Sweden is known for one of the highest gender equality indexes according to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in 2021. This is also exhibited in the effort in preserving women’s history in the society so that people can understand women’s impact on the community and in families through different centuries. Local cultural heritage associations (hembygdsföreningar) in Sweden not only documents and showcases pieces of Swedish culture, but often shows women’s lives and significance in history. One such example is Vaxholms hembygdsförening.
Vaxholms hembygdsmuseum & hembygdsgårdens buildings were donated by Kamrer Blomberg to the city in 1880. The buildings show traces of the local fishing and women’s history with living quarters of the local family. The exhibits contain unique items such as a longboat, known as the archipelago's greyhound for fishing, that was rowed by women into Munkbron in Stockholm to transport the fresh herring. Margareta Brandberg from Vaxholms hembygdsförening also explained the historical weaving machine displayed inside, showing that women at that time practiced sustainability in everyday lives where they would use old pieces of clothing and weave them into floor and table mats. Not only that, but women also used to have the houses under their name because oftentimes they are the ones who stayed behind to raise children and take care of everything in and out of the household while trying to find ways to make a living.
When it comes to the Swedish way of showing love to women, the quiet, low-key yet thoughtful ways of gifting something to the significant other are documented by the museum. Margareta explained oftentimes men will show women their appreciation and love by handcrafting items such as brushes and engraving the item with names and dates, instead of buying material things as a gift.
Unfortunately, in 2019 an explosion was detonated at Vaxholm’s hembygdsförening, which damaged the museum and the café. The community members came together during that tough year to help finance and repair the buildings. Today, women lead the efforts at Vaxholm’s hembygdsmuseum and hembygdsgårdens café by involving more local young people as tour guides for the museum and helping at the café while continuously trying to raise money for finishing the last repairments of the museum. The café has an amazing dessert buffet with more than twenty different kinds of cakes, pastries, tea cookies on top of sandwiches, and home-baked waffles. One can also order a glass of cold beer or coffee while enjoying the archipelago water view of the town. Vaxholm's hembygdsförening is now a vibrant place where many from local and abroad come to enjoy the quintessential fika in Stockholm while discovering the local history.
Hembygdsgårdens Café: All weekends in May at 11:00 to 17:00. All days from 1 June at 11:00 to mid-September.
Vaxholms Hembygdsmuseum Tour: Please contact prior to arranging private tours, which is 200KR per group of around 5 to 15 people.
Upcoming Vaxholms Hembygdsföreningen Event: Archipelago Market 2022, Saturday, August 20 at 10.00-16.30 at Söderhamnsplan. Archipelago market in Vaxholm with handicrafts and natural products.
