Carl Linnaeus

Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus is known as “The Father of Taxonomy.” He was the first person to establish classification systems to distinguish between the organisms of plants and animals, a system that is still used today. Born on May 23, 1707, Linnaeus is sometimes known as the “Second Adam,” which is referring to Adam in the Bible, who gave all of the animals in the Garden of Eden their names. Linnaeus is also given credit for creating the name for humans, “homo-sapiens.” He died on January 10, 1778 in Uppsala, Sweden of a stroke.
~Ryan

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Swedish Literature

Around the 1800’s, Swedish literature was centered on the “narrated drama” genre, which was mainly impacted by two writers: Selma Lagerlöf and August Strindberg. Around the early 1900’s, literature was influenced by social issues and by Pär Lagerkvist, who introduced lyricism, a style of poetry in which the words are written like lyrics. In the 1900’s to the early 1940’s, Karin Boye, introduced a modernistic style and is well known for being ahead of her time. Today, literature is “less linguistically experimental,” as explained by Swedish writer Anneli Jordahl.
~Kennedy

Image: http://www.librarything.nl/userpics/Oneiro-big.jpg

Sports

There are a number of sports in Sweden. Some of the most popular sports include soccer, ice hockey, bandy, gymnastics, martial arts, riding sports, and swimming. Some of the other sports that are not as well known include the following: hand ball, Frisbee, basketball, tennis, and golf. Winter sports are the majority of the sports in Sweden because of the cold weather. Baseball and American football are also practiced in Sweden.
~Andrew S.

Image: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41791000/jpg/_41791514_swedefan_getty.jpg

Kungliga Slottet

The Kungliga Slottet is the Royal Palace of Sweden. It is the official residence of Sweden’s Monarch, currently King Carl XVI Gustaf, and houses the offices of the King and Queen and the Duchess of Holland. The latter is the most senior member of the royal family after king and queen and their children. The fortress was built on the site in the 13th century and, as Sweden increased status, so did the castle, finally becoming the official residence in 1521 under Gustav Vasa. After a fire struck in 1697, much of the interior of the palace was reconstructed over the next 60 years, resulting in a variety of architectural sty\les.
~Gabby

Image: http://www.hallekis.com/arkiv/xx060330-slottet.jpg

The Vasa Race

The Vasa Race is a cross country skiing race that started over 500 years ago. It started when Gustav Vasa had to retreat from the Danish king but when the locals had a change of heart, they sent their two fastest skiers to catch up with him. When the skiers found Gustav Vasa, they convinced him to return to Sweden. Gustav Vasa was later named king of Sweden.

Today the Vasa Race consists of over 15,000 participants who have to go on a grueling 90 kilometer course. The event is seven days long and consists of seven different events. Besides the competitors, there are more than 50,000 people who go to watch the race. Most of these people are from either Sweden or Scandinavia. However, around 4,500 of the competitors are from around 35 different countries.
~Brad

Image: http://www.sweden.se/upload/Sweden_se/english/articles/SI/images/Vasaloppet/stor-grupp.jpg

Swedish Fine Arts

Sweden is home to many fine arts. For one, the National Museum of Fine Arts is located in Stockholm, Sweden on a peninsula named Blaiseholm. It has many famous contributors and was founded in 1792. It holds about half a million artifacts and ancient drawings from the Middle Ages to present day. They have watercolors, glass blown objects, and even some craft works. The Swedish are very artistic people, and they engage in many forms of art themselves, even today. The Swedes like to collect art and are very inspired to create it. They have brilliant designs and ideas for art, and they make, draw, paint and mold things that could be nothing less than fine art.
-Alex

Image: http://fineartamerica.com/images-medium/botanical-garden-in-lund-sweden-art-nomad-sandra-hansen.jpg

The Birger Jarl

The beautiful hotel, Birger Jarl, one of Stockholm finest, is located centrally, right near fine shops and wonderful restaurants. When you walk into the hotel lobby, warm and welcoming scenery awaits. The lobby provides bars and the breakfast and dinner rooms that have wonderful buffet meals. The wonderful Swedish design in the lobby is continuous thorough all of the rooms in this hotel. The hotel provides a garage, gym, and a sauna. For business trips, this hotel also provides conference facilities, and internet free of charge. You will have a great stay at the Birger Jarl!!!
~Hannah

Image: http://www.venere.com/img/hotel/6/7/3/8/148376/image_hotel_exterior_entrance_1.jpg

