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The Old Country Newsletter – Everything's Kultur
Your Weekly Newsletter from Sweden!
Philip Hannes
September 05, 2025
Good morning!
It’s Friday, September 5.
Today in history: back in 1987, Sweden’s most beloved quiz show, SVT’s På spåret, premiered with Ingvar Oldsberg at the helm. Since then, generations of Swedes have asked themselves the immortal question: “Vart är vi på väg?”
Much like the contestants on the show, we’re all just trying to guess where the journey is taking us. Preferably without ending up in Kiruna when we meant to go to Malmö.
Wherever you’re headed this weekend, we hope the ride is smooth (and without too many wrong guesses). Next season of På Spåret begins in november with Kristian Luuk and Fredrik Lindström now leading the party.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Philip & Hannes
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Word of the week
HÖSTRUSK [heurst-ruusk]
rainy and windy autumn.
Sweden Just Dropped Its Official Culture Canon
Attribution: Omni
Sweden has unveiled a new “culture canon,” a list of works and institutions considered foundational to the nation’s identity. It includes everything from Pippi Longstocking to Ikea, but one of Sweden’s most famous exports, Abba, was left off.
On Tuesday, Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand presented the report A Culture Canon for Sweden at a press conference in Uppsala, together with historian Lars Trägårdh, who led the government-appointed committee. The canon spans literature, music, film, architecture, religion, and even milestones in gender equality and labor rights. Think Strindberg, Selma Lagerlöf, Ingmar Bergman, and Dag Hammarskjöld sharing space with Ikea and the right to parental leave.
The announcement sparked lively debate long before it was even published, with critics questioning whether a canon risks being exclusionary or overly nationalist. Liljestrand pushed back, calling it an “invitation” to engage with Swedish heritage rather than a gatekeeping exercise.
The exclusions, however, are getting as much attention as the inclusions. Celebrity chef Leif Mannerström lamented the lack of Swedish food culture on the list, while Abba fans were shocked to learn the band missed the cutoff because most of their music was released after 1975 — the canon’s 50-year threshold for eligibility. In other words, Waterloo came just one year too soon.
Love it or hate it, the canon is now official policy — and its backers hope it will evolve over time. For now, Sweden has drawn a cultural line in the sand, with Ikea bookshelves apparently sturdier than Abba’s discography.
Postcard from the North
A View from Jämtlandstriangeln
In other news
⛪ The Sweden Democrats (SD) are pushing for the Church of Sweden to take a more active role in the abortion debate, arguing that the church has been too cautious and should emphasize “the sanctity of life” and the value of every human being. Their stance, presented in a church election manifesto, has sparked strong criticism from the Social Democrats, who accuse SD of trying to undermine women’s rights. While SD insists they do not want to change Sweden’s abortion law, they argue the church should openly address the issue and also support women facing decisions about pregnancy termination.
🎾 Tennis legend Björn Borg has revealed that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer last year but has since been declared cancer-free after surgery. The illness was discovered in September 2023, just before the Laver Cup, yet Borg still traveled to Canada for the tournament before returning for treatment in Sweden. In his upcoming book Hjärtslag, co-written with his wife Patricia, Borg reflects on the difficult period, saying he fought the disease as if it were a Wimbledon final, determined not to give up.
⚽ Up to one million Swedish TV viewers may miss tonight’s World Cup qualifying match between Sweden and Slovenia because it will be broadcast on the newly launched channel Viaplay Sport, which is not part of Tele2’s basic package. Tele2 customers must purchase an additional sports package to watch, a problem that also arose during this summer’s European Championship. Viaplay’s press chief said it is unfortunate that Tele2’s customers are affected again, stressing they want as many people as possible to access the broadcasts.
Double Murder in Gothenburg Spotlights Sweden’s Escalating Gang Warfare
Attribution: Aftonbladet
Sweden’s gang violence continues its ominous rise as a Tuesday double homicide in Gothenburg is now believed to be tied to a brutal gang conflict.
Police in eastern Gothenburg’s Lunden district were called at 5:30 PM when two men in their 30s were found shot and killed in a car. No arrests have been made yet. Local police chief Johan Sjöstrand said the victims were known to authorities and likely targets in an ongoing feud in Biskopsgården — the same area where a similar double murder occurred in April.
The chilling incident took place just steps away from a soccer practice involving around 150 children, though witnesses report hearing no gunshots at the time. Police believe the victims may have been dead for some time before being discovered. While the scene was cleared by Wednesday morning, detectives remain busy. Door-to-door inquiries are underway, and the vehicle involved has been seized as part of the investigation. A Norwegian citizen has been taken to questioning by the Swedish Police.
After a fairly calm few months, this tragic event adds to a wave of gang-related violence shaking Sweden. Shootings and bombings are now occurring several times per week in cities nationwide, driven by turf wars among drug gangs The scale is staggering: gun fatalities tripled between 2012 and 2022, with over 30 bombings recorded in just January of this year alone. With organized crime groups deepening roots in socially marginalized neighborhoods, Sweden’s reputation for peace is stretched thin.
Swede-ish Notes
Attribution: SvD
Cultural Canon Controversy
Few things stir debate in Sweden quite like culture.
The newly presented kulturkanon — a government-backed list of works meant to capture the essence of Swedish heritage — has been no exception. You’ve already seen the straight news on this earlier in the letter; here, let’s pause for a reflection. Some see the canon as a much-needed compass in an increasingly fragmented world, while others question whether culture can, or even should, be reduced to a list.
Critics worry that a canon will be too narrow, too nationalistic, or too static — that it risks excluding the diversity of voices that have shaped modern Sweden. They argue that culture is alive, ever-changing, and ill-suited to be frozen between two covers. Fair points. Yet dismissing the concept outright overlooks what a canon could be if done well. At its best, it could become not a gate but a bridge: a way of introducing new generations (and new Swedes) to the breadth of stories, music, and art that have shaped the country.
So far, the proposed canon seems fairly balanced and has been met with more acceptance than many expected. Still, questions remain — especially about the rule that works must be at least fifty years old to be included. Culture, after all, is shaped in the present as much as in the past. The decision to revise the canon every ten years may soften the edges of this debate, but it also ensures that the argument will return, again and again.
Follow this link to listen to the music that was selected. Say what you want about the cultural canon, but there are definitely some hits in here — maybe even the soundtrack to your weekend?