Traveling in Sweden for genealogy

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Permalink Reply by Dana Kelly on March 16, 2014 at 11:15am

So much great information! Thank you! 

Permalink Reply by Martin C. Womer on March 16, 2014 at 11:42am

If you do want to do some computer research while in Sweden and are near Vaxjo in Smaland, near the "Crystal Kingdom" - although Orrefors and Kosta-Boda have closed (very sad) - go to the Emigrant Museum in Vaxjo. My sister and I spent a rainy day there that was very helpful partway through our Swedish roots trip in the second half of June 2007. Incidentally, while we had also been warned not to go in August when so many Swedes are away on vacation, rather than July, I suggest to start your trip at least a few days before Midsommar Festival in June, so you will be there for this major Swedish traditional celebration, but will have gotten over any jetlag you may experience.

If you are thinking of buying a new car soon, check out the Volvo "Overseas Delivery" program on the Volvo website and request the video (unless you can just watch it now on the website). I bought my little V50 there, saved $2K off US sticker price, saved $1K for car rental, got free car insurance there for 15 days, free round-trip airfare for 2 people on SAS from anywhere in the US, one free night at the Radisson SAS hotel in Goteborg (now my favorite hotel in the world), and because we booked our trip between January and March, we got a second free night there, so our first and last nights in Sweden were spent there. Volvo provides free travel agency assistance by an agency in Chicago, so planning and booking lodgings is very easy, if you want to plan that ahead. I highly recommend the Overseas Delivery program to Anyone who wants to buy a new Volvo at a discount and drive around Europe for a couple of weeks. For a modest surcharge ($600 in 2007), you can deliver your car at the end of your trip in another city, such as Rome, for example, if you just want to travel and not deliver your car back to the Volvo headquarters in Goteborg. Incidentally, when you pick up your car, they give you and others picking up their cars a red carpet tour of the factory, which was very interesting.

Marty Womer in Maine

Permalink Reply by Lynn Anderson on March 16, 2014 at 5:17pm

Great informtion, especially on the Volvo delivery.

I just read that the Emigrant House in Vaxjo has closed. It has been strugling in recent years. Visit http://www.utvandrarnashus.se/eng/   for details. I wonder what will happen to their collections.

Permalink Reply by Martin C. Womer on March 17, 2014 at 11:41pm

It is very sad to learn that the Emigrant House in Vaxjo has closed.  There was another museum or archive in Goteborg, although I have been to it.  Perhaps the collections from Vaxjo went there or to one or more university libraries.

Marty

Permalink Reply by Linda Ruth Billington Stewart on March 16, 2014 at 3:21pm

My cousin and I visited last June. We had done a lot of research, but we hired a researcher/guide. He found information that we never could have found, using local historians, who met us at every stop. They showed us where our ancestors lived, provided photos, and a tour of the church where our great grandfather built the pews, including a copy of the contract! He set up meetings with living cousins and drove the car. It couldn't get any better! I'd highly recommend using a local guide.

Linda

Permalink Reply by Dana Kelly on March 16, 2014 at 7:10pm

How do you go about finding a research/guide? We are bringing my husband's mother too and I think she would love that!! 

Permalink Reply by Lynn Anderson on March 18, 2014 at 9:53am

   We carried the Fodor's Scandinavia guide book with us. Before our trip, we READ it and one or two other books as well. We read lots of material via Google and used it to research things like hotel prices. Remember, only a fraction of the hotels (probably the ones that pay a fee) show up of these online searches (worldwide, that is just how search engines work, for money).   The books, at best, will be a year old, but they will give you ideas. )

   Two other big helps...  Whenever we entered a town, we always went STRAIGHT to the Turistbyrå [say turist-biro]. They want to help you!  They often have discounts to places to go. Look for the blue circle signs with a white exclamation point... the international sign for information.  Also, the hotel where you are staying can be very helpful. Any places that deal with tourists will always speak English well. 

   Also visit    VisitSweden.com     and you may want to order literature soon even for 2015 travel. I feel you can never know too much.

   (My favorite little hotel in Stockholm - Anno 1657    and of course Långholmen per above.)

For Swedish names you will need to keyboard the Swedish characters to get to the right site. I can tell how to do that on PCs but not on Apple MAC. Can a MAC user help?

Permalink Reply by Linda Ruth Billington Stewart on May 19, 2014 at 10:51am

Our guide was Dick Eriksson. It was definitely worth it.

He can be found at "eXpertGenealogy"

Ericsson Sweden Genealogy

Box 6268

Stockholm 102 34 Sweden 

Permalink Reply by Sue Pearson Greichunos on May 11, 2015 at 11:19pm

Lynn Anderson, it is so interesting you should mention Filipstad and Färnebo parish in Värmland because that is *exactly* where my Father is from!  As a matter of fact, I visited Sweden last year (late August-early Sept) with my sister and brother and went to Filipstad.  Because of my genealogy research beforehand and several inquiries via emails, I made contact with someone who not only told me we are related (distant cousins) but also gave me information that I have two FIRST cousins still living!!  My siblings and I made contact and were welcomed most generously!  We then met their families and it was like a wonderful reunion.  We shared pictures and family history and stories, and it was wonderful.  

There are Anderson's in my family tree.  Do your roots come from the same parish in Värmland, too?  Could it possibly be that we may have mutual ancestors?  ~~  I'm at soaringtoo@yahoo.com and of course also on FB, where there are a great many genealogy groups, some specific to Swedish ancestry, too!  Thank you!  

Permalink Reply by Lynn Anderson on May 13, 2015 at 2:02pm

Sue,

Some of my relatives off on one side of my tree lived in the Filipstad area for a while. I did a quick search but did not find them.  I will look when I have more time. The famous Swedish-American inventor John Ericsson also came from Filipstad and was finally buried there.

Many of the men in my family tended to change jobs and work for various mines and metal works in the mining district - Bergslagen. The center of my family mostly comes from Kvistbro parish perhaps 80 km south of Filipstad. In the whole area you will find "hyttan" and "bruk" associated with many place names. These are smelters or forges. These small industrial installations  are called "works" in British but we do not have a good word for it in USA.

My ancestors in that time would probably not be Anderson because of patronymics.