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9.2 Sister Cities info from Mayors Sister Cities First, Minnesota and Kro- noberg became sister states. Then Duluth and ti'axjii (the capital of Kronoberg) became sister cities, And now, Lesse- bo and, among others, Scan- dia in Minnesota are in the process of becoming sister ci- ties!- The sister city relationship between Duluth and Vaxjo has already resulted in a num- ber of cultural and educatio- nal exchanges. The first Swedish immi- grants to Minnesota came to Scandia. Because of this, Ed- gar M Carlson, Chairman of Gammelgarden, an Ameri- can -Swedish Heritage Mu- seum in Scandia, wrote to Governor Britt Mogard sug- gesting a sister city relation- ship between Scandia and a community in Kronoberg. Governor Mogird contac- ted Lessebo and the munici- pal council was extremely po- sitive to the idea. Lessebo was named the cultural communi- ty of the year in 1988 in Swe- den. Every citizen pays 825 Swedish crowns in support of culture each year in contrast to the lowest ranked commu- nity which citizens -pay only 201 Swedish crowns each year. In spite of this, taxes ha- ven't been raised in Lessebo for, 12 years and child care fees are the lowest in the country. Water and electricity costs are the lowest in Sma- land and Lessebo has more available jobs than most of the communities in Krono- berg. There i`s also an extensi- ve environment protection program in the municipal di- strict. A three man delegation from Lessebo is participating in the large Kronoberg dele- gation which will arrive in Minnesota on April 23, 1988. It includes the Vice -Chair- man of the Municipal Coun- cil, Gnsta Isa�n, the Muni- cipal Administrator, Alf Nils- son, and the Industrial Secre- tary, Gunnar Hansson. "We are going to look into the Opportunities for a sister city exchange with Scandia, and hopefully, even other communities such as Lind- strom, Taylors Falls and Cen- ter City'., says Alf Nilsson. According to him Gammei- garden has already been in touch with different groups in these communities so that to- gether a sister city exchange can be worked out. Among other things. Gam- melgarden will try to start a People to people project plus a pen pal exchange with school children in Lessebo. LESSEBO - In the heart of the Kingdom of Crystal and the Emigrant 'District The Kingdom of Crystal - A Glowing Attraction! Nowhere else in the world will you find so many glassworks packed into such a small area as in The Kingdom of Crystal. Lessebo Municipality is one part of The Kingdom of Crystal and here you can find some of the best-known glassworks. With five glass- works and several companies that work with glass - painting, engraving and cutting, Lessebo constitutes an interesting and meaningful part of glass manufac- turinq. The basic elements of beautiful glass are fire, sand and chemicals; but most important are skill, knowled- ge, feeling and a handicraft tradition. Glass art is the result of interplay, the cooperation of designers, foundry teams, glass cutters and engravers. Here in The Kingdom of crystal you can find cry- stal that is handblown,•designed, etched, engraved, cut and polished by people — not by machines. A glass piece that is made by hand has enduring value. In Lessebo Municipality, glass handicraft can be ob- served in many glassworks and glass -finishing com- panies. Sights and Culture You'll notice quite quickly that Lessebo Minicipatity is rich in genuine handicraft and cultural history. The tradition of SmAland is preserved, developed and re- newed in a modern community capable of apprecia- ting the pure and genuine. Many of our cultural traditions have been preser- ved. A natural part of the glassworks community is the band that performs when people gather on cere- monious occasions. Literature, art and poetry tell of the cultural inheri- tance that we are happy to show visitors. One visit to a few of these places may be worth repeating in the near future. Lessebo Handpappersbruk (Handmade -Paper Mill) Paper is handmade here in fundamentally the same way as it was three hundred years ago. The production capacity of Sweden's only handmade pa- per mill is twenty-five kilos per day. A modern paper machine spits out the same amount in a few se- conds. But, this exclusive handmade paper has a beauty and lifetime that no paper machine can emu- late. Emigrant District Vilhelm Moberg grew up in the Sm&land countrysi- de, among red houses, barren landscape and wide stonewalls. In this district, he was inspired to write the emigrant epic that has made Ljuder parish known far over the Atlantic. Karl Oskar and Kristina lived here at Korpamoen and worked the barren land during the years of fami- ne. At the Akerby crossroads, they gathered to travel to Kadshamn and the awaiting brig, the