Preserving the Legacy of the New Sweden Colony in America

The Swedish Colonial Society

97 Wanamaker Avenue
Essington, PA 19029

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Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church
916 S. Swanson St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147-4332

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The Swedish Colonial Society

Enjoy the benefits of membership

Essays

The Swedish Colonial Society By: Herbert R. Rambo

Founded in 1909 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,by a group of 24 prominent academics and cultural historians, The Swedish Colonial Society is America’s oldest Swedish historical organization and unique in this country because of its relationship to the Swedish Royal Family and the Swedish government.

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The Hymnody of Andreas Rudman in New Sweden, Delaware (1696-1708) by: Rev. Dr. Kim-Eric Williams

Hymnals were not usually available in Swedish parish churches, each family having brought its own copy from home to the services … The dedication of Gloria Dei was probably the occasion for Rudman’s publication of the first of the two hymnals in 1700. He no doubt also took them around on his many home visits and used them with his own portable spinet.

With these two collections the Swedish musical traditions were reinvigorated and the people did learn to sing.

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The astonishing story of Hans Månsson, the Crowns Abbey garden in Varnhem and the death sentence in the Valle judicial district

The Abbey garden in Varnhem acquired by the Crown after 1527: The history of chopped down fruit trees 100 years later, a death sentence and the colony of New Sweden in colonial America – A very unlikely story.

This one of a kind story that we are about to tell actually starts in Hanaskede, Wing (Axvall), with the birth of Hans Månsson in 1612.

Mary Ann Royal, USA, searched for relatives in this part of the world due to DNA-research. And in the digital age, she was able to trace her family tree back 10 generations to discover Hans Månsson, her direct ancestor. The Skarke-Varnhem historical society decided, with Mary Anne’s help, to tell this unique historical story and this page is the result of our efforts.

Click here to read more of the work done by the Varham historical society!