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Swedish Press N Y A
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Halmstad: The City with
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April 2019 Vol 90:03 $5.95
03 2019
Sven Nordqvist’s Pettson and Findus Halmstadgruppen Olympics 2026
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alk around the port city of Halmstad and you’ll be struck by the crowned hearts adorning everything from bus stops and trash cans to garden gates and grocery stores. Pay close attention to the architectural influences in the old town square, near Saint Nikolai Cathedral, and you’ll catch sight of some of the northernmost timber frame houses in all of Europe. These small details – potentially insignificant to the undiscerning eye – are subtle remnants from a time when Denmark ruled Halmstad and the surrounding Halland province.
City of Halmstad. Photo: Patrik Leonardsson
Halmstad, situated in the southwestern part of Sweden midway between Gothenburg and Malmö, and bordered by the 186 km long Nissan river, was first mentioned in a Danish book published in 1231. Many believe the city’s name derives from the Danish “Halmstaede,” meaning something akin to “Strawtown.” Another, less believable theory discussed in the city’s own
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The City with Three Hearts k By Lara Andersson travel brochure, is that “Halmstad’s inhabitants defended the town against the Danish by putting tar onto sheaves and then throwing them from the town wall onto their rivals.” Originally located slightly more inland in an area now known as Övraby, Halmstad moved five kilometers south in 1320, most likely to gain easier access to the Nissan and ensure a more robust coastal defense. The city received its first official charter in 1307 (marking 2007 as its 700th anniversary). From the 1300’s up until the 1600’s the Danes developed the region, building – amongst other important architectural sites – Saint Nikolai Church in the 1400’s. In its new location, Halmstad served as an important fortified border town and, for a brief period, acted as one of the most important meeting points for Norway, Sweden and Finland, as delegates of the Kalmar
Union – a union uniting the Scandinavian territories under a single monarch between 1397 and 1523 – held important negotiations there. It was such a crucial point in Scandinavian history that the Kalmar Union elected its King in Halmstad. Perhaps one of the region’s most notable historical figures is the Danish King Christian IV. He granted the city its coat of arms with its signature motif of three crowns and three hearts. Many believe he took inspiration from a previous Danish monarch, Valdemar Sejr. Sejr reigned from 1202 until 1241, and his children and grandchildren had the distinctive crowned hearts in their signets, making Christian IV’s choice three hundred years later a respectful nod to his forefathers. After years of development and expansion, a devastating fire in August of 1619 burned down most of Halmstad, save for a few key structures: Saint Nikolai Church, Norre Port
Halmstad Castle. Photo: Jörgen Hagman
(the only town gate left of the original ones that Christian IV inaugurated in 1601), and the Danish Castle built at
the beginning of the 17th century in a particular style known as Christian IV’s renaissance. The King swiftly conceived of a new city plan and set construction in motion. Much of what you see in today’s Halmstad is due to his vision. It is important to note that, though the Kalmar Union had long been in existence at this point, many attempts had already been made to overtake Halmstad from the time of its inauguration. Amongst others, the Swedish insurgent Engelbrekt and his troops marched on Halmstad in the 1430’s. In 1534, during Denmark’s largest civil war known as the Grevefejden or “Feud of Counts”, Swedes overtook the city. However, it wasn’t until 1645 that Swedes officially conquered the Halland territory, when the Second Treaty of Brömsebro declared Halland Swedish for the next thirty years. The Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 made this settlement permanent, and the final battle between Denmark and Sweden, called the Battle at Fyllebro, took place just outside of Halmstad in 1676. Once Halmstad fell into Swedish hands, the city continued to flourish. In 1678 Swedish King Karl XI held his Riksdag (parliament) meeting in Halmstad, inviting 279 Swedes to discuss the state of the country. Shortly thereafter, in 1686, Halmstad’s first factory, a tobacco production site, was constructed and opened for business. By 1737 the city’s fortifications were demolished and
Carl Milles’ Europa och Tjuren. Photo: Helene Karlsson/Halmnstad.se
tobacco crops were planted in their place to keep up with the high-paced demands of the newly industrialized city. In the following decades, Halmstad saw massive increases in its population growth. In 1800 the city had 1,317 inhabitants. By 1850 the number had doubled to 2,761, and by 1900 the population reached an unprecedented 15,387 inhabitants. During the 20th century the city opened libraries, sports halls, museums and concert halls. Appreciating and creating art became a driving impulse for a select few of the city’s inhabitants, when fraternities such as Halmstadgruppen (see page 18) thrived on artistic synergies. Fast forward to 2010 when Halmstad’s population had grown from 48,800 in 1990 to 58,577. Today, the city focuses on being forward-thinking and multicultural. The municipality’s webpage elaborates on a vision for Halmstad in 2020 that emphasizes three key goals: (1) ensuring that the city is a place where
“people can meet in safety, with respect and love;” (2) where people can “grow through education, enterprise and new thinking”; and (3) all while enjoying an atmosphere that “instills a desire to prosper through activities, a community spirit and a quality of life.” With these noble ambitions, combined with the fact that the region is known as a popular travel destination, it comes as no surprise that Halmstad won the accolade as “Super Municipality of the Year” from lifestyle magazine Dagens Samhälle in 2018. “We look at how the municipalities have performed historically in important
The beach life in Tylösand. Photo: Patrik Leonardsson/Halmstad.se
areas and also measure their strength through a number of forward-looking factors,” said Anna Sönne at Dagens Samhälle. “The ambition is to identify exciting examples of how to successfully run a municipality.” Halmstad has secured its title as a coveted area to live in and will continue to evolve in years to come. Engraving of the City of Halmstad by Johannes van den Aveelen for Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna, 1690-1710.
