Fittja Gård
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Fittja gård is a former manor,
coaching inn The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point ( layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of t ...
and station for
post riders Post riders or postriders describes a horse and rider postal delivery system that existed at various times and various places throughout history. The term is usually reserved for instances where a network of regularly scheduled service was provid ...
in
Fittja Fittja is a part of Botkyrka Municipality Botkyrka Municipality ( ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, not far from the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the town of Tumba. In 1971 ''Grödinge'' was merged w ...
,
Botkyrka Municipality Botkyrka Municipality ( ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, not far from the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the town of Tumba. In 1971 ''Grödinge'' was merged with Botkyrka and in 1974 ''Salem'' was added ...
, Stockholm County, east-central Sweden. Fittja Värdshus, attached to it, was one of the largest travellers'
hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be private or shared - mixe ...
s in Sweden during the 17th and 18th centrum. From 1660 to 1916 the Tingsrätt (district court) for the Svartlösa Hundred was located on the estate, and the present Fittja gård dates to 1812. According to the
Stockholm County Museum Stockholm County Museum () is the regional museum of Stockholm County, Sweden. The museum strives to be the natural hub of knowledge for the cultural heritage of the county's residents and to create dialogue around history, present time, and the ...
, the buildings are well-preserved and valued as a cultural heritage. Fittja gård is the headquarters of a ''mångkulturellt centrum'' (multicultural centre) founded in 1987.


History

Fittja gård is first mentioned in a letter of tenancy dated to 1299, and the village of Fittja was settled in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. During the
Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
, the estate was confiscated; its land was worked by local farmers until 1631, when Erik van der Linde (owner of the nearby Lindhovens gård on Lake Aspen) took possession.


Inn, postal station and court location

In 1633, a new road was begun to replace the ancient
Göta highway Göta highway () was, up to the late-17th century, the only road between Stockholm and south of Sweden. Dating back at least to the Middle Ages, and some parts even back to the Viking Age, the highway is the oldest known road from Stockholm to t ...
between Stockholm and
Helsingborg Helsingborg (, , ), is a Urban areas in Sweden, city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania County, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, ninth ...
: Södertäljevägen, later known as Riksväg 1. It was completed in 1669 with a bridge at the head of Lake Alby at Fittja Point; Fittja gård was then on the main highway, a day's drive—1  Uppland miles, or —by horse and cart from Stockholm. A coaching inn was established; travellers made their first change of horses here on their journey south from Stockholm, and royal permission was obtained to serve food and drink. The first innkeeper was Gustaf Mattsson, a Stockholm
alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
who set up a dining establishment in 1663 in a building constructed at his own expense. The hostel opened in 1666, with 20 horses for travellers (although many complaints of worn-out and otherwise unsatisfactory horses are recorded). In 1667, Fittja gård also became a station for
post riders Post riders or postriders describes a horse and rider postal delivery system that existed at various times and various places throughout history. The term is usually reserved for instances where a network of regularly scheduled service was provid ...
, with six riders and twelve horses in their own stable. The establishment also included a farm, a distillery and a large brickworks. The Tingsrätt for the Svartlösa Hundred moved to Fittja gård, remaining there until 1916. During the 18th century the estate changed ownership a number of times, and a new main house was built in mid-century. The 1780s estate extended from
Mälaren Mälaren ( , , or ), historically referred to as Lake Malar in English, is the third-largest freshwater lake in Sweden (after Vänern and Vättern). Its area is and its greatest depth is 64 m (210 ft). Mälaren spans from east to west. The l ...
in the north to Alby gård in the south, and from Fittja Point and Lake Alby in the east to Slagsta gård in the west. From 1778 to 1787 its owner was financier Johan Liljencrantz, one of the largest landowners in the
socken Socken ( or ) is the name used for a part of a counties of Sweden, county in Sweden. In Denmark, similar areas are known as , in Norway or and in Finland or . A is a rural area formed around a church, typically in the Middle Ages. A socken ...
and lord of Sturehov Manor and the
seat farm In Scandinavia, a seat farm or manor farm (; Norwegian language, Norwegian /; or ; ) was a farm where a nobility, nobleman had his permanent residence. They were found in the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, and ...
of Norsborg. In 1787, the northern section with the brickworks became part of
Slagsta Slagsta is a municipal district and a residential area of Botkyrka Municipality, Stockholm County, southeastern Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in ...
. Fittja gård, one of the largest inns in Sweden, was frequented by many travellers. Among those who changed horses or spent the night there were Kings
Charles XII Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII () or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.), was King of Sweden from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of the House of ...
and Oscar I and
Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
, who described "wait nga long time for horses" at Fittja in 1741. King Gustav III and his court also stayed at Fittja, arriving by
barge A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...
from
Drottningholm Palace Drottningholm Palace (), or Drottningholm, one of Sweden's royal palaces, situated near Sweden's capital Stockholm, is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. Located on Lovön island in Stockholm County's Ekerö Municipalit ...
.
Carl Michael Bellman Carl Michael Bellman (; 4 February 1740 – 11 February 1795) was a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, poet, and entertainer. He is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a powerful influence in Swedish music, as wel ...
wrote about life at the inn.Lilja (2011), p. 4.


