Swedish News

Did Wallenberg live longer than previously thought? Expensive bicycles. Princess Madeleine present at the Royal Swedish Academy’s Commemoration. Anders “Lillen” Eklund dies.  

  • Did Wallenberg live longer than previously thought?
    New facts surrounding the death of Raoul Wallenberg has emerged, and these may change earlier stories. Historians have revealed that the Swedish diplomat, who was known for his heroic efforts in Budapest in 1944-1945, when he rescued a large number of Jews from deportation, was most likely “prisoner nr. 7”. Susanne Berger and Vadim Birstein, two respected researchers in the Wallenberg case, have received new information from Russian authorities; information that implies Wallenberg could have been alive after July 17. The Russian security service FSB has stated in a letter that a "prisoner nr 7" was questioned on July 23 in 1947 and that he "most likely" was Raoul Wallenberg. The new material states the following: The Lubjanka prison in Moscow, July 23, 1947. According to the official version, six days have passed since Wallenberg died. A guard notes in the prison register that S Kartasjov from the security service is questioning the prisoner Vilmos Langfelder and his cellmate Sandor Katona during 16 hours. During the interrogation from two in the morning until the following evening, Kartasjov questions also a "prisoner nr 7". At different moments between six and seven pm, the three prisoners are brought through the guardroom again. Says Berger: “This is sensational! This is the first time that Russian authorities admit that Raoul Wallenberg may have been alive after July 17 in 1947.” The old version, the so-called Gromyko’s memorandum, stated that Wallenberg was executed in the Lubjanka prison on July 17 in 1947. Adds Berger: “The new information would mean that Gromyko's memorandum is obsolete. The Russian authorities have this time shown a new openness and if the new information is confirmed, it is the most spectacular information from Russia in the last fifty years.”

  • Expensive bicycles.
    More and more Swedes bike to work and school, and these cyclists choose expensive bicycles. According to fresh statistics, the numbers of pedaling commuters in Sweden have doubled in the past 10 years. At the same time inexpensive bicycles have lost their appeal. Today Swedes are willing to shell out money on expensive bikes, and the trend right now is for colorful bicycles. And forget exotic models, it’s much more important to have a good old-fashioned bike, most popular is the so-called “landsvägsracer”. Swedes are also using helmets more than before, and there are new helmets with clever designs. “There are helmets that look like hats,” says Berit Gibbs at Cykel-motor- och sportfackhandlarna. The only problem is that city planning is lagging somewhat. There aren’t enough new bike lanes, and more parking places for bicycles are needed.

  • Princess Madeleine present at the Royal Swedish Academy’s Commemoration.
    When the Royal Swedish Academy held their commemoration at the Konserthuset (the Concert Hall) in Stockholm recently, a radiant Princess Madeleine was present. The princess distributed the Göran Gustafsson prizes, the most important national prizes when it comes to research within the natural sciences. The five prize-winners shared the 23 million SEK ($3,197,577.51). The winners were: Pär Kurlberg, Bernhard Mehlig, Yi Luo, Johan Elf and William Agace. Christer Fuglesang also returned the Wargentin Medal, a medal that has followed him 240 turns around planet Earth. The medal is named after Pehr Wargentin, a Swedish astronomer and demographer.

  • Anders “Lillen” Eklund dies.
    The famous Swedish boxer Anders “Lillen” Eklund has died. He was 52 years old. His friend and manager Olof Johansson told Dagens Nyheter: “It’s very sad. Everyone ought to have a long life, but Anders lived in the margins with both heart problems in the family and diabetes.” Eklund was a carpenter when he began his boxing career in the mid 1970’s. “He meant a lot for the sport,” says Johansson. “He came out when there were no real stars around, and captured a phenomenal interest as one of the most important and greatest among the heavy weight boxers.” A loss at the Moscow Olympics in 1980 strangely became a launching pad for an enormously successful career. Out of 81 amateur matches, Eklund won 57. And of 25 professional matches, he won 19. In 1988 he became the American World Boxing Association master. But Johansson explains that there was more to Eklund than boxing: “He had more strings to his bow: He liked to play the guitar, bluegrass, he was really good at that. But he could also be melancholy, his career was like a rollercoaster and he was upset about how media sometimes portrayed him.” Eklund fought his last match in 1990, when he won against the Brit Garing Lane. He is survived by two grown children: a daughter and a son.