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[Lifestyle] Books ABBA – The Complete Recording Sessions
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Reviewed by Barry Livingston
wedish author Carl Magnus Palm is recognized as the world’s foremost Abba scholar and historian. His works include liner notes for ABBA deluxe edition CD and DVD releases, and he is the author of several books about the group including the acclaimed biography, Bright Lights Dark Shadows – The Real Story of ABBA. His newly published and revised volume, ABBA – The Complete Recording Sessions, may well be the crowning achievement from this writer who sets the gold standard for music journalism in general. Originally published in 1994, the book has now been expanded to 450 pages and comes as a beautiful clothbound edition, with four times as much text as in the original book. Some critics might view this as a coffee table or reference volume; however, readers willing to delve into the actual contents will be richly rewarded with a fascinating journey through the group’s creative process.
Carl Magnus Palm. Photo: bjornfotograf.se
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ABBA The Complete Recording Sessions Revised and Expanded Edition By Carl Magnus Palm Published by CMP/Text (Stockholm) Ordering Information: www.abbathecompleterecordingsessions.com www.carlmagnuspalm.com
The book is divided into essentially 13 sections, each chronicling a different phase or album in Abba’s career. Carl Magnus Palm leaves no stone unturned as he takes us through the recording of each ABBA song from its inception to the final steps of production. A real highlight is the multi-page boxed sections devoted to such topics as writing the songs and recording the vocals. Each section features extensive interview excerpts with the band members, backing musicians, and production staff, including chief engineer Michael Tretow. The section titled Writing the Songs, for example, delves into how and where Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson worked together, and the fascinating story of their creative process as a song-writing team.
There is also much new information that has come to light since the book was originally published in the 1990s. In particular, the author was given unprecedented access to the newly digitized ABBA music archive, including a number of unreleased and unheard recordings. As the book editor notes, “these sessions reveal hitherto unknown facts about how Abba’s music was created, and the process by which the group worked through their songs, trying out and discarding many ideas along the way.” In other words, there is much for the reader to discover here, including the early recording histories of each band member prior to their eventual collaboration. Abba – The Complete Recording Sessions is a volume that will certainly appeal to Abba fans, as well as to anyone interested in popular music culture and artistic processes. Author Carl Magnus Palm is a national treasure, and Abba – The Complete Recording Sessions may well be his greatest accomplishment. At least, until his next book comes along!
Arrival is ABBA’s fourth studio album.
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Road to 2045
Road to 2045 Sweden Applies for the First Ever Climate-Positive Winter Olympics By Mattias Goldmann, CEO of Green and Liberal Mindset Fores
There are two contenders for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics 2026: Italian Torino or the Swedish proposal with capital Stockholm and Falun and ski resort Åre. Sweden’s bid is to arrange the world’s first fossil-free, climate-positive Olympic games.
Stockholm in the winter. Photo: Malcolm Hanes/ Swedish Olympic Committee
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ince Sweden’s emissions are only 0.15% of the world’s total, a meaningful contribution to combat climate change must include the aim of inspiring others. And what better opportunity than the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with millions of TV viewers, hundreds of thousands of visitors on site, several thousand competitors, and media from all over the world. Sweden recently hosted two world championships: Alpine sports in Åre as well as Biathlon in Östersund, both of them fossil free to the highest extent possible. Fossil fuels were replaced by
renewables, including locally produced biofuels from forestry waste, electrification of transports, wind power and – perhaps surprisingly for Sweden – solar energy. But it was not only about replacing energy; showing and inspiring was also a large part of the story, and the climate friendly, largely vegetarian diet for elite skiers made headlines. The Olympic and Paralympic bid has many climate components, including: Fossil-free all the way. Air, car, bus and train travel to and from the Olympics shall use electricity or renewable fuels made from residual products and waste. This also applies to the machinery needed in the slopes, on the hockey rinks and elsewhere. Efficient transports. To reduce the need for spectators to transport themselves, several competitions are held in Stockholm, while Åre and Falun are reached by train and bus. Existing facilities. In order to minimize the building’s climate impact, existing ski facilities and buildings are used. Where capacity needs to be expanded or the building is being renovated to meet OS and Paralympic’s
high demands, recyclable and recycled materials will be used, including wood sourced from Swedish forests where, for every tree that is felled, three are planted. Green snow and ice. The need for artificial snow is to be reduced partly by better conservation of used snow, and artificial snow and ice will be manufactured using only renewable energy. Climate positive at all levels. As the first Olympics and Paralympics organizer ever, the Swedish bid includes taking climate responsibility not only for the venues themselves, but also for the competitors, for the media and for spectators. Emissions will be minimized and mapped, and all remaining climate impact fully offset with 15 percent beyond zero, so that the entire event is climate positive. Swedish winter sports can be part of the climate leadership and the climate inspiration that the world needs. Let the climate-smart games begin! Fores (which includes the 2030-secretariat) is a Swedish think tank devoted to questions related to climate and environment, migration and integration, entrepreneurship and economic reforms, as well as the digital society.
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