Swedish Kontur Imports, now celebrating our 50th Anniversary!

The son of acclaimed opera singer Jussi Bjorling, a leading tenor at the Metropolitan Opera, Anders grew up in Stockholm with his two siblings and grandmother while his father traveled from one great opera house to the next. Anders left Sweden for study in America at Gustavus Adolphus College where he met his spouse Janet. After graduating in May of 1958, Anders and Janet stayed in Sweden until Anders took a position at Gustavus Adolphus in the finance office. Anders started the Swedish Kontur gift shop in 1962 after noticing a local need for high-quality gifts such as glass, silver and handicrafts. In 1967 the Bjorlings rented a storefront in downtown St. Peter. Anders retired in 1998 as the Gusties’ Controller and pursued his lifelong passion for photography. Traveling back and forth from Sweden to America, Anders maintains close relationships with Scandinavian vendors and artists, bringing the art and culture of the Scandinavian region to St. Peter MN.