Welcome to Kalmar - Sweden and to the 158th edition of the Forum Song Contest (FSC).
Theme: ‘Time of the Swedish Empire’
Winner FSC March 2022
Congratulations! ^^
The Host city for this FSC #158-edition is : Kalmar - Sweden , the third largest town of the south-
western region of Småland, with a population of ca 40.000 inhabitants. It is situated by the Baltic
Sea and connected to the island of Öland with the Öland bridge. Since 2010 it's a University town
(the Linnaeus University) and historically it has been one of the most important towns of Sweden
It is well known for its Cathedral and for a while had its own bishop , and the Kalmar Castle which
historically was of great importance for the Swedish Royal Houses. The town is known for the his
toric Kalmar Union, a union between countries agreed at Kalmar, Sweden, that from 1397 to 1523
would be joined under a single monarch , the three kingdoms of Denmark , Sweden , and Norway.
Legally, the countries remained separate sovereign states. However, their domestic & foreign poli
cies were directed by a common monarch. Gustav Vasas election as King of Sweden on 6th June
1523, & his triumphant entry into Stockholm 11 days later, marked Sweden's final secession from
the Kalmar Union. Formally, the Danish king acknowledged Sweden's independence in year 1524.
Småland is home to some of the most famous Swedes like 18th century botanist Carl von Linné,
who in his famous book ‘Systema Natura’ did the classification of plants and animals in Latin wh
ich are still used to this very day in science all over the globe. It's also home to the world famous
children's books author Astrid Lindgren ( famous for her characters Pippi & Emil of Lönneberga )
The area around Kalmar, has been inhabited since ancient times . Excavations have found traces
of Stone Age gravefields. However, the oldest evidence for there being a town is from the 11th ce
ntury. According to a medieval folk tale , the famous Norwegian King Saint Olav (Olaf Haraldsson
, King of Norway from 1015 to 1028) had his ships moved to Kalmar though historians doubt this
The oldest city seal of Kalmar , is from somewhere between 1255 & 1267 , making it arguably the
oldest known city seal in Scandinavia. In the 12th century the 1st foundations of a castle were es
tablished, with the construction of a round tower for guard & lookout . The tower was continuous
ly expanded in the 13th century , & the Kalmar Union treaty was signed there in the tower in 1397
Kalmar's strategic location, near the Danish border & its harbour and trade, also involved it in sev
eral feuds . There are two events independently labelled the Kalmar Bloodbath , 1505 : the first in
1505, when King John of Denmark , Norway, and Sweden had the mayor & city council of Kalmar
executed; the second in 1599 by command of Duke Charles, the later King Charles IX of Sweden.
In the 1540s, first King Gustav Vasa, and later his 2 sons Erik XIV of Sweden & John III of Sweden
would organize a rebuilding of the castle, into the magnificent Renaissance castle it is today . Kal
mar became a diocese in 1603, a position it held until 1915. In 1634, Kalmar County was founded
with Kalmar as natural capital. In 1660, Kalmar Cathedral was begun , it was inaugurated in 1703.
After the Treaty of Roskilde, in 1658 the strategic importance of Kalmar gradually diminished , as
the borders were redrawn further south. In 1689, the King established his main naval base further
south in Karlskrona , & Kalmar lost its status as one of Sweden's main military outposts. The new
city of Kalmar , planned using baroque patterns, was built on Kvarnholmen around the mid-1600s
‘Time of the Swedish Empire’
‘Stormaktstiden’
The Swedish Empire (“Stormaktstiden”) was a European great power that exercised territorial con
trol over much of the Baltic region, during the 17th and early 18th centuries . The beginning of the
empire is usually taken as the reign of Gustavus Adolphus, who ascended the throne in 1611, and
its end as the loss of territories in 1721 , following the Great Northern War. Sweden emerged as a
great European power, under Axel Oxenstierna (a Swedish statesman) and King Gustavus Adolph
us . As a result of acquiring territories seized from Russia and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwe
alth, as well as its involvement in the Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648), Sweden found itself transf
ormed into the leader of Protestantism (form of Christianity that originated with the Reformation)
At the conclusion of the Thirty Years' War, the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 granted Sweden territ
ories as war reparations. Sweden demanded Silesia , Pomerania (that had been in its possession
since the Treaty of Stettin ('Alliance of Stettin', 1630)), & a war indemnity of 20.000.000 Riksdaler.
