Motor sailboat Juhan in Haapsalu harbour (August 1944)

Between of 19 November 1943 and 4 August 1944 about 225 Ruhnu residents left their home island and travelled to Sweden. Most of them left on 4 August 1944 on board of the motor sailboat Juhan. Only two Swedish families stayed on Ruhnu – Rooslaids and Normans, as their housefiwes were from Kihnu island. Departure and arrival of Ruhnu residents was organized by Swedish Red Cross, secretary of state and the Estonian-Swedish committee. The departure may also be called voluntary migration.

However, after the Ruhnu Swedes have left the island it was not left deserted. German occupation government demanded that Ruhnu inhabitants find overseers for their farms. Such overseers were mostly from Kihnu island and Saaremaa. Ruhnu residents themselves believe that they left 200 cows, 300 sheep, 150 horses and 300 chickens on the island.

Created in 2013