The Swedish Holidays

There are many unique Swedish holidays and many traditions that go along with them. One of the holidays is St. Lucia day. This is a day that celebrates a young saint who lived in the fourth century. One of the legends is that the saint was so devoted to her religion, that when a Roman soldier told her to renounce her religion, and she refused, he killed her. One of the traditions is that the oldest daughter in the family wakes up early and dresses in a white robe with a red belt. She wears a wreath with candles on her head and sings traditional songs. Another holiday is Swedish National day. This holiday takes place on June 6th and it celebrates when in 1523 Sweden became independent from the Danish. There is a big parade through Stockholm and usually a party or two. Another holiday is Midsummer. This is a holiday that celebrates the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. People gather flowers and make large wreaths to put on their houses and smaller wreaths to wear on their heads. There is also the Maypole, which is a giant pole where people gather to sing and dance, and there is a huge feast with fruits and other dishes. Though these holidays seem different from ours, not all of them are, for instance, we share Christmas day, and New Years day. Just like our holidays, the Swedish holidays all have a purpose, and a story behind them.

~Brendan

Image: http://www.visitsweden.com/ImageVault/Images/conversionFormat_13/id_270/ImageVaultHandler.aspx

Education System

Sweden has a very unique education system. The educational system is socialist and it teaches some interesting classes. Until the 1990’s, the education system in Sweden was not that different from our own.
In 1991, Sweden handed most of the control of the system over to cities and towns, giving them a lot of freedom to pick their own curriculums. Only a few subjects must be maintained in all schools around Sweden: Swedish, English, mathematics, natural science and religion, as well as physical education and health. In 1994, though, the government took back some control of the system by introducing a few more curricula changes that stressed the role of educational responsibilities and non-traditional teaching methods.
Today, the system is still very socialist, though not as much so as in the past. Municipalities still shape their curricula, though not as much. Because of the socialist aspect of the educational system in Sweden, high schools offer a lot of classes that teach blue collar skills. Some of these classes are construction, vehicles, and energy. They focus on skills that will help the rest of Sweden.
Overall, Sweden has a very well-structured educational system, maybe even better than our own. It teaches things that we need to focus on more in our society.
~Nick

Image: http://www.sweden.se/upload/Sweden_se/english/factsheets/SI/SI_FS38a_Swedish_education/school_girl_sweden.jpg

Swedish Cuisine

Swedish cuisine is probably one of the most sophisticated yet simple cuisines throughout Europe. You have probably heard the term smorgasbord. A smorgasbord is a dish invented by the Swedes, and it roughly translates into “open sandwich table.” They can be made up of platters and platters of any kind of food such as salmon, pies, meats, vegetables, and all kinds of finger foods. This is one of Sweden’s most popular and well-known dishes. Swedish food has a lot of seafood such as: herring, crawfish, and salmon.

You might have been thinking: “Do they eat fast food?” Well, the answer is yes, Swedes do eat fast food, but it’s not in the way we prepare it. On the streets of cities you will often find stands that sell sausages and hot dogs. Along with a hot dog, you are also asked if you want fries, mashed or baked potatoes. Fries I can understand, but have you ever heard of a hot dog stand selling mashed or baked potatoes?

Food is a very important part of Swedish culture. Whether the food is slightly different, very different, or very much like our food, the food in Sweden is a delight for all.
~Blake

Image: http://www.gerryriskin.com/smorgasbord.jpg

Restaurant Review

Recently while visiting Stockholm, I was fortunate to stumble upon a wonderful fish restaurant. Every thing was freshly prepared to retain full flavor. The fish I had was succulent. It was quite a relaxing dining experience. The restaurant sat near the water and at the edge of a delightful park, further adding to the quiet relaxing experience. I would highly recommend visiting Wendholm’s Fisk in Stockholm.
~Corey

Image: http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/images/2008/10/31/big_bream_or_tarwhine_2.jpg

Religion

Sweden’s main religion is Lutheranism. Lutheranism is an important branch of western Christianity that was influenced by the sixteenth century Germen reformer Martin Luther. Lutheranism’s key belief is that all people are saved from their sins by God’s grace alone not their deeds. Lutheranism was spread through Sweden by Martin Luther’s followers.

~Eddie

Image: http://www.redeemer-lutheran-robbinsdale.org/Graphics/LutherRose.JPG

The Wadensten Family

The Wadensten family dates back to the early 1400’s as recorded by grave markers as well as church records. My dad’s side of the family settled in the county of Smalland in a town called Lyungby. They were merchants and traders. The name Wadensten came from merging the two names Vaden and Sten to form Wadensten. The W in Swedish is really pronounced as a V. Farfar is English for grandfather. My dad’s dad came to the U.S.A. in the early 50’s. His dad, my great grandfather, was a salesman and owned a company that made hair tonic. When my dad’s dad came to the U.S.A, he worked for a large Swedish engineering company that made road building equipment. My grandmother and her family came from a place called Karlskruna, on the coast of Sweden. Their family dates back to the 1700’s. They were boat builders and fine craftsmen.
~Sven

Image: Courtesy of Wadensten Family

Stockholm

Stockholm is the largest city in Sweden and it is also the capital of Sweden. About 21% of Sweden’s population lives in Stockholm. About 807,301 people live in the city, 1.3 million in the urban area and about 2 million in the metropolitan area. Stockholm also contributes to about 35% of Sweden’s gross domestic product. Stockholm is on fourteen different islands and is known for its beauty. Tourists call it “Venice of the north” because there is so much water. Stockholm is home to all of the major TV and radio stations and where all of the newspaper is printed.

~Andrew

Image: http://www.seedforum.org/userfiles/Stockholm(1).jpg

Greta Garbo

Born on September 18, 1905 and died April 15, 1990, Greta Garbo has been one of the most famous Swedish movie stars in the world. She was said to be one of the most glamorous and popular stars of motion pictures in the 1920’s and 1930’s. She was sometimes referred to as Greta Gustafsson and she was nominated for four Oscars. Not only was Greta Garbo in many speaking films but she starred in a few silent films. Some of them were called, The Torrent (1926), Flesh and the Devil (1927), and Love (1927). These were all directed by Swedish filmmakers. After making many hit movies, she took a couple of years off screen. Just after two years off screen, she signed with MGM and continued on her route to making several more hit movies. To this day, people still remember the beautiful Greta Garbo and her influence in the movie making industry.
~Lauren

Image: http://timesonline.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/02/05/greta_garbo.jpg

Sweden’s Climate

In Sweden, the climate varies greatly between the southern and northern parts of the country. In northern Sweden, the summers are quite pleasant and the winters are very cold. The southwest Atlantic winds give southern Sweden very pleasant summers and winters that are very mild. The Atlantic winds have less of an effect on northern Sweden because the winds are blocked by the Kolen Mountains. Towards the southern tip of Sweden during the coldest months, January and February, the temperature average is 0°C (32°F). In the far north of Sweden, temperatures average at -12°C (10°F). During Sweden’s warmest month, July, temperatures average 54 to 57°F in the north and range from 59 to 63°F in the south. The rainfall in Sweden tends to be greater in the southern highlands and in the Kolen Mountains than on the plains that border the Gulf of Bothnia. In northern Sweden, snow covers the ground from mid-October to mid-April. Southern Sweden tends to have snow on the ground only in January and February.
~Alan
Image: http://216.70.123.96/images/uploads/ipy_-_28.jpg

Swedish City Life

Sweden has a similar life style to America’s but there are some very different things too. The Swedes go to school, they work, and they do recreational activities outside. Things like this are the same in America. The different things are that a lot of restaurants are gourmet, and they have many modern artistic statues along the streets. Swedish cities are known for being very clean. Their streets are spotless and they are very wide. Many cyber cafés have very modern types of foods. There are also many Swedish brand exports such as gourmet chocolates. Many events in Sweden utilize the snow, making the environment a huge part of their life style. Sweden has many modern areas that make it an interesting area for tourists to visit all year round.
~Mark

Image: http://img.wallpaperstock.net:81/the-city-night-lights-wallpapers_9665_1024x768.jpg

Skiing

Winter sports are very serious in Sweden. Skiing is one of their most popular sports. The skiing varies from alpine to downhill and then to cross-country throughout Sweden. Sweden hosts the largest cross-country race in the whole world, the Vasaloppet. There are usually over 12,000 participants every year. Sweden’s national alpine ski team participates in all of the usual World Cup races and qualifiers.
~Anna

Images: http://charliebatho.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/fernie-ski.jpg

Coat of Arms

The Swedish had a Coat of Arms Act that stated that there were to be two Coats of Arms which were the Lesser and the Greater Coat of Arms. The Lesser Coat of Arms is the one that is used more often and the Greater Coat of Arms is the one that is not used so often. The Triple Crowned Emblem has been used since 1336. The Greater Coat of Arms is only used on special occasions and it is used by the Government and the Parliament. The Coat of Arms is important to Sweden because it symbolizes the history of Sweden.
~Victoria

Image: http://www.sweden.se/upload/Sweden_se/english/factsheets/SI/SI_FS107e_National_Emblems_of_Sweden/Greater_Coat.jpg

Flag

The Swedish flag is the oldest recorded flag. The blue background and yellow cross have been known since the 16th century. These two colors could have represented from the Coat of Arms, and the design of the Swedish flag was probably taken from the Danish flag. June 6, 1916 was known as Flag Day and this was also Sweden’s National Day. They raise the flag at 9:00 am and then the flag is lowered at sunset. This is one of Sweden’s National Emblems. ~Victoria
Image: http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/xmas/calendar/flags/swedish_flag.jpg