Växjö Part Fyra

Wednesday 5/6/15

Vilhelm Moberg wrote a 4 volume series from 1949-1959 about Swedes from the Småland area who emigrated to America. The first book is appropriately titled the The Emigrants. As has been mentioned in this blog before, 1.5 million Swedes out of the 5 million inhabiting Sweden emigrated mostly to the US from the 1860s to the 1920s. Moberg based his fictional family after these Swedes. We visited a museum about Moberg, his novels and immigration during that time period. The story is now a musical written by the two Bs in ABBA.

In the museum was a recreation of Moberg's writing hut that was at his farm. Roland, our swedish teacher, wrote his thesis on Moberg and actually interviewed him. Roland sat in the chair on the left in his hut. Moberg said his book Ride Tonight is a commentary on the nazi invasion. Moberg and his books were banned in Nazi Germany and he said that is why he writes. 

In the exhibit on immigration we found a picture of our school since it was founded by Swedish immigrants in 1862!

After the museum we went to a fine art glass museum and glass factory. Glass factories use to be everywhere in the area producing mostly domestic glass. Now the few that are left have transitioned partly to fine art glass which is really creative and beautiful. 

We were able to walk around a factory producing glasses and vases. There weren't any roped off areas or warning signs. It was crazy! The workers were wearing shorts and no goggles or gloves. That would never happen in the US.

Glass flock of geese.

Glass chandelier. One of the many amazing art pieces on display. 

After dinner Becca and I went for a walk on the beach. I drew our initials in the sand (P for my nickname Petrie)

Thursday 5/7/15

In the morning we visited a small church in the area like the one the family in Moberg's book would have attended. There Roland lectured us on the plot of the novel an the history it represents. Church at that time was filled with hell and damnation sermons and many in the community were shamed for a variety of reasons. The characters in the book were fiction but represented groups of immigrants.

-Karl Oskar: father, king of a stone kingdom, farmer, very determined and forward looking
-Christina: mother, religious, follows husband but reluctant or fearful of future. She was illiterate so knowledge through the church
-Robert: Karl's brother, free spirit, interesting in learning not farming.
-Daniel and his followers: searching for religious freedom
-Ulrika: village whore, was raped when younger and was shamed so she owned it and became the 'whore', was a voice against the church
-and others

The book story is relatable for all times as people always move. Currently middle easterners that come to Sweden can relate to the tale. Many of the immigrants that moved to America like Moberg's characters became farmers but many became entrepreneurs. These immigrants are responsible for companies such as Radisson hotels and TGIFridays.

Pat and Roland in the church

The bay where many emigrants left by boat for America 

Statue of Karl Oskar and Kristina at the bay. He is looking forward, hopeful for the future, and she is looking back, longing for the life she knew in Sweden.

We visited the farm that Roland grew up on. It no longer belongs to the family but he knows the owners. They let us pet their horse and look at the rocky landscape. 

To finish the day Roland had a surprise for us. Near his farm is a car graveyard on top of an old bog. There were at least 100 old and rotting vehicles. The place has been made famous by a photographer who took artsy pictures of the area. It was fun to explore and try to not step in the swampy parts.

Amelia and Anna

Ruby

Friday 5/8/15

On our last day in Växjö some of us took advantage of the nice weather by renting canoes! We were told there was castle ruins around a bend but we never quit made it. It was windy but fun to be in the fresh air and exercise. While paddling we were singing camp songs but couldn't think of more than one verse for each. 

Laura wasn't the biggest fan of canoeing and pat, who almost tipped the boat over. 

Becca, Me and Hannah

Hannah and Me

Pat, Becca, Me

Becca fell in…she slipped on mossy rocks when trying to pull our boat onto the shore of an island.

At night we celebrated with a bonfire. This time I did not burn my finger roasting marshmallows! 

Sidney, Erin, Britta, Anna

Hannah and Becca

So…since it is the end of the semester a lot of us have clothes that are too worn out to carry home or even give away. My sweatshirt needed to be thrown away and Lindsey's sweater (nicknamed Woobie) was at the end of its life. Laura gave a nice eulogy for my sweatshirt and we cut it into strips and burned it in the fire. The same with Lindsey's sweater except at first my professor's kids got a handle on it and ripped it to shreds. 

Here is Signe and Jorgen wearing parts of the Woobie holding a woobie torch. Maria, their mom, is shaking her finger next to them saying "I am a good mother!"

For the finale we burned an old little pine tree. It was spectacular!

My sweatshirt minus sleeves and pocket. I save a small piece for my scrapbook. 

Saturday 5/9/15

Travel to the town of Visby on the island of Götland in the Baltic Sea! It is our last destination before the semester officially ends. We are the first Gustavus group to go here. Before they went to Malmö which is an immigrant city in the South. 

Långa Soffan or long sofa is 72 meters long from 1867. While we waited for our ferry in Oskarshamn this longest sofa in Scandinavia was hyped up. We were slightly underwhelmed when we came across this longish bench. Britta, Erin and Hannah are sitting on it in the picture above although Hannah is too far down to be seen.

Our ferry was actually a giant ship, probably the biggest I've been on.