Sweden Heritage and History
 Sweden's
early history, like its day-to-day life, is intimately wrapped up with
the natural rhythms of season and climate. It was the end of the Ice Age
that brought the first inhabitants to Scandinavia more than twelve
thousand years ago, as the receding glaciers and the warming climate
turned barren permafrost into lush plains and vast forests. By 8,000 BC,
there were extensive settlements in the region, but dropping
temperatures pushed the inhabitants southward to the coasts. A few
thousand years later the cycle reversed, and once again the interior
became productive, fertile ground. This back and forth movement between
the land and the water, between farm and boat, characterizes Swedish
culture even today, although the cycle now follows season, holiday, and
personal preference.
What most people know of Scandinavian history is limited to the Vikings,
and what most people know of the Vikings is limited to a vague idea that
they were plunderers. In fact, the Vikings of what is now Sweden had a
much more lasting impact on history as traders and as founders of some
of the great cities of medieval Russia. Embarking from settlements like
Birka, tucked deeply and safely within the bays of the Swedish coast,
these early seamen headed east and south, establishing trade routes that
extended as far as Byzantium and the Golden Caliphate of Baghdad. At the
turn of the millennium, after about two centuries of prosperity and
power, the trade empire of the Vikings began to decline. Continental
Europe began its economic rise, and the power of the Vikings in Swedish
lands was supplanted by the newly prosperous farmers of the interior
plains.
Two of Sweden's many monarchs hold
particularly prominent positions in its history. The first is Gustav
Vasa, whose leadership established the foundations of the Swedish
nation state in the early sixteenth century. The second is Gustav II
Adolf, a figure perhaps better known as Gustavus Adolphus,
the "Lion of the North." Although lacking the resources of
other, larger European states, Sweden under Gustav II Adolf won a
stunning series of campaigns that catapulted the kingdom to great power
status within just a few decades. In 1632, the by-then legendary
commander was killed at the battle of Lützen, leaving Sweden a troubled
legacy of vast possessions, great influence, and a century of almost
constant war. One result of that experience has been a deep commitment
to neutrality in subsequent European conflicts, including both World
Wars.
Modern Sweden maintains a worldwide
reputation for its progressive social welfare policies, which were the
outcome of a steady evolution toward democratic government that began in
the early nineteenth century. As Swedes are quick to point out, such
policies were also the result of the country's strong industrial
achievement and its sustained economic prosperity in this century. At
the same time, Sweden has carefully maintained the pristine beauty of
its stunning natural environment - it holds the only extensive
wilderness area left in Europe, and the waters of Stockholm remain clean
and clear enough for fishing and even a downtown swim. As we move toward
the twenty-first century, Sweden seems to offer - as it has offered for
decades - an irresistible picture of where the rest of the world would
like to be.
Over 1.5 million Swedes have immigrated
to the United States. If you want to find out more about Swedish
heritage, there are numerous genealogy sites on the web, as well as plenty of resources in Sweden. Many
genealogical tours are also available. TOURS & CRUISES
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