Swedish Emigrant Institute
Encyclopedia
Background
The Swedish Emigrant Institute was founded on September 11, 1965. The Swedish Emigrant Institute is located in The House of Emigrants (Swedish: Utvandrarnas hus) located in VäxjöVäxjö
Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County. Furthermore it is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a...
in Smaland
Småland
' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Its purpose is to collect and register source material dealing with Swedish emigration to the United States
Swedish emigration to the United States
During the Swedish emigration to the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries, about 1.3 million Swedes left Sweden for the United States...
. This building contains a Research Center with Archives, a Library and Museums all of which focus on the peak period of Swedish Migration to North America. The Institute houses a large collection of emigration history including archival materials and library references, provides assistance in genealogical research, sponsors scholarly research and academic conferences, and mounts exhibitions on migration to and from Sweden.
The Institute was supported by Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg
Vilhelm Moberg
Karl Artur Vilhelm Moberg was a Swedish author and historian, most commonly associated with his four novels known as The Emigrants Series.-Early life:...
who donated the complete source material from his famous Emigrant Series
The Emigrants (novels)
The Emigrants is the collective name of a four novel suite by the Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg:*The Emigrants *Unto a Good Land *The Settlers *The Last Letter Home...
which told the saga of Karl Oskar and Kristina’s immigration from Smaland to Chisago County, Minnesota. This unique collection of Moberg memorabilia also includes Axel Olsson's sculpture entitled The Emigrants which portrays the main characters featured in the novels.
Museum Exhibitions
- The Dream of America - This museum tells the story of Swedish emigration to America, reflecting the background, cause and result of the mass exodus of Swedes between 1843 - 1930.
- The Moberg Room - This museum illustrates the 12 years of work that Vilhelm Moberg sent writing his immortal emigrant novels. On exhibit are Moberg’s original manuscripts, excerpts, notes, photographs and other documents.
- The Research Center and Archives - The manuscript collection consists of original documents, microfilms, sound recordings and photographs. The repository consists of thousands of documents, including the Vilhelm Moberg collection.
- The Library - This facility contains Sweden's most complete book collection on emigration.
Main Collection
The main collections available in the Swedish Emigrant Institute dealing with emigration research and other source materials are:- Swedish parish records
- Swedish passenger lists
- Swedish American church archives
- America letters and diaries
- Passport journals; summary census reports from various parish offices
- Emigrant organizational archives of lodges in most sizable Swedish settlements and mutual aid societies
- Printed source materials dealing with emigration and Swedish pioneer settlers such as autobiographies, oral history and literature from Swedish emigrant communities