Stefan became a youth leader at a community center called “Hemgården”, taking over a stamp collecting club from hisbrother, running weekly sessions during autumn and spring.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the speaker's community center organized summer camps for youngsters at a location near Norrköping. These camps included discussions and talks led by people from the United Nations, facilitated by a friend known as "International Kalle," who worked on international exchanges. He was involved with the United Nations team leading these activities at the community house.
Despite the challenges during and after the war, Sweden had better conditions compared to neighboring countries. Stefan reflects that Sweden they had a lack of awareness about other parts of Europe during that time. However, there was a shift towards internationalism in the 1960s and 1970s, with people from countries like Italy and Yugoslavia coming to Sweden to assist in industries.
Regarding Norrköping's connection with Esslingen and nearby towns, the purpose was to foster international friendships and learn about life in other countries. This collaboration provided valuable exposure during this time when Sweden was relatively isolated, lacking television and internet in the 1950s and 1960s.
Stefan recounts a trip where he traveled by train and then took a ferry from Holland to Great Britain, changing trains in London. Passing through London, he noticed poorer districts, contrasting with the perceived equality in Sweden during that time. This observation led him and his company to reflect on societal disparities between countries.
In Neath, which was their first trip abroad, he stayed with a friendly widow who took good care of him and he made many new friends. The trip was filled with scheduled activities, including visits to factories and clubs. One memorable experience was visiting a rock club for the first time, where they watched bands perform—an unfamiliar but interesting experience for them at the time. Stefan’s time with the host in Neath was mainly spent in the evenings and mornings due to the scheduled activities during the day.
Stefan thinks that it's a little bit poor that the youth exchange not continued with countries on the continent and Great Britain. “We should have it more. I think so.”
Friends in a Cold Climate: After the Second World War a number of friendship ties were established between towns in Europe. Citizens, council-officials and church representatives were looking for peace and prosperity in a still fragmented Europe. After a visit of the Royal Mens Choir Schiedam to Esslingen in 1963, representatives of Esslingen asked Schiedam to take part in friendly exchanges involving citizens and officials. The connections expanded and in 1970, in Esslingen, a circle of friends was established tying the towns Esslingen, Schiedam, Udine (IT) Velenje (SL) Vienne (F) and Neath together. Each town of this so called “Verbund der Ringpartnerstädte” had to keep in touch with at least 2 towns within the wider network. Friends in a Cold Climate looks primarily through the eyes the citizen-participant. Their motivation for taking part may vary. For example, is there a certain engagement with the European project? Did parents instil in their children a a message of fraternisation stemming from their experiences in WWII? Or did the participants only see youth exchange only as an opportunity for a trip to a foreign country? This latter motivation of taking part for other than Euro-idealistic reasons should however not be regarded as tourist or consumer-led behaviour. Following Michel de Certeau, Friends in a Cold Climate regards citizen-participants as a producers rather than as a consumers. A participant may "put to use" the Town Twinning facilities of travel and activities in his or her own way, regardless of the programme.
Integration of West-Europe after the Second World War was driven by a broad movement aimed at peace, security and prosperity. Organised youth exchange between European cities formed an important part of that movement. This research focuses on young people who, from the 1960s onwards, participated in international exchanges organised by twinned towns, also called jumelage. Friends in a Cold Climate asks about the interactions between young people while taking into account the organisational structures on a municipal level, The project investigates the role of the ideology of a united West-Europe, individual desires for travel and freedom, the upcoming discourse about the Second World War and the influence of the prevalent “counterculture” of that period, thus shedding a light on the formative years of European integration.
