Estonian Swedes
Regions with significant populations | |
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Finland-Swedes, Swedes, Baltic Germans |
The Estonian Swedes, or Estonia-Swedes (Swedish: estlandssvenskar, colloquially aibofolke, "island people"; Estonian: eestirootslased), or "Coastal Swedes" (Estonian: rannarootslased) are a Swedish-speaking minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia. During World War II, almost all of the remaining Swedish-speaking minority escaped from the Soviet invasion of Estonia and fled to Sweden in 1944. Only the descendants of a few individuals who stayed behind are permanent residents in Estonia today.
History
Early history
The Swedish-speaking population in Estonia persisted for about 650 years. The first written mention of the Swedish population in Estonia comes from 1294, in the laws of the town of
Swedish Estonia
In 1561, Sweden established the
Russian rule
After the
Forced emigrations
At certain times during
Conditions improve
The Estonian Swedes' positions improved during the 1850s and 1860s, due to further agrarian reforms, but discrimination remained during the rest of the period of Tsarist rule in Estonia. After the
World War II
In 1939, the
Today
Today, small groups of remaining Estonian Swedes are regrouping and re-establishing their heritage, by studying Swedish language and culture. They are led by the Estonian Swedish Council, which is backed by the Estonian government. In 2000, Swedes were the 21st largest ethnic group in Estonia, numbering only 300.[4] There are however many Estonian Swedes and descendants of Estonian Swedes residing in Sweden.
Areas of population and demographics
Population figures during the early centuries of Swedish settlement are not available. At the end of the Teutonic period, there were probably around 1,000 Estonian Swedish families, with some 1,500 Swedes in the capital Tallinn (Swedish: Reval), giving a total population of roughly 5–7 thousand, some 2–3% of the population of what is now Estonia at the time.
The 1897
The 1922 census gives Estonia a total population of 1,107,059[6][7] of which Estonian Swedes made up only 0.7%, some 7,850 people,[6][8] who made up majorities in some places, such as Ruhnu (Swedish: Runö), Vormsi (Swedish: Ormsö), Riguldi (Swedish: Rickull). It dropped slightly to 7,641 in 1934.[9] By the time of the Second World War, the population was nearly 10,000, and roughly 9,000 of these people fled to Sweden.[citation needed] Towns with large pre-war Swedish populations include Haapsalu (Swedish: Hapsal) and Tallinn (Swedish: Reval).
After World War II, the numbers stayed fairly stable: there were 435 Estonian Swedes in 1970, 254 in 1979 and 297 in 1989, when they placed 26th on the list of Estonia's minority groups (before the Second World War, they were third in number, after Russians and Germans). The 2000 census shows a number of 300, placing Swedes at 20th on the list of Estonia's minority groups.[4] However, only 211 of them are Estonian citizens. Since all do not claim their real ethnic background, some have estimated the real number of Estonian Swedes in Estonia to be about 1,000.[10]
Language
The Estonian Swedish
Notable individuals
Gallery
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Vormsi Orthodox Church]
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Kyrkslätt in Finland
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Väike küla (Swedish: Lillbyn) onVäike-Pakri(Swedish: Lilla Rågö) in 1934
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Aerial photo of Kurkse (Swedish: Korkis) in 1934
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Aerial photo of av Alliklepa (Swedish: Aklop) in 1934
See also
References
- ^ "Statistika andmebaas – Vali tabel". andmed.stat.ee. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011.
- ISBN 978-9985-74-202-0. Archivedfrom the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ISBN 951-717-806-9(in Finnish)
- ^ ISBN 9985-74-202-8. Archived from the original(PDF) on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
- ^ "Demoscope Weekly – Annex. Statistical indicators reference". www.demoscope.ru. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011.
- ^ a b Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo (1924). "1922 a. üldrahvalugemise andmed. Vihk II. Üleriikline kokkuvõte. Tabelid" (PDF) (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
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(help) - ^ "Population in counties and towns, 1922". Statistics Estonia. 12 January 2008. Archived from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
- ^ "Ethnic minorities in Estonia: past and present". Estonian Institute. 26 December 1998. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
- ^ Riigi Statistika Keskbüroo (1937). "Rahvastikuprobleeme Eestis. II Rahvaloenduse tulemusi. Vihk IV" (PDF) (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
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: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ "Fortbildningscentralen vid Åbo Akademi". web.abo.fi. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
- ^ "5 reasons to go to Hiiumaa out of peak season". Visitestonia.com. 2 February 2022. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
External links
- Svenska Yle Arkivet: Estlandssvenskar 1991 och 1998[permanent dead link]
- Svenska Yle Arkivet: Estlandssvenskar på Ormsö 1989 Archived 8 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- Brief information about verbs in Estonian Swedish in the 19th century
- Estonian Institute: Estonian Swedes
- Estonian Swedes embrace cultural autonomy rights
- Ethnic Minorities in Estonia
- Gammalsvenskby: the true story of Swedish settlement in Ukraine
- Statistics Estonia: Population by Ethnic Group, Nationality, Mother Tongue, and Citizenship
- Estlandssvenskarna i Estland – har upprättat kulturellt självstyre [permanent dead link] (In Swedish)
- Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Rußwurm: Eibofolke oder die Schweden an der Küste Esthlands und auf Runö, eine ethnographische Untersuchung mit Urkunden, Tabellen und lithographirten Beilagen. Reval 1855. E-Text (In German)