Charlotta, which was to transport them further to America. In the old church stalls preserved by the Ljuder Church, horses rested while their masters went to church. The Homestead Museum in Ljuder has preserved most of the time's everyday articles, supplying impor- tant documentation of this phase of development in Sweden's history. For further information about Lessebo please get in touch with us: LESSEBO MUNICIPAL P.O. Box 13, S-360 50 LESSEBO Tel (int + 46) 478 10610 FACEBOOK POST Mayor Christine Maefsky - Scandia, MN 6-5-17 "Times have never been better for adding tourism to a small town's economic mix. Here's why: For the first time ever, rural communities can become successful for being exactly who they are." (Center for Rural Affairs) "Swedish by Association" If you live in Scandia long enough - and that could mean anything from 6 months to 45 years - and you take part in community life here, or maybe you just drive frequently through the Village Center, you start to feel the vibes. You are part of a Scandinavian community and, like it or not (but you will like it), you become what I have long acknowledged being - Swedish by Association. Now note that I make this statement as someone named "Maefsky" - an Ellis Island name bespeaking Polish/Lithuanian -not Swedish - heritage. And while this is my husband's family name, my own is "Bove" - from my father's Italian immigrant parents. On my mother's side I am pre Revolutionary War English/Irish/Scotch, with a bit of documented Native American in the mix. No Swedish there either. However, I know that I am also "Swedish by Association" because of the town where I live, which I have come to love, where I have raised my children and now see my grandchildren growing up. I embrace that designation because of my enjoyment of the proud, long=time Swedish residents who live here, of the people who founded our town, and my happy association with its historical roots. Now let's tie this into tourism - into what we have to offer visitors to our city. We are the site of the first Swedish settlement in Minnesota - designated at the Hay Lake Monument, as well as the site of a Village Center cemetery filled with Swedish names, and the unique, historic Swedish museum at Gammelgarden. These are things that make us Uniquely Scandia and help define us as a community. We need to embrace and highlight this special heritage of our town, to draw in visitors and to give them something wonderful to enjoy while here. For tourism - How about a Swedish theme B & B? A Swedish pie shop? Or, a Swedish Heritage Tour - by bus or maybe... by bicycle? a�� This is a SZst e.r vit`t =tor y that• :7e gin- 4 _IeS.r= 5go on t..he _tree%.-''_. of Lindstrom. But it also belongs to Scandia Chisago City, Center City, Marine -on -St. Croix and Taylor's Falls. And it belongs to a cluster of communities in the Lessebo Kommun of Sweden. But the man who set the stage for what is happening this summer of New Sweden '88 also deserves recognition. His name was Vilhelm Moberg, a prominent and popular Swedish author who came to to the Scandia-Lindstrom-Center City area in 1948 to research for a trilogy he planned to write. They were called "The Emigrants," "Unto a Good Land" and "Last Letter Home." The setting for the last two was this area around Scandia. The place for the first book was the Lessebo Kommun in Kron#Oerg's Land, Smaland. It was from Smaland that so many of the people came who settled the Upper St. Croix Valley. Moberg's books have become classics. Movies have been made of them. Now one more milestone. About a year ago, the Scandia area communities initiated a suggestion by letter that they adopt some similar villages or towns in Smaaland. The letter reached Britt Mogard; governor of Smaland, who was much in agreement with the plan. She chose the Lessebo K-ommun settlements because they were the setting for Moberg's books as well as the jumping off place for the immigrants.��� Governor Mogard the Scandia area to Z TT C -V4 -? (/t% d ,AI A16 'W 1 7Mi lC r N'� /1N� Q 4W �? establish a personal relationship between here and there.