Swedish Society of Linnea

(503) 936-1101

Types

Cultural

Type

About Swedish Society of Linnea

The main charter of The Swedish Society of Linnea was, to help and steady the weak and faltering, to aid its members to grow both intellectually and morally, to nourish a consciousness of our national heritage, and to protect our treasured Swedish language.

One key benefit that Swedish Society of Linnea provided the immigrant community was help with benefits during unemployment and funds to cover the sick and funeral costs. This was an extra ordinary performance of an immigration based society in the early 1900s and was very generous in its dealings with the Swedish population in general. The Swedish Society of Linnea was one significant “pillar” of support for Swedish immigrants and their heritage, at the time when immigrant needed it the most, in the early 1900s.

The Society played a very important role in the cultural and historical development of Swedish heritage in Portland as documented by SRIO and others. The Society sponsored a variety of programs to make it easy for new immigrants to fit in the new foreign environment and to develop contacts for employment and relationships. This was done through activities such as picnics and parties, very much as we do today, and at all occasions Swedish was spoken, Swedish food was prepared and music played, and the Swedish folk tradition was observed.