Swedish News

Swedish swimmer breaks more records. Students design a wind turbine for Tanzania. Where did the summer go? Gothenburg's Central Park. Swedish ties to terror attacks. Milk prices bounce back. Very expensive housing. 

  • Engineering students work on a wind turbine at the Dome of Visions in Stockholm. The Dome of Visions, on the KTH Campus, is a visionary and inspirational meeting place where visitors are invited to engage in discussions about a sustainable future. Photo by Windpower for Tanzania

  • Swedish swimmer breaks more records
    Swim star Sarah Sjöström is no stranger to winning swimming competitions. With over 50 awards to her name, this Swedish athlete stunned the crowds with her wins at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Taking time off after the Olympics to rest, travel and unwind, Sjöström felt that competitive spirit grow as she looked to continue her swimming success at the Mare Nostrum competition in Monaco where she broke three swim meet records in one day.

  • One of the quiet areas within Slottsskogen park in Gothenburg.

  • Students design a wind turbine for Tanzania
    The Royal Institute of Technology is known for its forward-thinking curriculum and a group of Swedish students is creating a prototype of a small-scale wind turbine that will bring electricity to people in Tanzania who don’t have access to a reliable power grid. Rather than build a large-scale structure, these students hope to create an independent source of power that has the ability to provide electricity to a school or hospital. They will fly to Tanzania on June 16 to show local residents how to assemble and maintain the wind turbine so people are truly independent and self-sufficient.

  • The Dome of Visions at The Royal Institute of Technology was built in 2015.

  • Where did the summer go?
    It’s long been an inside joke that summer in Sweden is the best week of the year, but this season many are wondering if there will be any sunshine at all. With record amounts of rain, many Swedes are facing the prospect of a cold and wet Midsommar. Forecasters say when it does rain in June, there’s nothing “lagom” about it as the skies let loose with showers that soak even the hardiest Swede. It’s hoped that July and August will see a return of the sun and warmer temperatures.

  • A map of the 338-acre Slottsskogen park and recreation area in Gothenburg.

  • Gothenburg's Central Park
    In an effort to bring more sports-focused activities to Slottsskogen, a popular Gothenburg park and recreation area often compared to Central Park in New York, the city is getting rid of a large portion of their parking lot to make way for an activity park. A competition for best architectural design is underway and construction is set for fall. Slottsskogen will be celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2021 along with Gothenburg, but some people are concerned the reduction in parking will actually limit the accessibility for families with small children or the elderly and disabled who depend on parking spaces to enjoy the park.

  • Sarah Sjöström with her gold medal after the 100-meter butterfly final. Photo: Bildbyrån

  • Swedish ties to terror attacks
    The attack on a French guard in Paris on June 6 has been tied to an Algerian student who studied journalism in Sweden in 2006–2008 and worked for various newspapers and radio stations in Gothenburg and Stockholm in 2009 and 2010. The attack happened outside Notre Dame, where the perpetrator attacked a French guard with a hammer. No one who knew him had any suspicions he might pose a terrorist threat.

  • Milk prices bounce back
    After seeing a dip in the price of milk, Swedish farmers are celebrating a return to what they consider normal market prices. With an increase in demand this year, many farmers say the extra cash is coming in handy but because farming is never completely secure, they still anticipate the market will rise and fall more than it used to as globalization affects the world markets.

  • Very expensive housing
    The housing market in Sweden continues to soar with record-setting prices in Gothenburg making the news. A new apartment, not yet built, was recently sold for 24 million kronor ($2,776,000). Double the price of other units in the area, this apartment boasts access to a gym, yoga studio, pool, and spa. Part of a trend in luxury living, it is expected that Gothenburg will see a rise in the development and sale of more expensive housing units in the near future.