( Suffice it 6r' P 0 6 � dT (-Rei Min, GOR06 NO, to say that the visit will be reciprocated manyfold. Thus the setting for Vilhelm Moberg's first book has a Sister City relationship with the setting for his last book -the beginning and the --A ref +ho +rl l M=r LESSEBO KOMMUN t IIanti laggarc P -A 1/AB Er relerens Darum 1987-08-06 En Jawm Mr Edgar M Carlson 5320 Brookview Ave Minneapolis, MN 55424 U S A Hc(eekning I r herecknnw Thanks to the Governor of Kronobergs 16n/county, Britt. Mogard, we have received information about Your interest in establishing a "sister -city" relationship between Scandia community and some smaller town or community in the county of Krono- berg. We, in the administration of Lessebo community, intend by this letter to inform You about our positiv attitude to the idea and we really look forward to a closer discussion in this subject. Lessebo is a smaller neighbour community to Vaxjo. From this district the people in V.ilhelm Mobergs emigrant -novels emigrated. Here You still can find names of places well known from these novels and the Swedish emigrant history. With this letter we also send You some facts about our community. Respectfully Ro . Ni cklasson K mmunalrad Per -Ake Lindstrom (Chairman of the Executive committee)Kommunsekret era re I_ESSEBO KOMMUN June 27, 1988 Iii Nels, Many thanks for the friendly visit G6sta Isaksson and I had and the Gammelgarden committee. with our visit with you / Minnesota gave us many rich memories. At the meeting with my colleagues in the Lessebo community last Tuesday, June 21st, I presented a report of the meeting in Scandia. I also spoke about it at the community hall in Lessebo. When we met in Scandia, June 28th, we talked about friendly exchanges between Scandia Township and Lassebo Community and discussing the following items: 1. Pen pals between students in the eight grades from Scandia and Lessebo. 2. Exhibits of art and handmade items, etc. 3. Lessebo visitors in Scandia and visa versa. After our return to Lessebo, I presented item 1, to the school board and had a very positive response. The principal said after the summer and when school begins in the fall, he will approach the teachers on exchanging correspondence between the students of Scandia and Lessebo. How did the election go in Scandia regarding the townboard? Which of the candidates were added to the board? Would you send me the paper, The Country Messenger? Perhaps you could also send me other reading material from Washington and 13hisago counties. I would also like to know what the new Scandia Chamber of Commerce is up to? My letter to you is a little late but I promise to write more often. I will send more later and if you want something special, write and ask me. You can write me in either English or Swedish but 1 prefer writing in Swedish. G6sta lsaksson and I send hearty greetings to your wife, Edgar Uarlson, Lynne Moratzka and Harriet Johnson. (A couple of days ago I received a letter from Edgar Carlson and 1 will write him soon.) We hope we can arrange this exchange between Scandia and Lessebo even though there is quite a distance between us. If we can do something to contribute in keeping the Sjwedish heritage in the Swedish buildings in Washington and Chisago counties, we will be very happy. hearty Greetings Alf Nilsson Lessebo Kommun Box 13 S-36050 Lessebo Sweden Note: Nels sent copies of the Country Messenger from January through June. � (6nnimpIghbrn ult �jrriftlgr Elim 46llfl1rran Clurr4 k�rnitbitl, Mintiriinta 55973 MiIHritIII 5320 Brookview Ave. Minneapolis, MN 554 4 Feb. 23,1987 The Honorable Britt MogArd Governor,Kronobergsldn Landstyrelsen S-35186 Vaxi6 , Sweden. Dear Governor: I am writing at the suggestion of the Swedish Con- sulate in Minneapolis, on a matter of interest to the town of Scan. dia, and especially to its Gammalg&rden'Museum . Scandia is the community closest to the point at which the first three Swedish families entered Minnesota in 18509 beginning a long and large immigration to this State from all over Sweden. A large number of those who came to this area came from SmAland. The original church which was built in 1854 by these immigrants has been restored as a part of this Museum, which also includes a parsonage built in 1868, and other pioneer buildings and a rather good collection of rural artifacts. The thought has occurred to some people interested in the Museum and the history of the area that the 350th anniver- sary of the coming of the first Swedes to America in 1638 would be an appropriate.time to see if some city representing the area from which the immigrants came to this area might be interested in es- tablishing a "sister -city" relationship with Scandia, representing the other end of the journey. The Swedish Consulate in Minneapolis thought that a letter of inquiry addressed to you would be an appropriate first step in exploring such a possibility. We under- stand that'Duluth,Minnesot a, has such a relationship with Vaxi8. Scandia is a small town in a largely rural setting on the northern edge of an expanding Minneapolis-St.Paul metro- politan area. I should make clear that at this point this letter is exploratory only. No official action has been taken or proposed The idea of "sister -cities" , some city of Smaland and Scandia, representing the beginning and the end of the immigrant journey, seems to have a certain appeal. Thank you for any advice or other reaction that you would care to give. Respectull ,�,I-i Edg M. Carlson Chairm of the Board