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The Old Country Newsletter – Nature, Nato & Nordstroms
Your Weekly Newsletter from Sweden
Philip Gustavsson
May 10, 2024
Good morning!
It’s Friday, May 10th. Regardless of whether this is the first edition of The Old Country to reach your inbox, or if you have received every single one, varmt välkommen!
This week, the newsletter features a story about a unique (and very popular) Swedish broadcast of… an empty forest? It also details a unique military exercise over Småland, Sweden, where Swedes, Americans, and people of other nationalities together simulated a response to military aggression. You’ll also get to read about a Swedish emigrant whose legacy can be seen in many of the big cities in America.
This newsletter is distributed via Beehiiv, which is a really accessible and flexible software for email newsletters. However, the hosting and distribution aren’t free. Therefore, this week’s edition is sponsored by NordVPN. If you want to access content that is restricted to be viewed only by people in Sweden – such as TV-shows, series, or news articles – NordVPN could be the solution for you. Further down in the newsletter, you’ll find a link that will give you access to NordVPN with a sizable discount.
As always, thank you so much for reading. Have a wonderful weekend!
Philip
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Word of the week
KÄRLEK [sher-lehk]
Statistics you didn’t ask for
Swedes are relatively inclined to exercise their democratic right to vote. In the last election for Sweden’s parliament, the Riksdag, 84.2 % of the Swedish electorate cast their votes.
On June 9th, Swedes are again heading to the polls, but this time to vote for the European Parliament. In the last election in 2019, only 55 % of the Swedes eligible to vote did so. This is a number that all Swedish parties would like to see increase this year.
The Great Moose Migration
‘The Great Moose Migration’ offers a mesmerizing view into the yearly journey of moose as they migrate towards lush summer pastures. Broadcasting live from Kullberg, Sweden, the show captures the awe-inspiring sight of hundreds of moose traversing the serene landscapes of Ångermanland.
Located in the idyllic setting of Kullberg, just outside Junsele in Ångermanland, ‘The Great Moose Migration’ unfolds against the backdrop of the serene Ångermanälven river. Each year, this beloved program treats viewers to the breathtaking sight of 100 to 200 magnificent moose making their way to lush summer pastures.
During a recent broadcast, viewers were treated to an extraordinary event: a record-breaking number of eleven moose gracefully wading across the river, eventually joined by more of their kind. So far, an impressive tally of 37 moose have been observed crossing the river.
Thanks to overwhelming viewer demand and the delayed arrival of spring, the broadcast of ‘The Great Moose Migration’ has been extended by three days, running until May 12th at 11:00 p.m (local Swedish time). It's a testament to the enduring appeal of this mesmerizing event, captivating audiences from Sweden, Finland, Germany, and beyond.
‘The Great Moose Migration’ is broadcast through SVT Play, an online streaming service provided by Sveriges Television (SVT), the Swedish national public television broadcaster. To watch it, one has to be in Sweden, or …
… have access to a VPN provider that can connect to a remote server located in Sweden. Like NordVPN, which sponsors this segment of the newsletter. By using NordVPN, you can access what SVT Play has to offer, including ‘The Great Moose Migration’, by simply connecting to a server in Sweden. Follow the link here to get 74 % off for your first two years and three months (!) of usage. By doing so, you also help support the distribution of this newsletter.
In other news
Thanks to Loreen’s victory in 2023 with the song Tattoo, the Eurovision Song Contest is currently underway in Malmö. Tomorrow, Saturday, May 11th, the final of the competition will be held. If you are interested in learning more about the controversies and large security apparatus surrounding the event, feel free to check out last week’s newsletter.
The Gothenburg City police district has, for the third time recently, prohibited known criminals from being in public places in the central parts of the city. This action is being taken under the new law on preventive residence bans, allowing authorities to restrict individuals identified by the police as gang criminals from certain areas.
The Accident Investigation Board dismisses claims of potential Russian sabotage behind two extensive derailments on the Iron Ore Line railway – Sweden’s busiest railway – in December and February, attributing them to "natural railway causes." Reports suggesting that the Security Police (Säpo) are investigating the derailments as potential Russian sabotage were published in the Financial Times on Sunday.
