sometime after 1950 he went back to Sweden to see his family. In his later years he moved to Lake County, California and then moved in with his daughter, Ella, who lived in the Bay Area (south of San Francisco) He passed away 1972 at the age of 96 with 12 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
I’m not sure where the trunk was prior to my mother giving it to me after he passed away. At one time it was painted and when I received it, it was green. I painted it black really not realizing the importance of it. I have had it for about 40 years and finally was able to get a young girl who works with wood to strip it for me. Then my grandson, Arlen, who would be August’s great-great grandson, stained it and put the antique hardware that we found in an antique store on. It now sits in my living room as a reminder of the vision and determination of a young Swedish man who left his home and all he knew to come to America.
Thank you for taking the time to read this – I hope it will be meaningful to those with Swedish heritage.