Swedish Speaking Population in the Baltic Countries

Last modified: 2004-07-31 by
Keywords: sweden | baltics | estonia | latvia | lithuania | scandinavian cross |
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• Situation
• Proposal from Andersson
• Earlier Proposal
• Swedish Speaking Population in Estonia

See also:

• Sweden
• Denmark
• Finland
• Estonia
• Latvia
• Lithuania

Situation

The Baltic countries used to have a Swedish speaking population early this century.
Jan Oskar Engene, 20 March 1996

This could be changed into Estonia, for neither Latvia nor Lithuania has never had a Swedish-speaking minority.
Mikael Parkvall, 27 July 2004

Proposal from Andersson

by Jan Oskar Engene and Antonio Martins , 13 March 2000

The flag described by Andersson [and94] was proposed in 1992, but I am unsure whether this means there are still native Swedish speakers to be represented by the flag. Anyway, the flag is yellow-red-white, in proportions 16 : 25,6 (6-1-2-1-6 : 7,6-1-2-1-14). The colours come from the flags of the Nordic countries with closest ties to the area (Denmark, Finland and Sweden).
Jan Oskar Engene, 20 March 1996

Earlier Proposal

by Jan Oskar Engene and Antonio Martins , 13 March 2000

An earlier proposal was yellow-blue-white..
Jan Oskar Engene, 20 March 1996

Swedish Speaking Population in Estonia

by Mikael Parkvall, 27 July 2004

I just visited Estonia and met with some of the last remaining Swedish-speakers there. About 90% of them fled to Sweden during World War II, and most of those who never made it there have died during the past 60 years. There are probably a couple of dozen people living in Estonia today who were born in the country as native speakers of Swedish.
Anyway, during the first half of the 20th century, they had an organisation called "Svenska Odlingens Vänner" (=friends of Swedish culture), which still exists, but which has been based in Stockholm since the exodus. In a 1994 issue of their journal "Kustbon" ('the Coast dweller'), I found a photograph from 1924 depicting the flag of the association. I have no idea about the proportions of the flag, but for this sketch, I simply used those of the Estonian flag.
Since the society still exists, it could be that they still use the flag. That could easily be checked, but I have not made an effort to do so.
Mikael Parkvall, 27 July 2004