Nato and U.S troops in Småland
A soon-to-be Swedish emigrant might have looked up at the sky above Hagshult, Småland for one last time before embarking on the journey of her life in 1880. At that time, it would probably have been difficult for her to imagine that one of her great-great grandsons or great-great granddaughters would, almost 150 years later, jump out of a flying machine from that very same sky during a joint military exercise between the old country and the new.
In an unprecedented NATO exercise, 800 soldiers are air-dropped over Småland as part of the Steadfast Defender series, reaching its culmination this spring. With parachutes unfurling one after another, troops leap from transport planes flown in directly from Italy, descending onto the Hagshult war airbase.
"The message of this exercise is to demonstrate NATO's commitment to deterrence against adversaries like Russia," says U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. James Kriesel. This display of military might underscores NATO's dedication to preserving sovereign territory and democracy.
This sizable airborne operation on Swedish soil, involving heavy weaponry like artillery pieces, marks a first in the country's military history, according to Deputy Army Chief Anders Svensson.
While eleven soldiers sustained injuries during the jump, none are life-threatening, reflecting the inherent risks of such maneuvers. "It was expected. The Americans anticipate 5-20 injuries when so many are involved in jumps," says Joakim Elovsson, a communicator at the Army Staff.
In NATO exercises, fictional adversaries are sometimes named. However, in Swift Response 24, aimed at reclaiming the Hagshult airbase in Småland, Russia is explicitly identified.
"It's clear that we have a declared adversary, and it's Russia," says Åke Palm, chief planner for Swift Response in Sweden. He asserts that these exercises, while robust, serve as a means to showcase capability rather than escalate tensions.
It was a loathsome accusation if true, and still more loathsome if untrue.
My personal favorite book-series of all time is The Emigrants, by the Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg. Through the four books in the series, we get to follow the triumphs and tribulations of early Swedish immigrants in America. In the first book, "The Emigrants," we meet Karl Oskar, Kristina Nilsson, their three children, | and eleven others who set out from Småland in 1850, seeking a better life away from poverty, religious persecution, and social injustice. By clicking here, you can learn more about the books and order a copy for yourself. Beyond getting your hands on an incredible book, it is also a great way to show support for this newsletter, as a few cents of each sale will help support our work. |
From Alvik with shoes
Have you ever been to a Nordstroms? I bet you have. Have you ever reflected on the name of the gigantic department store chain? I did, when I first walked through the doors of one. But it was one of those “I’ll Google that when I get home“, and then forgot about it. This is the story of the man, the Swedish emigrant, behind the Nordstrom empire.
Born Johan Wilhelm Nordström in the quaint village of Alvik, in the very north of Sweden, Nordstrom's early years were marked by hardship. With the loss of his father at a tender age, he learned the value of hard work and resilience from his mother. At just 16, armed with little more than determination and $5 in his pocket, he set sail for the land of opportunity – the United States.
Nordstrom's odyssey across the continent saw him toil in railways, mines, lumber camps, and shipyards before fate led him to the bustling city of Seattle in 1896. It was here that the seeds of his entrepreneurial spirit began to blossom.
Fuelled by the allure of gold, Nordstrom ventured to Alaska, seeking his fortune in the Klondike. Though his initial foray into mining faced legal challenges, his tenacity prevailed, culminating in a lucrative sale that saw him return to Seattle with newfound wealth.
In 1901, Nordstrom, alongside his friend Carl Wallin, embarked on a new venture – the humble beginnings of what would later become the iconic Nordstrom retail empire. From a modest shoe store on Fourth Avenue and Pike Street, their vision flourished, laying the foundation for generations of success.
Despite his immense achievements, Nordstrom seem to have remained grounded, never losing sight of his roots or his commitment to community. His enduring legacy lives on through his descendants, who continue to oversee the chain he helped build. Today, Nordstrom hires more than 50 000 people. Not too shabby, for the son of a part-time farmer from the Old Country.
Do you have a story from the past that could be worth sharing? I bet you do! Or would you like to see something else in the newsletter and have suggestions for topics? Please reach out!