Famous Smålanders

Astrid Lindgren – the creator of Pippi, Emil, Ronja, and Madicken – told stories about Småland of the past like no one else. The tales of Emil from Katthult in the parish of Lönneberga vividly capture the essence of old Småland. There’s much to say about our beloved Astrid – she can best be experienced, aside from her books, in Astrid Lindgrens World, her childhood home Näs in Vimmerby, and Filmbyn Småland in Mariannelund.

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Vilhelm Moberg, in his four famous novels, which have been translated into 42 languages, tells the story of Karl-Oskar, Kristina, and 20 other farmers from Ljuder and their emigration to the USA in the 1860s. However, it is also a grand epic about the fate of emigrants worldwide, both past and present. In 2000, he was named the most popular Swedish author of the century by the Swedish people. In the Emigrants’ land between Växjö and Kalmar, you can recognize place names from the books and films. The 110 km “Utvandrarleden” hiking trail runs through the area, and in Växjö, “The House of Emigrants” features exhibitions.

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The global company IKEA had very humble beginnings in the 1940s when the young Ingvar Kamprad cycled around the villages near the parish of Agunnaryd, selling pens and shoelaces. Later, he began selling mail-order packages delivered from the milk stand in Elmtaryd. With Småland’s energy and determination, he and his coworkers developed IKEA into one of the world’s most famous brands. IKEA simply stands for: “Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd.” Today in Älmhult, you can visit the IKEA Museum, which tells the full story of the company.

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