Backåkra
Encyclopedia
Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was a Swedish diplomat, economist, and author. An early Secretary-General of the United Nations, he served from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. He is the only person to have been awarded a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize. Hammarskjöld...
's farm at Backåkra, close to Ystad
Ystad
Ystad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
in southern Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, was bought in 1957 as a summer residence by Hammarskjöld, then Secretary-General
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(1953-1961). The farm was in decline and its restoration came to last until after Hammarskjölds death in 1961. It is maintained by the Swedish hiking association Svenska Turistföreningen
Svenska Turistföreningen
Svenska Turistföreningen, STF , founded in 1885, aims at promoting outdoor life and knowledge among the Swedes about their country.The Association maintains a variety of trails, huts and hostels in different parts Sweden...
as a museum displaying artifacts of his tenure at the UN. The south wing of the farm is reserved as a summer retreat for the 18 members of the Swedish Academy
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...
, of which Hammarskjöld was a member. There's an outdoor meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
site on the property.
Backåkra is the name of the village the farmstead belongs to. Due to a land reform in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
, decreed in 1803, farms were moved out of the village that now remains chiefly a land register entity. Its local school, the folkskola
Folkeskole
The Danish-Norwegian term Folkeskole may refer to any of the following:* Danish Folkeskole Education, the Danish primary and lower secondary educational system* Volksschule, a historical primary school system that was in use in Germany...
, 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
Österlen is the southeastern part of the Swedish province of Scania. The name derives from its location 'east of the route' ; 'Öster om len' . The principal town of Österlen is Simrishamn...
area of Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
that most of all serves as a district for recreation, tourism and summer cottages.
External links
- Backåkra farmstead tourism information by the City of YstadYstadYstad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
- Backåkra Youth Hostel by the Swedish Hiking Association