Jacob Schmidt ownership

In 1809, merchant Jacob Schmidt became the owner of the estate and inn. He improved the facilities, building the present buildings and a large barn (later known as Fittja loge) which held about 40 cows and several horses until World War II. After the estate stopped keeping livestock, the barn was a popular locale for dances and parties. Schmidt moved the mid-18th-century main house about to the northeast, where it is now known as Ängsbyggningen (the Meadow Building). The longtime residence of a tenant farmer, it is presently a private home. The main house was replaced by an 1812 two-storey
Empire style The Empire style (, ''style Empire'') is an early-nineteenth-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts, representing the second phase of Neoclassicism. It flourished between 1800 and 1815 duri ...
house, with two flanking wing buildings and a stable forming the sides of a courtyard. The east wing housed a courtroom, jail, guardhouse and restaurant and the west wing a post office, brewery, bakery and guest rooms. The highway ran just south of the main building, through the courtyard. Soon afterwards
steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...
service began, largely supplanting coach travel since it was safer and more comfortable. Schmidt's money ran out in 1815, and he was forced to sell the estate at auction. Crown Prince Oscar (later
Oscar I of Sweden Oscar I (born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte; 4 July 1799 – 8 July 1859) was King of Sweden and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway from 8 March 1844 until his death. He was the second monarch of the House of Bernadotte. The only child of Ki ...
) wrote in his journal in 1841 that although Fittja " honeamongst the other estate inns like the North Star in the firmament, it asnow ... quiet and deserted there".


Carlsson family ownership

The estate then changed hands several times. In 1859 it was sold to Lars Magnus Carlsson, a wealthy farmer and
Riksdag The Riksdag ( , ; also or , ) is the parliament and the parliamentary sovereignty, supreme decision-making body of the Kingdom of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral parliament with 349 members (), elected proportional rep ...
member. Although the estate's liquor licence was revoked in 1873 because of drunkenness and fighting, the inn continued in operation (with some interruptions) until 1972. A new brickworks, opened during the 1860s on Fittja Point, operated until 1964. Agriculture and brickmaking were now the estate's main sources of income. Carlsson became one of the largest farmers in the
Mälaren Valley The Mälaren Valley (), occasionally referred to as Stockholm-Mälaren Region (''Stockholm-mälarregionen''), is the easternmost part of Svealand, the catchment area of Lake Mälaren and the surrounding municipalities. The term is often used int ...
; in addition to Fittja, he owned the Glömsta, Norsborg, Hallunda and Flemingsberg estates. Carlsson died in 1899 and was succeeded by his son, Hjalmar. However, the younger Carlsson was less interested in farming; he spent more time hunting and fishing, and the estate was now managed by a tenant farmer. In 1900, Carlsson married Elise Kärger, a German girl he met at a gathering at Alby Manor (near Fittja gård), in Berlin. They did not move to Fittja until 1903, and the inn was now a destination for daytrippers. Carlsson sold the brickyard in 1914 and the gravel pit in 1924. During the 1920s, the estate became known for its fruit production, with vegetables and fruit (especially raspberries) grown along the road extending north of the estate and sold in Stockholm. However, in the early 1970s the land was built upon as north
Botkyrka Botkyrka Municipality ( ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, not far from the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the town of Tumba. In 1971 ''Grödinge'' was merged with Botkyrka and in 1974 ''Salem'' was added ...
was developed.


Ragnar Sellberg and municipal ownership

Carlsson died in 1950, and his widow was allowed to continue living there until her death in 1974.Lilja (2011), p. 10 In 1955, after his estate was settled, Fittja gård was bought by businessman Ragnar Sellberg. Although at first Sellberg invested a great deal of money to develop a garden city centred on the estate, he was unable to realise his vision and lost interest. He let the estate fall into decay, and in 1967 sold the main buildings to the
Stockholm Municipality Stockholm Municipality () or the City of Stockholm () is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It has the largest population of the 290 municipalities of the country, but one of the smallest areas, making it the second most ...
and the outlying land to builder Ernst Ehn. AB Ehn and Company and the architectural firm Höjer and Ljungqvist then developed much of modern Botkyrka. After the last tenants left in 1983, the buildings were renovated; the flanking buildings became a daycare centre, and the main house a
People's House People's Houses () were originally leisure and cultural centres built with the intention of making art and cultural appreciation available to the working classes. The first establishment of this type appeared in Tomsk, Russian Empire in 1882. Soo ...
.Lilja (2011), p. 11.


Current use

Since 1987, the buildings have been used as a ''mångkulturellt centrum'' (multicultural centre): a
research centre A research institute, research centre, or research organization is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often implies natural sc ...
focusing on the branch of
anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
dealing with the scientific description of individual cultures. It is a museum for the historical study of Swedish migration-related events, with one of Sweden's largest libraries in the field. In May 2014, the first
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
Local Centre for Collaboration in northern Europe was established in the main building. The remaining stretch of Värdshusvägen east of the buildings is now a pedestrian and bicycle path.


Notes


References

*Lilja, Carl (2011). ''En kort historia om Fittja gård''. Stockholm: Mångkulturellt centrum.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fittja gård Buildings and structures in Stockholm County Manor houses in Sweden Houses completed in 1812 Botkyrka Municipality