Draft:Prison Museum of Sweden

County Prison of Gävleborg
County Prison of Gävleborg, built 1847. The newer of two buildings that make up the Prison Museum of Sweden.

The Prison Museum of Sweden (Swedish: Sveriges Fängelsemuseum), located in Gävle, is dedicated to exploring the history of the Swedish penal system. The museum spans the Castle Jail (Swedish: Slottshäktet) and the County Prison (Swedish: Länscellfängelset). These two buildings illustrate the evolution of criminal punishment in Sweden, transitioning from public humiliation and corporal punishment to solitary confinement.[1][2]

The Castle Jail

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The Castle Jail (Slottshäktet) is in the grounds of Gävle Castle. Originally built in the 16th century for food storage, it was repurposed in the 1600s as a county jail, primarily used to hold prisoners awaiting public punishment. After a fire in 1727, the building was reconstructed and completed in 1732..[2] Today, the Castle Jail is part of the museum and hosts exhibits on the severe punishments of the past, including the pillory,[3] flogging, wooden horse and executions.[4] The Castle Jail is where accused women were held during the Gävle witch trials of 1674-5. There is a dungeon from 1553, the oldest prison structure on the site[5]

The County Prison

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Inaugurated in 1847, the County Prison (Länsfängelset) reflected a significant shift in Sweden's approach to incarceration. Designed by architect Carl Fredrik Hjelm, the prison was built according to the Philadelphia system, which emphasised solitary confinement[1]. The T-shaped building allowed for individual cells arranged along the outer walls of a central courtyard, intended to prevent prisoners from influencing each other negatively and to encourage personal reflection on their crimes.[5] However, the isolation of this system is known to have led to severe psychological distress among inmates.[6]

Over time, the County Prison underwent various modifications, including the addition of a carpentry workshop in the 1920s[7] and a gym in 1979. The prison closed in 1986[1], replaced by a more modern prison outside the city of Gävle.

The County Prison was declared a historical monument in 1998 and has since been restored.[1]. The museum now occupies ten cells on the second floor, featuring themed exhibits that reconstruct prison life from different periods[5]

The County Prison is the best-preserved example of 19th century prison architecture in Sweden, embodying penal philosophies of that century.[1]

Joe Hill Visitor Center

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The Joe Hill Visitor Center is dedicated to the life and legacy of Joe Hill, born Joel Hägglund in Gävle in 1879. Hill, a prominent labor activist and protest singer in the United States, is remembered for his contributions to the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) and his influence on the labor movement.[8] Joe Hill was executed in Utah in 1915 following a controversial murder conviction.[9] This came five years after the last execution to take place in Sweden itself.[10]

The Visitor Center is housed in the County Prison of Gävleborg (where Hill himself was never imprisoned). Today, the Center is maintained by the Prison Museum of Sweden.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Länsfängelset i". SFV (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  2. ^ a b Kallings, Katarina (2022-10-10). "Skuggsidor: Självbilder, juridiska platser och berättelser från marginalen i Hälsingland" (PDF). Sveriges Fängelsemuseum. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  3. ^ "Utställning om skampålar ska fängsla". Gefle Dagblad (in Swedish). 2004-10-23. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  4. ^ Kjellberg, Desirée (2017). "De offentliga avrättningsplatserna i Gävleborgs län" (PDF). Sveriges Fängelsemuseum. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  5. ^ a b c "Sveriges Fängelsemuseum". Sveriges Fängelsemuseum (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  6. ^ "Fångsamhället som inte skulle finnas". Nättidningen Svensk Historia (in Swedish). 2019-11-15. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  7. ^ "Länsfängelset i Gävle". www.lansstyrelsen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  8. ^ a b "Joe Hill Visitor Center". Joe Hill Visitor Center (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  9. ^ "Joe Hill | Folk singer, Labor activist, Union leader | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  10. ^ Bruun, Jan Eric (2010-11-23). "Sista avrättningen i Sverige". Populär Historia (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-09-28.