The Cultural Heritage of the Industrial Society in Västernorrland
County
Introduction
The framework programme has been set up as a consequence of the Regional
Growth Agreement for Västernorrland, "Västernorrland
- a country to live in", in which the action "Culture and
Cultural Environment" among other things identifies the cultural
heritage of the industrial society as a way to strengthen the living
environment and attractiveness of the county. The text of the Growth
Agreement in itself is a consequence of the county programme for the
cultural environment, "With the future in view", produced
jointly by the County Administrative Board and the County Museum in
1997-1998, where the cultural heritage of the industrial society is
included as one of four themes to be spotlighted in the county. The
programme for the cultural environment in turn was a consequence of
the programme of objectives of the County Administrative Board: "A
future in Västernorrland. Objectives and strategies 1995-99".
This initiative has led to broad regional interworking between the
County Council, the County Administrative Board and the municipalities
in the county, as well as businesses and associations, to co-ordinate
input for cultural environments. Furthermore the Chamber of Commerce
in the counties of Jämtland and Västernorrland, the Federation
of Trade Unions in central Norrland and representatives of associations
for adult education have been given the opportunity to monitor the content.
The framework programme forms the basis for future efforts within the
theme area. It is to be carried out in conjunction with a framework
programme with the same name, encompassing the whole county, "
The Cultural Heritage of the Industrial Society" applying for co-funding
through the new EU structural fund, Objective 1, due to be in force
from 2000 to 2006.
The framework programme for the cultural heritage of industrial history
in Västernorrland is part of a holistic scheme. In accordance with
the Growth Agreement, we wish to strengthen the county's living environment
and attractiveness by spotlighting and vitalising the cultural heritage
and cultural environment, and by making them more accessible and increasing
awareness of them. We wish also to contribute to a strengthened, more
diversified and rejuvenated business community in the county, and to
contribute to a strengthened structure for knowledge and competence
development, principally through business-oriented training and R&D,
increased access to training and R&D and contribute to a favourable
attitude towards training and enterprise. The work furthermore shall
be characterised by equal opportunities and a democratic perspective.
Background
Forestry is Sweden's most important basic industry. It has its roots
in Västernorrland County, and is still strongly represented in
our county. About 80 per cent of the county consists of forestland.
The business sector in the county rests on two main pillars - energy
and transportation. Water and the forest have been prerequisite for
the energy production that has played an important role in industrial
development in the county. Water has also been a pre-condition for the
significant activities of shipping and log-driving.
The abundance of forest and waterpower encouraged industrial projects
as early as the reign of King Johan III (1568-1592), when the Crown
built water-driven sawmills along the lesser watercourses. During the
subsequent era of ironworks, several small industrial communities were
built all over the county, based on waterpower and charcoal. They lost
in importance when, in the late 19th century, the sawmills took over
the role of the ironworks. At the same time, steam power arrived, a
new technology that was to revolutionise forestry. The sawmills were
moved down to the coast, and the timber was shipped out to the rest
of Europe. The river mouths and adjoining coastal areas went through
dramatic social development, which created a new social, political and
intellectual order.
The new conditions for industrial projects attracted financiers and
industrialists from both in and outside Sweden, and there was an immense
demand for workers in the new industries. In the 1870s, workers streamed
in from other parts of Sweden to Västernorrland to an extent that
was comparable with the emigration to America.
This dynamic development gave birth also to political interest and political
activity in a county that according to the County Governor Curry Treffenberg
was "characterised by church anarchy and political radicalism ".
Here the foundations were laid for one of the main chapters in the history
of Swedish politics and trade unionism. It was not by chance that the
Sundsvall strike of 1879 made such an impact, nor that the Lunde shootings
took place in the left-wing area of Ådalen. These settings have
been depicted in literature by Olof Högberg and Birger Norman among
others.
A large part of the wealth generated by industrial development was
invested in buildings of great architectural value - the "stone
town" of Sundsvall, the works mansions and large wooden homes with
decorative carvings typical of the age. The new popular movements made
their mark with their own meeting places, prayer houses and community
centres, some simple, others more ornate. The companies built housing
and sometimes churches near the industries, and around them communities
sprang up, with shops, craftsman's workshops and associations. The school
system was improved, as were healthcare and medical care. This structure
from the early days of the industrial epoch still exists in many parts
and forms a starting point for continued development.
Västernorrland of today reflects the growth of the industrial
society, not least as regards the location of population centres and
communications. But the industrial heritage is evident not merely in
the physical remains. It is also to be found in the traditions, gender
roles and ideas. Together with the traditional role as a meeting place
for different cultures, this gives strength and confidence to face the
future.
Programme content
In connection with the county programme for the cultural environment,
"With the future in view", it is stressed that our visions
and objectives for the preservation of cultural environments in Västernorrland
are based on the national goals presented in the government's cultural
policy proposal (1996/97:3 Kulturpolitik).
