Föreningen Kalmar Nyckel
Foto: Bruce Burk
I media
For Immediate Release – 26 July 2021
Jan Ross, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
1124 East 7th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
M 443.480.7486
Åke Fagelberg Elected to Kalmar Nyckel Foundation Board
Announces Föreningen Kalmar Nyckel in Kalmar, Sweden
Kalmar, Sweden / Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A. 26 July 2021 –
Kalmar Nyckel, the Swedish flagship that voyaged to North America in 1638 to establish the colony of New Sweden, has a full-scale replica “sister ship” in Wilmington, Delaware. The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, which owns and operates today’s Kalmar Nyckel in the U.S., has elected Åke Fagelberg of Kalmar, Sweden, to its Board of Trustees. In his new capacity, Fagelberg is launching a new Föreningen Kalmar Nyckel in Kalmar, Sweden.
“We are very honored to have Åke Fagelberg join our Board of Trustees,” says Cathy Parsells, Executive Director of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation. “He brings his passion for sailing and maritime history as well as his vast experience in publishing, international business, diplomacy, and service on numerous boards to our organization. We are very fortunate to add his expertise and enthusiasm.”
Föreningen Kalmar Nyckel [Friends of Kalmar Nyckel] in Kalmar is a new sister organization of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation. They share the goal of preserving the cultural and maritime heritage of Kalmar Nyckel. One of the great ships of the 17th century, Kalmar Nyckel’s first voyage founded the colony of New Sweden and established trade with Native Americans in what is now present-day Delaware. A documentary which was produced by the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation and aired on SVT-2 in 2019, calls it “the forgotten journey” because Sweden’s colonial experience in North America is not well-known by Swedish or American citizens.
“In June, we decided to start a sister organization in Sweden to preserve the interesting journey of Kalmar Nyckel,” explains Fagelberg. “We expect to form a group that is interested in getting on board the ship and supporting its work.” Fagelberg is the chairman of Föreningen Kalmar Nyckel. The vice chairman is lawyer Olof Möllerström, and the organization's secretary and translator is Henrik Fagelberg. Visit their new website, foreningenkalmarnyckel.se/ to learn more.
One of their first projects is to plan a special exhibit about both ships – the original and the replica – to be opened at Kalmar Slott (Castle) in summer 2022. Föreningen Kalmar Nyckel is seeking members in Sweden who are interested in exploring the ship’s history. Traveling to the U.S. to sail on Kalmar Nyckel, meet with the captain, and tour the Copeland Maritime Center with the Foundation’s senior historian are also goals. Invitations to Kalmar Nyckel Foundation events are included in membership.
“Kalmar, Sweden, and Wilmington, Delaware, have been Sister Cities since 1963, and for many years have run an exchange program for civic leaders and high school students from each city,” notes Parsells. “Föreningen Kalmar Nyckel is a natural outcome of our historic ties to Kalmar and Sweden.”
Adventure awaits those who sail aboard Kalmar Nyckel. Passengers are invited to haul lines, sets sails, or just relax and enjoy the breeze. Launched in 1997, today’s Kalmar Nyckel offers a variety of recreational and educational experiences that typically reach more than 30,000 people each year. Today’s ship resides just 200 yards from the original 1638 landing site at the beautiful Copeland Maritime Center campus on the Christina River (named for the young Swedish queen in 1638).
Kalmar Nyckel voyages more than 2,400 miles in a typical year, visiting ports from Norfolk, Virginia, to Provincetown, Massachusetts, as well as the Hudson River Valley in New York State. It also serves as the official Tall Ship of Delaware, a catalyst for social and economic development and outreach in and beyond the state of Delaware.
As a non-profit educational organization, the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation built Kalmar Nyckel in Wilmington based on Dutch and Swedish records. The ship sails each season from April to November. A crew of more than 200 trained volunteers help maintain, sail, and teach its programs. No experience is required, and volunteers bring a wide range of skills and experiences onboard.
For details on Kalmar Nyckel sails, tours, charters, educational programs, volunteer opportunities and the Tatiana and Gerret Copeland Maritime Center visit www.KalmarNyckel.org, call 302.429.7447, and follow Kalmar Nyckel on Facebook and Instagram.
CONTACT:
U.S.A.: Jan Ross, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Kalmar Nyckel Foundation
Phone 443.480.7486
Sweden: website: foreningenkalmarnyckel.se/
Föreningen Kalmar Nyckel
Åke Fagelberg, chairman
Phone +46.70 51 142 12
Henrik Fagelberg, company secretary
Phone + 46. 72 727 64 19
