Category: Swedish Heritage
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The Resilient Journey of the Johnston Family: From Scottish Nobility to English Artisans
Family histories are often tales of courage and perseverance, and the story of the Johnston family is no exception. Spanning centuries and landscapes, their journey is a vivid reminder of how resilience can shape the destinies of generations. From their roots in Scottish nobility to their adaptation as skilled artisans in England, the Johnstons’ story…
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Lochwood Castle: A Fortress of Faith and Resilience in Covenanter Scotland
Scotland’s history is steeped in stories of faith, defiance, and resilience, and few structures embody this legacy as powerfully as Lochwood Castle, also known as Lockwood Tower. Nestled in Dumfriesshire, this once-mighty stronghold now lies in ruins, its crumbling stones bearing silent witness to centuries of conflict and change. Though much about its history remains…
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What Are Sweden’s Christmas Traditions?
I grew up in a home where Swedish Christmas Traditions were essential to our celebrations. Christmas for us was the most important holiday of the year. Sweden has many Christmas celebrations, but some of the important ones we celebrate in our family each year are the advent candles, St. Lucia: Christmas Eve, and a Julotta…
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Beginners Swedish Genealogy, Find Your Relatives In Sweden
My mother, Anne-Marie Hellqvist Hummel, has been doing Swedish genealogy research for 50 years. She is an expert in understanding Swedish Genealogy. I wrote this blog while talking to my mothers and getting her input on what she saw as the most important aspects of Swedish genealogy. These are her suggestions for what a beginner…
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Anne-Marie’s Unintentional Immigration To America (1952)
Would you have the courage to travel alone to America at age 20 when you couldn’t speak much English? My grandmother, Anne Marie, was born in 1931 in Stockholm, Sweden. She lived in Sweden until 1952 when she decided to go to America. In the 1950s, American movies and music were very popular in Europe.…
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Are Swedish People Slavic? The Origins of Sweden Explained
A question that many people ask is if Swedish people are of a Slavic origin? Many people assume that Sweden may have some Slavic origins because Sweden is very close to this part of the world. Swedish people do not have Slavic origins but come from Northern Germanic people. Since the beginning of Sweden, Northern…