The Emigrant District
The district that is intimately associated with Vilhelm Moberg's emigrant epic.
Here you will find a unique and well-preserved cultural area. During 1846-1930, nearly 1.3 million Swedes emigrated across the Atlantic.
Every fifth emigrant came from Småland. No other Swedish landscape has meant more to America. The traces in the emigrant district from the time when so many Smålanders packed up their possessions to start a new life in the Great Land of the West are clear.
The emigration became part of everyday life in the four parishes of the Kingdom of Glass, Ljud, Algutsboda, Älmeboda and Långasjö. Vilhelm Moberg, who came from the district, placed the starting point for his famous emigrant epic here, and when you cycle around the area you will recognize many names and places from the books. For example, Åkerby crossroads and the croft that is believed to be a model for “Korpamoen”, Karl-Oskar and Kristina’s home.
Vilhelm Moberg is one of our great Swedish writers, he was born in the village of Moshultsmåla in 1898. 50 years later he published the first part of his epic, The Emigrants, about the Småland emigrants, Oskar and Kristina, and their journey to the promised land in West America.
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Ödevata offers you, as an overnight guest, several different types of activities. You are very welcome to book, both at check-in and during your online room booking.
Experience the Emigrant District on foot or on wheels
The Emigrant Trail
Hiking or cycling in Moberg’s footsteps, a 100 km long hiking and biking trail that takes you through Karl-Oskar and Kristina’s countryside.
The Emigrant Trail goes through the author Vilhelm Moberg’s home village, and passes through places from his famous book about “The Emigrants”. The trail is more than 100 km long, that can be walked or cycled, some stretches can also be paddled. There are overnight accommodations along the way. It cuts through spruce and deciduous forests, but also past meadows, lakes and rivers.
KulTuren – A Cultural journey in the Kingdom of Glass
Along the 140 km winding and scenic “KulTuren” trip, you can find newly discovered hidden gems of Emmaboda and Lessebo municipalities. Here are the traces of ice sheets and industrialization, as well as fairy tales, murders and trolls.
Let yourself be soothed by the rustling sounds of the trees or the noise of the mills in this beautiful countryside. Choose a theme for your shorter trip or take on the entire “KulTuren”. Choose between Form & Design, Culture & History, Landscape or Experiences. (Info in Swedish)
Moberg’s birthplace
Vilhelm Moberg’s emigrant epics have made many places around Emmaboda municipality famous.
Vilhelm Moberg
Moberg was born on August 20, 1898 in Moshult. In 1916, it was intended that Moberg would emigrate to America with some comrades. However, his mother’s tears and his father’s promise of him attending a course at Grimslöv’s folk high school made him stay.
Moberg was a talented writer and became Sweden’s youngest editor-in-chief in 1921. The comedy show “Kassabrist” was his breakthrough as a writer in 1926. He constantly drew inspiration from his home village for his works. In Moberg’s books and epics, crofters, soldiers and day laborers talk about their daily exhausting physical labor and their pursuit of freedom. Moberg gained world fame with his novel perspective about the Emigrants (1949-59).
The Moberg’s stone
The stone was erected in 1970 at the place where Vilhelm Moberg was born in Moshultamåla, northwest of Emmaboda.
Moshultamåla gamla skola
Mobergs barndomsskola i Påvelsmåla. Idag finns det ett skolmuseum och en liten utställning över Mobergs liv och författarskap.
Klasatorpet
Klasatorpet ligger i Långasjö, sydväst om Emmaboda. Torpet är mera känt som “Korpamoen”, Karl-Oskars och Kristinas hem i Utvandrarfilmen av Vilhelm Moberg.
Utställningar och material från filminspelningen finns kvar. Klasatorpet ger oss idag en bild om hur en småländsk torparfamilj levde för hundra år sedan.
Området är ett utmärkt besöksmål för barnen, som får möjlighet att umgås med några av våra vanligaste husdjur.
Duvemåla
Duvemåla ligger strax norr om Emmaboda . Det var i Duvemåla Vilhelm Mobergs mormor föddes 1833. Platsen gav Moberg inspiration till Utvandrarromanens Kristina, som har fått låna många karaktärsdrag av mormodern.
Rundqvistagården i Duvemåla
Här bodde de fyra syskonen Rundqvist, Hertha, Naemi, Martin och Mauritz. Alla fyra förblev ogifta och levde tillsammans väldigt gammalmodigt. De var sparsamma och levde utan elektricitet, telefon, vatten och avlopp. De köpte sällan någonting. När den siste av syskonskaran dog 1989 kom sanningen fram om deras rikedom.
Syskonen hade sparat undan en miljon kronor i kontanter på gården. Inget testamente fanns och arvingar saknades, så hela egendomen tillföll Allmänna arvsfonden. Gårdens värde beräknades till 5 miljoner kronor.
Ett besök i Rundqvista gården tar dig tillbaka till en tid då självhushåll var en naturlig del av vardagen. Passa gärna på att ta en gofika i vårt café.
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