The framework programme complies also with the government directives
for "The Delegation for the Cultural Heritage of the Industrial
Society" (Dir. 1999:60), and with previous government statements
regarding investment in the cultural heritage of the industrial society
(prop. 1997/98:1, utg. omr. 17, dir. 1998:43).
In order to fulfil our visions and the national and regional goals,
we have focused on four concrete objectives, accommodated in three actions.
Objective 1: Influencing attitudes
" We must strengthen people's awareness of history. Through increased
knowledge, people shall be given the tools to detect the historicity
of the landscape, language and traditions - the traces of human life
and the past. This awareness will create increased tolerance of contemporary
diversity and complexity.
Example:
The research project supported by the County Council - "Identification
and complexity of north Swedish sawmill communities", carried out
by the former director of Sundsvall Museum, Håkan Berglund.
Objective 2: Increasing accessibility
" Archives, collections and other testimony shall be accessible
to everybody. We make visible accounts and interpretations that increase
the diversity of historical and cultural dimension, as well as improving
information about our cultural monuments.
Example:
By digitalising for the Internet specific archives of industrial history,
accessibility is improved. The log-driving archive at the National Archives
in Härnösand, geographically speaking, deal with both Västernorrland
and Jämtland counties. This archive could be processed for digital
use.
Objective 3: Use of resources
" We will work to ensure that cultural heritage and cultural environments
are always respected as a resource in all national planning. Awareness
of the importance of the "place" in people's identity processes
raises the quality and commitment to the design of new places. We use
our sense of history when we are making decisions that concern our future.
Example:
The communications project "Sundsvall 'stone town'- cultural heritage
with a commercial slant" was started in 1999 and is continuing
in 2000. Here the County Administrative Board and Sundsvall Municipality
wish to communicate with different groups over the unique cultural environment
that the "stone town" represents and over the prospects of
both preserving and developing the setting.
Objective 4: Sense of responsibility
" We will work to ensure that all sectors of society and all citizens
take responsibility for our cultural heritage.
Example:
The Galtströmståget Association is re-creating the works
railway that once transported iron ore and manufactured products within
the area. In their work they highlight the importance of the works environment
to those living in the region, to the owners SCA AB, to Sundsvall Municipality
and to the County Administrative Board. The association therefore takes
a big historical responsibility.
Actions
Introduction
The framework programme aims at three actions - preserving, knowledge-building
and cultural industries. For a number of years Västernorrland has
made investments to preserve historic industrial environments such as
Svartvik, Galtström and Gålsjö. Also other objects connected
with the industrial society, such as the community centre Tors lokal
and Babelsberg are included. Not least of all, Sundsvall's stone-house
quarters have been continuously renovated. Business interests have long
been working to increase awareness of preservation issues of this kind
- craftsmen, entrepreneurs, consultants etc. But detailed knowledge
of our industrial heritage is provided and passed on by museums, colleges
and universities. Local knowledge and strong commitment come from associations,
property owners, rural development, schools, individuals etc. The combined
knowledge and commitment of the interested parties form a platform on
which to build, which enables a development perspective.
Action 1: Preservation
The aim is for us in Västernorrland to be able to give as comprehensive
a picture as possible of our industrial history, preferably based on
physical settings. Västernorrland is one of the few counties to
have carried out a total sectoral inventory of an industrial sector,
in this county for obvious reasons, forest-based industry. On the basis
of this inventory, the goal should be through a selection of the best-preserved
environments to seek to present and bring to life the stages of the
forest-based industry, using the plan growing tree -felling-driving-grading-sawmill-
pulp factory-papermill-transport and processed products where appropriate.
An important complement to this industrial sector is power production,
which should also be given a place in the context of preservation. Many
of the environments that we would like to present in such a context
however are physically gone forever. Therefore, the presentation must
contain other media for presenting phenomena. The work methods can vary.
Objects of interest can be both written and verbal by nature; exhibitions,
dramatisations, film productions, communicated via IT media etc.
It should be possible also to illustrate the growth of communities in
connection with the expansion of the wood industry. This includes the
evolution of the labour movement, popular movements and the Free Church
movement. The special polarisation that at an early date characterised
Västernorrland, and which still today can be powerfully experienced,
should be illustrated in a clearer and deeper perspective.
Example:
Svartvik open-air industrial museum is an example of a well-preserved
physical environment, which forms the starting point for many interested
parties' accounts of the industrial history of both the place and the
region, at the same time as they provide an attractive environment for
the visitor.
Action 2: Knowledge
Special efforts and a marked responsibility for industrial history
in Västernorrland require professional and well-planned knowledge
building, based on research. A professorship in industrial history therefore
should be established at Mid-Sweden University (Mitthögskolan).
In view of the business structure of the county, with large forestry
companies and related large archives, a professorship at Mid-Sweden
University should be attractive also for local research.
