The Strindberg Museum

August Strindberg is one of Sweden's most famous artists throughout history; a playwright, essayist, novelist and painter... he was also one of Sweden's most prolific artists. The apartment in central Stockholm, where he spent the last four years of his life (1908-1912), has been turned into the Strindberg Museum. The apartment's interior has been reconstructed as it looked when Strindberg died. Most of the furniture is the original pieces while other details (wallpaper, textiles, etc;) are copies. The building is also quite interesting... when it was completed in 1907 it was one of the first buildings in Stockholm with telephone lines, electricity, indoor plumbing, an elevator and central heating. Besides the apartment itself, the museum also has exhibitions showing different aspects of Strindbergs life and work as well as a library which holds an extensive collection of books by and about the author/playwright. Of special note- next year (2012) will be the 100th anniversary of Strindberg's death, expect special events both at the museum and in the city!

As I mentioned, the museum is located in central Stockholm and is easy to get to from the Rival Hotel... just take the subway (green line) at nearby Slussen, heading north, and exit at Rådmansgatan (4 stations). The museum has shorter than normal opening hours- 12am to 4pm, Tuesday through Sunday. Entrance is 50 SEK for adults and free for children under 19. Free with the Stockholm Card. A special thanks to my roving reporter Matte B for the tip and pictures!

Sweden Trivia

Do you recognize the young lady to the left? Chances are that you do. Pippi Longstocking is one of the most beloved fictional characters in the world. But did you know that she is from Sweden? She is the creation of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. The original book (Pippi Långstrump) was first published in 1945 and Time Magazine has named the book as one of the top 100 most influential novels of all time. Pretty good for a little red-haired girl with pigtails! Astrid Lindgren wrote other books besides the Pippi-series... other well-known characters include the Brothers Lionheart, Karlsson-on-the-Roof, Emil of Lönneberga and the Six Bullerby Children. She has sold approximately 145 million books worldwide and is the world's 25th most translated author! The Pippi series alone have been translated into 64 languages so far...
Astrid, one of the most loved Swedes in history, has near saint status in her home country. Her funeral in 2002 was described as coming as close to a state funeral as possible. Around 100,000 Swedes lined the streets of Stockholm to follow her funeral procession and the funeral itself was attended by the Prime Minister, leading Swedish politicians and the royal family.