Gustavus Adolphus College will welcome Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden to campus on Friday, Oct. 5. The royal visit is in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the College by Swedish immigrants in 1862.
While in Minnesota, Their Majesties will also spend time at the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in Minneapolis on Oct. 4 and 6, in honor of the dedication of ASI’s new Carl and Leslie Nelson Cultural Center.
“The American Swedish Institute and Gustavus Adolphus College are important links between Sweden and the United States,” remarked Ambassador of Sweden to the United States, H.E. Jonas Hafström. “The American Swedish Institute offers our community an exemplary calendar of arts and culture programming that celebrates heritage and connects to contemporary Nordic culture. Gustavus’ annual Nobel Conference was the first ongoing conference in the United States to have the official authorization of The Nobel Foundation and annually brings together over 5,000 participants with the world’s foremost scholars and researchers.”
Their Majesties will arrive at Gustavus at approximately 10:15 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 5, and will be greeted by 1,000 school-aged children and other members of the public near the entrance of Eckman Mall. The schedule for the day is as follows:
10:15 a.m. / Welcoming Processional / Eckman Mall / Open to the public
10:30 a.m. / Festival Worship Service / Christ Chapel / Ticket required, event sold out
11:30 a.m. / Private showing of Hillstrom Museum of Art exhibit and private luncheon
2 p.m. / Sesquicentennial Plaza Dedication / Sesquicentennial Plaza (West of Christ Chapel) / Open to the public
2:30 p.m. / Concurrent seminars / Björling Recital Hall and Christ Chapel / Ticket required, events sold out
Those on campus on Friday are also welcome to visit the Hillstrom Museum of Art, which is currently showing the exhibit 150 Years of Swedish Art: Highlights from the Swedish National Collections in Stockholm (Moderna Museet and Nationalmuseum). The exhibit features forty-four paintings – many of which have never left the country of Sweden until now – that provide an overview of the history of Swedish art from about 1862 until the present time.
Information on Afternoon Seminars
A seminar panel discussion titled “From Global to Local: Teaching and Living Environmental Sustainability” will take place in Björling Recital Hall and will include Swedish Ambassador to the United States Jonas Hafström speaking on behalf of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf. The discussion will be moderated by former Speaker of the Minnesota House and Gustavus alumna Margaret Anderson Kelliher ’90.
At the same time, a seminar panel discussion titled “Protecting and Supporting the World’s Women and Children” will take place in Christ Chapel. The discussion will feature remarks from Her Majesty the Queen and will be moderated by State Representative and Gustavus professor Terry Morrow.
History
This is the third time His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Her Majesty the Queen Silvia have visited Gustavus together. Their previous visits occurred in 1982 and 1996. King Carl XVI Gustaf also visited Gustavus in 1976 during the U.S. Bicentennial.
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