Växjö and Småland in the World War 1 part 1

This year marks 100 year Anniversary  since Archduke Franz Ferdinand  of Austria -Hungary and his wife  were  assassinated in Sarajevo. An event that marked  the  beginning of the worst catastrophe that humanity had yet seen -  World War  1.  For this reason, the Kulturparken Småland (the Kronoberg county Museum) runs an  exibition about the  the outbreak of the war and how it directly and indirectly  affected the population  in Växjö,  KronobergCounty by the food shortages and high prizes on food.
The exhibition runs until November 11th.

The Outbreak of the war reported in the somewhat-German friendly  local newspaper
Smålandsposten.

Sweden, together with the other Nordic countries declared themselves neutral. The Home Guard
was mobilized shortly after the outbreak of war  conscript and veteran reserve set. Their  equipment
was apparently not  of the latest model. Triangular felt hats l had probably been
poor protection against bullets and grenades and  the quality of the  weapons  also left a lot to be desired.

In Autumn of 1914 the swedish  municipalities were given  the right to establish Foad Boards  to regulate   the distibution of food . In Växjö one was  established in December 1914. The first meeting was held on December 21 In February 1916 The last meeting was held in 1921. Its  task was  to obtain the foods needed for municipal supply being stored and distributed properly , and to ensure that current regulations  for food rationing were  followed.
Below a Record book from the Vaxjo Food board from 1917.

 



Despite rationing there were food shortages and food speculation so called "profiteering",a particularly difficult situation was in the winter of 1916-1917. In connection with the Russian February  Revolution in March 1917 there  were demonstrations and even food riots in several parts of the country. In Växjö  sometimes women at the entrance to town and stopped  the farmers carts with groceries and followed them into the city  to make sure they were sold to the city's population. In April 23^rd 1917  The workers held a meeting  in the People's House then about 1,000 people marched  to the Main Square where engineer Ernst Johansson read out the resolutionthe meeting had   adopted for  the mayor  of Växjö Bergendahl  who listened  to their demands  the People  then sang  the song "The Sons of Labour”  after which they cheered for the mayor.
Here a banner probably used by the demonstrator tion April 23, 1917. The texts on it says “More Bread End food speculation”.




On April 22 1917 , had some of the conscripts of  the Kronoberg regiments  twelfth company refused to show up at a church service  Ten  of the  conscripts were then arrested and put into custody . Later that day  conscripts and some members of the public  went to the the Bäckaslövs  school  then used as military camp for Conscripts  where the company was located to get the arrested free. Colonel Cavallin ordered the conscripts to return to the barracks the crowd dispersed only after "military pressure" had been used.

Swedish Emigrant Institute ist empoyees are given notice

All staff at the Emigrant Institute in Växjö, which has been on notice and the property is being sold, writes Smålandsposten. (the local newspaper)

The Institute's financial crisis is a result of loss of funds and disagreements with the former co-financiers the Municipality of Växjö and Kronoberg County Council.

The Board is opposed to their proposal that the Institute will be part of the same organization as the Småland Museum and Archives Kronoberg. It is feared that it would damage the institution's status to be included in such a local context.

Here is a rough translation fo the article in Smålandsposten
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The staff at the Emigrant Institute has its notification of termination and the whole property in The Museum Park is being offered for sale .The reason is that the board of the Emigrant Institute and the board of the The Culture Park has failed to reach an agrement about a merger.

- I never thought it would go so far. We all agree that this is regrettable and serious, "said Lars Hansson, director of The Emigrant Institute.
Altogether, it is about a dozen employees. The decision to give notice of termination to those is taken by the Emigrant Institutes Board. None of the staff Smålandsposten was in contact with yesterday wanted to make any comments.
- We do not know what this will mean, says one of them.

Although the property, with the House of Emigrants,the exhibition hall and office space and land in The Museum Park will be up for sale,according to the Board of the Emigrant Institutes's decision.
The property was recently valued at around 14 million Swedish kronor by the Valuation Office in Växjö.

- We have to take responsibility for the economic situation. Here is a mortage on the property also. It must be resolved in any way, "said Lars Hansson.

The background to the notices and the possible sale of the real estate is the Emigrant Institute's board of directors and the The Culture Park, which is owned by the municipality of Växjö and Kronoberg County Council, has been unable to agree on a solution for a merger.
The reason is that the Emigrant Institute did not buy the politicians' approach to transfer the Emigrant Institute's staff and activities to The Culture Company with the Småland Museum (the county museum)and The Kronoberg Archives. It would risk Emigrant Institute's national and international status in the scientific community to the risk of such a local context, the Board (of the Emigrant Institute )believes.

- Our policy has been that the Emigrant Institute will maintain its core business, archives and research, and that we share the public areas with the Culture Park. But it has not been possible to reach an agreement on this, "said Lars Hansson.
Chairman of the Board, history professor Harold Round Flowers says:
- The Culture Park will get a larger organization and momentum and we will guarantee what we will do that foundation. There is actually a collision of interests .

