Page 604 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

602  SC ANDINA VIA

than Denmark. In the 18th century, the nearly one million Swedes migrated,
Swedes contributed to Europe’s Age mostly to America. Their departure
of Enlightenment with advances in was a sobering lesson to those that
science and major developments in remained, inspiring the philosophy of
the arts, especially under the cradle-to-grave care that was put
patronage of Gustav III. He into practice in 20th-century
opened the magnificent Sweden’s welfare state.
Royal Opera House in 1782, In a single century, Sweden
and was responsible for the grew from a poor rural
construction of the Royal economy to a leading industrial
Dramatic Theater in 1788. nation. The 1990s saw many
By 1809, Sweden’s military significant changes take place.
power had waned to such an Engineering expanded rapidly,
extent that the country was particularly in the field of
forced to surrender Finland to Karl XII of Sweden telecommunications, led by the
Russia. A new constitution (1697–1718), the Ericsson company. Sweden
transferred power from the king “warrior king” joined the EU, and the church
to Parliament, marking the severed its role with the state after
beginning of Sweden’s democratic more than 400 years. In the year 2000,
monarchy. In the early 19th century, Malmö in Sweden and the Danish capital
Sweden was also a poor country, of Copenhagen were connected by the
suffering from stagnation in agriculture completion of the Öresund Bridge,
and trade. In the course of the century, symbolic of the long-standing friendship
that has replaced the animosity between
these once warring nations.
KEY DATES IN SWEDISH HISTORY
AD 800–1060 Era of the Swedish Vikings Language and Culture
13th century Hanseatic League of German Swedish belongs to the northern group
merchants at height of its power in Sweden
1397 Kalmar Union links the Nordic countries of Germanic languages, along with
1523 Gustav Vasa becomes king of an independent Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, and
Sweden Faeroese. Various dialects are spoken,
1611–32 Reign of Gustav II Adolf, whose campaigns most notably in Skåne, southern Sweden,
turn Sweden into a great European power where the accent is almost Danish.
1718 Death of Karl XII, Sweden’s last great military A nation of nature lovers, the Swedes
king, at siege of Fredriksten in Norway are apt to retreat to their country cottages
1721 Sweden cedes Baltic provinces to Russia
in all seasons. Deeply traditional, they love
1772 Gustav III crowned and mounts coup d’état
giving the monarchy absolute power their rituals, from maypole dances at
1809 Sweden loses Finland to Russia midsummer to the St. Lucia procession
1814 Sweden gains Norway from Denmark in December. Beneath their reserve, the
1869 Emigration to North America increases due to Swedes are a friendly people, their
crop failure warmth readily unleashed with a skål
1905 Parliament dissolves union with Norway (toast) and a round of schnapps.
1939 Sweden declares neutrality in World War II Swedes are open-minded, trend-hungry,
1995 Sweden joins European Union and tech-friendly. Stockholm offers the
2000 Öresund Bridge opens, finally connecting latest in design and architecture, and
Sweden and Denmark Sweden has become increasingly
2003 Single European currency rejected multicultural. While this new Sweden
2010 Crown Princess Victoria marries Daniel Westling doesn’t always blend easily with the
2012 Princess Estelle born to Crown Princess Victoria old, most Swedes recognize that the
and Prince Daniel
country is richer for its diversity.

600-603_EW_Europe.indd 602 14/07/16 10:45 am