Flatpack's Back!

For our April meeting, we welcomed back Åsa and Chris from the A Flatpack History of Sweden podcast! They gave a fantastic presentation about Sweden and WWII. Our members were delighted by their presentation and would love to welcome them back for another program!

Sweden's policy of neutrality meant that they walked a tight rope between the warring factions, and with every neighboring Nordic country invaded or occupied, the country was surrounded by hostile forces. Looking back, Sweden escaped invasion by cowtowing to Nazi pressure more than once, most notably by allowing troop transports on Swedish soil and by continuing the sale of iron ore to the Nazi war machine.

But there were also great acts of heorism, both on an individual and a national level, like how the majority of Denmark's Jewish population was saved by a rescue mission across the straits of Öresund, and how thousands of Finnish children found new homes in Sweden, away from the horrors of Finland´s Winter War and Continuation War. All together, it makes up a mixed legacy of pragmatism, morality and cowardice that still divides opinion in Sweden today.

A Flatpack History of Sweden takes listeners on a chronological journey through Swedish history, from when the first humans settled there until today. Kingdom: Swedish Rulers is a humorous review and ranking of all Swedish kings, queens and regents to see who will win the ultimate prize of The Three Crowns. Both podcasts are in English and are available on all major podcast platforms.

Our Sveaskolan kids practiced their Midsommar songs and dances (only two months to go!), did language lessons, decorated farewell bags for our upcoming convention guests, and learned about Harebells (Campanula rotundifolia), a wildflower native to America and Sweden.