Dag Hammarskjöld Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld ( , ; 29 July 1905 – 18 September 1961) was a Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 196 ...

's farm Backåkra (), close to

Ystad Ystad (; older da, Ysted) is a town and the seat of Ystad Municipality, in Scania County, Sweden. Ystad had 18,350 inhabitants in 2010. The settlement dates from the 11th century and has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre, and ...

in southern

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, was bought in 1957 as a summer residence by Hammarskjöld, then

Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...

of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

(1953-1961). The farm was in decline and its restoration came to last until after Hammarskjöld's death in 1961. It was maintained by the Swedish Tourist Association, as a museum displaying his belongings and art, furniture, gifts and more - many from his time at the UN. The south wing of the farm was reserved as a summer retreat for the 18 members of the

Swedish Academy The Swedish Academy ( sv, Svenska Akademien), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III of Sweden, Gustav III, is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish lang ...

, of which Hammarskjöld was a member. There is an outdoor

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...

site on the beautiful property of 74 acres, which is a nature reserve. Today, the house is owned b
Dag Hammarskjölds Backåkra Foundation
and contains a museum, conference, small café and book shop. ''Backåkra'' is the name of the farm itself, but also the name of the village to which the farmstead belongs. Due to the 1803 land reform in

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...

, farms were moved out of the village with the result that Backåra is now chiefly a land register. Its local school, the '' folkskola,'' is today a summer hostel run by the Swedish Hiking Association. The lands of the village are situated less than a mile from the shores of the Baltic in the

Österlen Österlen () ( da, Østerlen) is a region in the southeast of the Swedish province of Scania (Skåne). Historically, the region was shared between the counties of Kristianstad and Malmöhus for a small part in the southwest, until Skåne County w ...

area of Scania. Known for its summer cottages and outdoor recreation, the area is popular with tourists. In April 2018, the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...

held a unique meeting at Backåkra. They very rarely have meetings outside the

UN headquarters The United Nations is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States, and the complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1951. It is in the Turtle Bay, Manhattan, Turtle Bay neig ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

References

External links

Backåkra farmstead tourism information
by the City of Ystad
Backåkra Youth Hostel
by the Swedish Hiking Association

by the Dag Hammarskjölds Backåkra Foundation {{DEFAULTSORT:Backakra Populated places in Skåne County Swedish Academy