The Institute's economy has been strangled by withdraval of economic support from the local government of Växjö and the Kronoberg County Council this money is now given now to The Culture Park. Altogether, it is about a couple million a year. The money will not be at the Institute until there is a settlement.

The Culture Park s director , Erica Månsson, believes that the offer is generous and that includes opportunities for the Emigrant Institute s goals , such as in research.
- My opinion is that we have given a very good offer which we took into account the Foundation's various comments. We are appalled by the staff situation. It is unfortunate, "she says.
Today sit representatives of the Emigrant Institute and Cultural Park in the new negotiations. Both sides say they hope for a solution, even if the lengthy discussions have not led to the conclusion that they failed to agree.
- I have high hopes, "said Culture Park chairman Peter Norrman.

Lennart Ernstsson

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there were several comments on the article in the newspaper some taking the side of the Swedish emigrant Institute and some the side of The culture Park among the comments were this from Bo Frank (the mayor of Växjö)
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All the politicans in the municipality and county council is behind The culture Park and the offer toThe Emigrant institute to be developed as part of The Culture Park. If theSwedish emigrant Institute would rather close down its operations it may do so !
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My personal comment on this is that it will surely be a sad Day if the Swedish Emigrant Institute is forced out of its building and forced to leave Växjö. For years it has drawn tourists from USA, Canada and other countries to Växjö. People has been able to look at the exibitions and in the research department they also have been able to do research on their familiys origin in sweden and swedes has also been able to do research on their relatives fates in USA and Canada . The Emigrant Institutes archive and library conatins a unique collection of books ,swedish-american newspapers microfilmed swedish-american church records and also unique interwiews with old emigrants and a unique collection of pictures. This unity of library, research department ,archive and exibitions is now risking to be lost as well as the competence that goes with the employees.
I am aware that times have changed and that the Emigrant Institutes way of working has to change too.
as well as to the fact that The Institute has economical problems.

The bottom line is perhaps that the Swedish Emigrant Institute is a national institution anf that the Smålands Museum and the Kronoberg Archive are local Institutions and that their Interest may collide.
As a national Institution the Institute should have recevied some state support but that has never been given. Instead it has been dependent on economical support from the Municipality of Växjö and The county Council. The Municipality of Växjö and especially Bo Frank have pressed hard for a merger with the Smålands Museum and the Kronoberg Arhive to cut costs and to put pressure on The Emigrant Institute they have more or less slowly strangled them by cutting the economic support and forcing them to more or less close the research deparment to visitors (they are still answering research questions by e-mail).
it is sad that there have been no agrement.
I have spend much of my time at the Swedish emigrant institute since the late eighties that time may soon be gone.

Swedish National Day celebrated on June 6th in Växjö

The Swedish National Day is celebrated June 6th. The National Day has only been a Holiday since 1983.
Before that it was called "Svenska Flaggans Dag"(The Day of the Swedish Flag).
This year here in Växjö it was celebrated in the Park outside "Smålands Museum"(The county Museum). The celebrations contained both ceremonial and more relaxed elements.

Firstly members of the folkdance group Värendsgillet danced tradtional swedish Folkdances.

The Lord Mayor of Växjö Nils Posse gave stipends and rewards to people and organisations who have done beneficial work for the local community. Among the persons who recieved awards were.Ingemar Nordström wellknown saxophone player for his work with his dance orchestra and his his other support for local culture.














And Dalala Abdel Gani for helping young women and girls integrating in swedish society and for her work against honour related violence.















Coffe and cake were also served at the Swedish Emigrant Institute. I sat down there to eat a typical Swedish dessert (or perhaps typical for the province of Småland) "Ostkaka med hallonsylt (Swedish cheesecake with Raspberry jam).















As a closing of the National Day celebrations. The Swedish National Anthem "Du Gamla du Fria" (You old you free) and some other patriotic songs were sung by the Växjö Male choir.

Swedish Emigrant Institute refuse merger !!

On Friday sept 19 the Swedish Emigrant Institute's board in a board meeting refused the municipalitys of Växjös offer that the Institute should merge with the county museum Smålands Museum and The Kronobergs archive.

The Merger would have created a common board for all 3 institutions. The refusal of the merger will mean that the Swedish emigrant Institute will lose all money from the Municipaliy of växjö as well as from the county of Kronoberg wich in total stands for around 40 % of the yearly budget.

As I have written before The Swedish Emigrant Institute is an archive and museum over the swedish Imigration to other parts of the world it has extensive collections of letters microfilms and interviews.
However its economy is in bad shape and that and the turbulence in its leadership in later years is one of the reasons the politicans in Växjö wants to merge it with the county museum
Smålands museum but the Emigrant Institute is afraid of loosing its independence.

With an economy already in bad shape this will certainly not make the economic situation better.
There is a risc that the exibitions and the research service to visitors and family researchers may have to close down in Växjö (or the exibitons rented out or moved) several alternatives are discussed. Cooperation with The University of Växjö or some other university or istitution , seaking money from american foundations or for example renting out the exibitions ,moving the exibitions and material to some other place in Sweden (Kalmar and Gothenburg has been mentioned as possible alternatives ) but nothing is clear yet.