|
New Sweden History Conference focuses on The Forest Finns at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia, November 3rd starting at 9am.
The Forest Finns were an important Nordic cultural group that emigrated from Finland into Sweden and then to North America through the New Sweden colony (1638-1655) on the lower Delaware River. The conference will examine Forest Finn culture in Europe and North America, and the broader Finnish material culture legacy for the United States. Five scholars will discuss various aspects of this little discussed group and examine their impact on North America.
Registration, continental breakfast and Swedish inspired lunch provided by the ASHM Auxiliary, costs $40 per person, $30 for students and teachers. Registration deadline is Monday, October 22nd. Call 215-389-1776 to register.
Program Schedule
9- 9:30 Registration
9:30 Welcome
9:45 Morning Presentations
Maud Wedin “The Evolution of Forest Finn Culture in Finland and Scandinavia in the 16th and 17th Centuries”
10:30 Ronald Hendrickson, “’On this shore a home established … ‘: An Introduction to the Forest Finns in America.”
11:15 Jan Myhrvold, “Perspectives on Family Names and Migration before 1821: Studies on the Forest Finn Ethnicity in Dalarna and the Swedish-Norwegian Border Area”
12:00 Lunch & optional self-guided tour of the museum
1:00 Afternoon Presentation
Lu Ann De Cunzo, “The ‘Cultures of Agriculture’ in 17th-Century New Sweden“
1:45 Frank Eld, “Finnish Vernacular Log Structures in New Sweden and North America”
2:30 Recap and Announcement of 2013 Program
| 