Knowledge building around industrial history that takes our county
as its starting-point should also provide good opportunities for interdisciplinary
projects on other social issues. These can deal with for example education,
migration, gender roles and other social issues that make up the cultural
heritage that has evolved in connection with industrial history.
Knowledge building can be found, not only in the world of scientific
research, but also in other sectors of society. Part of the drive to
achieve continuity both in activities and environments can be to support
such initiatives that aim to pass on knowledge to different groups and
interests. In this, levels of schooling other than university and college
are important. Both comprehensive schools and upper secondary schools
can contribute to increased knowledge building. Initiatives within adult
education should also be promoted.
Example:
Sundsvall's Västermalm School, an upper secondary school, is producing
a model for active educational use of the industrial history of the
Sundsvall district within as many educational programmes as possible.
It can be used in many ways in many subjects, and both problem-setting
and study visits can be based on local history.
Action 3: Culture industries
There are many cultural settings that have arisen in connection with
the cultural heritage of the industrial society. Several of these should
have considerable potential as regards the development of business concepts
and operations. By supporting enterprise we can also see possibility
of financial viability after any project input. Enterprise should address
the creation of a mix of activities in our cultural environments, where
cultural activities such as events, concerts, and theatre jointly create
an enhanced experience of the environment. Also innovative thinking
with elements of new activities should be able to find a place in a
well-preserved cultural environment. This in order to make the environments
attractive.
Naturally, we principally imagine developments revolving around tourism
issues. Tourism is today the world's fastest-growing industry and employs
many people. It is also a fact that the fastest-growing branch of tourism
is cultural tourism, that is, tourism that is based on activities concerning
culture or cultural environment. The Mitt Sverige Turism Foundation,
which is the body for regional tourism, in its operational plan affirms
that the base for tourism in Västernorrland is the high value of
the county's nature and cultural environments.
A special action programme has been produced in order to develop cultural
tourism in Västernorrland. Co-operation should be developed and
intensified between the museums and tourism education at Mid-Sweden
University and the regional tourism body Mitt Sverige Turism. In order
to develop cultural tourism, we should also consider joint work with
programmes of information and signposting, marketing and Internet contacts,
and intensified media contacts.
We would here like also to emphasise the importance of following up
previous tourism drives. One example of work already carried out sorts
under the EU Pleiades Project, a co-operation project with other EU
Member States, in which Västernorrland has participated together
with Aude in France, Denbighshire in Wales, Friesland in the Netherlands,
Galicia in Spain and the Shannon region of the Republic of Ireland.
It has dealt with the creation of tourist itineraries in each region.
The base in Västernorrland for the project named "Forests
and water", has been industrial history, featuring the sites Haverö
strömmar in Ånge Municipality, Österström works
environment and Åsen sawmill site in Sundsvall Municipality, Brynge
sawmill site in Örnsköldsvik Municipality, and Gålsjö
works and Nämforsen Rapids in Sollefteå Municipality.
All the sites should be included in a future framework project. The
established relations and experience gained through the Pleiades Project
are necessary to us also in the future. They should be utilised in future
efforts in cultural history.
However, development issues within the culture industry concern more
than just cultural tourism. Interesting development projects that concern
processing raw materials, product development and research into wood
as a raw material have a natural link to the industrial history of the
county. One example is the project " Wood Network 2000 (Nätverk
Trä 2000)" - a market-oriented co-operation project between
wood-processing and sawmill companies in Västernorrland. Perhaps
new products can be marketed in old settings? Product development can
of course also be linked to a cultural environment or some form of historic
phenomenon, event or similar. Developments on issues concerning the
culture industry benefit also from links with the IT industry.
Example:
The Computer Association in Sundsvall wants to develop both new Internet
portals and new products for the music industry. Possibilities also
to develop other sectors in the culture industry such as theatre, the
films, and not least activities in cultural tourism, are deemed considerable.
Therefore the Computer Association in Sundsvall wishes to investigate
possibilities in a similar way to expand portal work and the flora of
products revolving around it.
Priorities
Subprojects aimed to develop ideas for cultural tourism based on specific
historic environments connected with the cultural heritage of the industrial
society and the establishment of visitor centres in connection with
them should be carried out within this framework programme and should
apply for co-funding via Business Action 1.2 - Areas with Special Conditions.
Subprojects with planned knowledge-building within industrial history
and interdisciplinary projects on other social issues, i.e. education,
migration, gender roles and other social issues related to industrial
society and based on research, should be carried out within this framework
programme and should apply for co-funding via Business Action 1.3 -
Strengthened Infrastructure for Competence Development and R&D.
Subprojects aimed to document, preserve, restore, or inform on the
theme of the cultural heritage of the industrial society, and which
have a bearing on the above actions and strategies, should be carried
out within this framework programme and apply for co-funding via the
Development of Life Environment and Infrastructure Action 4.1 - Attractive
Regions and Protection for the Environment.
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