About Matthias
Alright. You want to get to know a little about me, I assume.
Well, here we go …
I was born in 1980. Grew up in Germany, on a farm, situated in the middle of a metropolitan area. So, yes, I know the smell of cow poo and sound of motorways very well.
In 2005 I went to Sweden for a semester abroad. The day I arrived at the campus of Växjö University in August that year, I immediately fell in love with that beautiful place. And during that term, when I got to know the Sweden and the Swedes a bit better, even the whole country. (Unsurprisingly, until today, I still am in love. 🙂 )
During the first term I got the opportunity to stay one more term. So, one semesters turned into two. Then I got the permission to finish my studies with a Swedish Master degree, resulting in a second year in Sweden. After that I went back to Germany, for one year. During that year, I missed Sweden and the people I met there, a lot.
Since 2008 I have been living in Sweden. Temporarily in different cities like Stockholm, Umeå and Uppsala. Thereby always having a base in Växjö, in the center of Småland in the south of Sweden.
What I do here? Well, I help other people to understand Swedish culture, by writing about it (in books or on the web) or as a marketing consultant for German companies that want to enter the Swedish market and vice versa.
In my leisure time I enjoy a walk along the shores of the idyllic lakes here and discover new sights or beautiful places here in Småland or other places in Sweden.
Still, after a a couple of years in this beautiful country, I get surprised and fascinated by the Swedish quirks and cultural differences that appear in everyday life.
In my book, “How to be Swedish” I want to share the most important tips so you won’t have to experience the same pitfalls I did, and help you understand why the Swedes are the way they are – sometimes weird but mostly lovely.
Blog about Sweden
For several years I have been writing about Sweden. Here you can find useful information about Sweden and how to interact with Swedes:
In English hejsweden.com/en/
And inn German: hejsweden.com