After the peaces of Brömsebro (ending a conflict between Sweden and Denmark-Norway in 1645
what was named the "Torstenson War" after the Swedish General Torstenson) & Westphalia, Swe
den was the third-largest area of control in Europe by land area only surpassed by Russia & Spain
After the victories in the Thirty Years' War, where Sweden managed to conquer approximately half
of the member states , of the Holy Roman Empire , Sweden reached the climax of the great-power
era during the Second Northern War, when its primary adversary, Denmark–Norway, was neutraliz
ed by the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 (this is when the Swedish Empire was at its largest extent, un
der the rule of King Charles X Gustav (Karl Gustav), the King of Sweden from 1654 until his death)
Sweden founded overseas colonies principally in the NewWorld. New Sweden was founded in the
valley of the Delaware River , in 1638 , & Sweden later laid claim to a number of Caribbean islands
A string of Swedish forts & trading posts , was constructed along the coast of West Africa as well
Sweden emerged from the The Russo-Swedish War of 1656–1658 not only a military power but al
so one of the largest states of Europe , possessing more than twice as much territory , as modern
Sweden . The land area of Sweden was 1.100.000 km2 . While modern Sweden is bounded by the
Baltic, during the 17th century the Baltic formed a bond between various widely dispersed domini
ons. Sweden would remain a regional power of varying success until the 19th century but the Gre
at Northern War (that was from 1700 and onwards) put an end to Sweden's time as a great power
The Kalmar Cathedral was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder ( an important Swedish arch
itect ), and is one of the foremost examples of baroque classicism in Sweden. Its design reflects
the complex interaction between the new style , liturgical considerations , tradition and the fortre
ss-city requirements. It is one of the signature buildings in the city and a must-see for all visitors.
In more recent times, Kalmar has been an industrial city with Kalmar Verkstad making steam eng
ines, trains and large machinery, later bought by Bombardier who closed the factory in 2005. A sh
ipyard, Kalmar Varv, was founded in 1679 and closed 1981. Volvo opened their Kalmar factory for
building cars in 1974 , but closed it in 1994 . The global company IKEA , was founded in Småland.
Kalmar has a University with over 9.000 students, and a research facility for Telia Sonera (a Swed
ish multinational telecom company and mobile network operator present in Scandinavia, Finland,
and the Baltics) . Kalmar has embarked on a comprehensive program to reduce fossil fuel use. A
large wood pulp plant harnesses the steam & hot water it once released as waste to provide heat
Bicycle lanes are common ; for example , the Kalmarsundsleden, and cars line up at Kalmar city's
public biogas pump . Building codes , now require thermal insulation & efficient windows for new
construction or retrofits . An environment-friendly city it is . Climate wise , Kalmar has oceanic cli
mate with some continental influences; Summers are warm & winters fairly cold (often around 0)
Noteable local people from the region are : Ingvar Kamprad (founded IKEA), Vilhelm Moberg (one
of Sweden's most famous authors , and known for his novels about Swedish emigration, to USA),
Astrid Lindgren (aforementioned famous author) , Carl Gustaf Mosander (famous Swedish chem
ist who discovered lanthanum , erbium and terbium), and the “ Schlager Queen ” Lena Philipsson.
City Sights: Kalmar Castle, Gamla Stan, Kalmar County Museum, Kalmar Art Museum, Kalmar Ca
thedral (located in Stortorget, the main city square; the building is very well preserved and consid
ered one of the most important monuments of the Swedish Empire) the Krusenstierna Garden (a
city garden from the 1800s) , ‘A World of Dinosaurs’ (a popular 'dino-park') , and the Öland Bridge.
Kalmar has its share of hotels , restaurants, bars, pubs and shops and amenities to welcome visit
ors & guests. It also celebrates the yearly Stadsfest. Kalmar is furthermore a city of sports. It boa
sts several football clubs, including Kalmar FF (professional football club playing in the Allsvensk
an league), Lindsdals IF and Kalmar AIK (both these football clubs play in lower Swedish league).
The Host venue for FSC #158 April 2022, is : Kalmarsalen (The Kalmar Hall) , in Kalmar ,
Sweden . Originally Kalmar Ångkvarn AB mill (from 1800s), it was sold to the city in 1990 to be us
ed as a concert venue. It has subsequently become a multi-event concert hall which is located on
the Kvarnholmen bay. It is used for various cultural events (including music concerts) and confere
nces / conventions as well as being an important social meeting place in the region. It is consider
ed one of southern Sweden’s most popular cultural event places, both flexible & professional. The
hall called “ Kvarnen ” in the Kalmarsalen building structure is prime for sound logistics & is usual
ly used for concerts, musicals (anything from famous Broadway-musicals to newer innovative pro
ductions), theatre productions (for adults and children alike) , shows (including stand-up comedy)
and such events . Combined standing and sitting capacity is for 1285, people which makes for an
intimate fine experience. They are proud to host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest
Our lovely Hosts this evening are:
Oscar Zia and Malin Olsson
Oscar Zia is a 25 year old singer and host from Svedala , Skåne (neighbour region to hosting Små
land). Was in Swedish X-Factor in 2012 (ended 8th of 12 finalists). Been in MF as an entrant 3 tim
es (2013 as backing singer , in 2014 & 2016 as solo act). Co-hosted 1 of the semis in 2021 & was
a main host of MF 2022 . He is proud to co-host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest
Malin Olsson is a 40 year-old TV host, originally from the mid-western region Dalarna (neighbouri
ng Norway) , and also a former Miss Sweden who represented Sweden in Miss Universe in 2001.
She is mostly known for hosting the popular annual children show ‘Sommarlov’, on Swedish SVT
( channel ) since 2010. She is proud to co-host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest.