Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center

Join our May virtual genealogy club meeting on Monday 18 May at 6pm Central US. We'll talk about genealogy research in Västergötland, Sweden. Free for Swenson Center members. Do you have ancestry from there? Tell us about your successes and struggles. Click on the link below and then the RSVP button. Enter your contact info to receive the Zoom link 24 hours beforehand.

Genealogy Club, May 2026 | Swenson Center Research in Västergötland Province

A Swedish tradition greeting the coming of spring is kosläpp (letting the cows out), which is when farms release their cows out into the fields after a long winter in the barns. The event, typically sponsored by dairy firms making arrangement with local farmers, is hugely popular, drawing more than 200,000 people and selling out quickly.

Released to feed on their own on grass and dandelions, the cows jump and prance to the delight of onlookers, who, it is claimed, primarily come from urban areas far from any livestock. For this year's festivities, my daughter even color-coordinated with the happy bovines, but that is not a requirement.

Sign up for our April 20th virtual genealogy club meeting. Geoffrey Fröberg Morris will tell us about naming customs in Sweden. Free for Swenson Center members; $10 nonmembers. RSVP at the link below to receive the Zoom link 24 hours before. Välkomna!

Genealogy Club, April 2026 | Swenson Center Have you been confused by a first or last name in Swedish records? Maybe you cannot find your ancestor because their given name was recorded differently? Or, maybe their last name changed completely? But why would a person change their last name?