Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
Gustavus Adolphus College has announced that members of the public as well as the College community will have the opportunity to enter a lottery to obtain tickets to public events when Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden visit the College on Friday, Oct. 5.
Their Majesties will visit Gustavus Adolphus College and the American Swedish Institute in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Gustavus by Swedish immigrants in 1862 and in honor of the dedication of the American Swedish Institute’s new Nelson Cultural Center. Events at Gustavus will occur Friday, Oct. 5, while events at the American Swedish Institute will occur Saturday, Oct. 6.
Ticketed events at Gustavus include a Festival Worship Service in Christ Chapel at 10:30 a.m. and two concurrent afternoon seminars at 2:30 p.m. A seminar panel discussion titled “From Global to Local: Teaching and Living Environmental Sustainability” will include Swedish Ambassador to the United States Jonas Hafström speaking on behalf of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf. A second seminar panel discussion titled “Protecting and Supporting the World’s Women and Children” will include remarks by Her Majesty Queen Silvia. Those interested in attending these ticketed events can enter the lottery online at gustavus.edu/royalvisit.
There will also be several opportunities to see the Royal Couple at non-ticketed events. The public is invited to line Eckman Mall at approximately 10:15 a.m. to welcome Their Majesties as they arrive on campus for the day’s events and to line the sidewalks at approximately 11:30 a.m. at the conclusion of the worship service as Their Majesties make their way from Christ Chapel to the Jackson Campus Center. The public is also invited to attend the dedication of the Sesquicentennial Plaza on the west side of Christ Chapel at 2 p.m. In addition, campus visitors are welcome to visit the Hillstrom Museum of Art at any time to view the exhibition 150 Years of Swedish Art: Highlights from the Swedish National Collection in Stockholm (Moderna Museet and Nationalmuseum). The exhibition will be on display from Sept. 12 to Nov. 6 and is open to the public without charge.
If you have questions regarding the lottery system, please contact the Office of the President at 507-933-7538 or presidentevents@gustavus.edu.
Full Schedule for Friday, Oct. 5
- 10:15 a.m. / Welcoming Processional / Eckman Mall
- 10:30 a.m. / Festival Worship Service / Christ Chapel
- 2 p.m. / Sesquicentennial Plaza Dedication / Sesquicentennial Plaza (West of Christ Chapel)
- 2:30 p.m. / Concurrent seminars / Björling Recital Hall and Christ Chapel
During Their Majesties’ visit, they will have a viewing of the 150 Years of Swedish Art exhibit and will also attend a lunch in Alumni Hall and a dinner in the Twin Cities. These events are closed to the public.
Gustavus and Sweden: Background Information
Gustavus values its strong long-term relationship with Sweden, which will be celebrated and deepened on this, the fourth visit to campus by Their Majesties. The ties between the College and Sweden were strengthened in 1950 with a partnership between the College and the Bernadotte Foundation when the College’s library was named in memory of Count Folke Bernadotte. The partnership established an annual symposium on world affairs, created scholarships for foreign students to study at Gustavus, and resulted in the use of the three crowns as the College’s logo.
Since the College’s Centennial in 1962 and to strengthen the partnership between the College and Sweden, a number of facilities on the campus have been named to honor the College’s Swedish heritage. Additionally, more than 5,000 attendees annually participate in the Nobel Conference, nearly 100 Nobel Laureates have been honored by the College with honorary degrees, and the College has developed a nationally recognized Scandinavian Studies program and offers well established study away programs in Sweden.
Special Note to Media Outlets
If you and your media organization are interested in press credentials for any of the events on Friday, Oct. 5, at Gustavus, please contact Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Matt Thomas at 507-933-7510 or mthomas@gustavus.edu.
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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510