nordstjernan The Swedish Newspaper of America
Published by Swedish News. Volume 144 No. 10, May 30, 2016. Price per copy $2.50
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Photo: Kate Gabor/kungahuset.se
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Photo: Tomas Enqvist/Embassy of Sweden
Midsummer is something all Swedes look forward to, and a tradition that non- Swedes can fall in love with easily as well. In short, a piece of culture to be proud of. Find a Midsummer event near you through our Midsummer in Swedish America listing / Page 8
Photo: Yuliya Evstratenko
This Week, Page 16
Walkabout: Prästgatan, Stockholm by Leif Rosqvist guest@nordstjernan.com
Continued on page 4
New in Brief, Page 2, 3
Photo: Bo Zaunders
In most of my walkabouts I take the reader for a longer walk in an area of the inner city of Stockholm, but this time I go for a relatively short walk along one of the most interesting streets in the Old Town (Gamla Stan) of Stockholm. Prästgatan is one of the least commercialized streets and has a very special meaning to me. It provides an image of how Gamla Stan looked many years ago. Prästgatan (Priest Street) is in the Old Town, stretching from the cul-de-sac at Storkyrkobrinken near the Royal Castle to Österlånggatan on the south side of Gamla Stan (route in red on the map), situated within the old city wall that then surrounded the town. The northern part of the street was previously (1700-1800) called Svenska Präst-
Film about the rivalry between tennis greats Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe due out next year / Why are American lobsters considered invasive species in Swedish waters? /IKEA opens in Nevada with the usual fanfare / Many firsts enjoyed at the Eurovision Song Contes.
Prästgatan in Stockholm’s Old Town, “Gamla Stan”
Kurbits as art and decoration
The iconic, floral painting that grew out of a folk tradition more than one hundred years before the Swedish immigrants brought it to the U.S., has its own distinct style still in use today. It was first developed in central Sweden, where farmers painted furniture and walls in their homes. When work became scarce, the Leksand and Rättvik painters travelled beyond the borders of Dalarna and brought their craft to other parts of the country. They brought with them the techniques but also adapted to the tastes of new customers in other regions. New colors, motifs and patterns developed, and what we know as kurbits was brought to America, too, where / Page 20 some painters are still passionate about their art.
Perspectives, Page 11
Living between Russia and the USA...
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