My farm is in the small village og Söderhögen. I sometimes call it a hamlet to try and emphasis the size, there are 16 houses.
There are actually twin villages as to the north we have the village of Nederhögen with its 13 houses. And counting the population of the two villages we can muster a grand population of 10 full time residents ! In a way we are very isolated from the "outside world" . Ten miles to a larger village with a shop - 30 miles to a small town and 75 to a small city. But on the other hand we are very close to the busy life. There is a regular tourist train with a direct connection to Stockholm and I live only 15 miles from some of the best ski slopes in Sweden.
But all this activity has forgotten the villages in the heights, as they are fondly called by the locals. In fact, we are 4 villages in the heights giving a total population og 31!.
But how, and when, did settlers first start cultivating the fertile slopes surrounding the long hill?
The county of Jämland has had a very turbulent history. Being on the border between Sweden and Norway, it has often found itself in a tug of war, at times a very savage war between the two nations.
First proof of settlement seems to have taken place in the 13th century and the villages were well established at the time of the plague in 1350. The heights were even at that time isolated and escaped the Black Death completely.
At the end of the 15th century the area was Norwegian and of such importance for production of barley that it is noted in the Norwegian history books. At this time population of the heights began to be consolidated.
There are actually twin villages as to the north we have the village of Nederhögen with its 13 houses. And counting the population of the two villages we can muster a grand population of 10 full time residents ! In a way we are very isolated from the "outside world" . Ten miles to a larger village with a shop - 30 miles to a small town and 75 to a small city. But on the other hand we are very close to the busy life. There is a regular tourist train with a direct connection to Stockholm and I live only 15 miles from some of the best ski slopes in Sweden.
But all this activity has forgotten the villages in the heights, as they are fondly called by the locals. In fact, we are 4 villages in the heights giving a total population og 31!.
But how, and when, did settlers first start cultivating the fertile slopes surrounding the long hill?
The county of Jämland has had a very turbulent history. Being on the border between Sweden and Norway, it has often found itself in a tug of war, at times a very savage war between the two nations.
First proof of settlement seems to have taken place in the 13th century and the villages were well established at the time of the plague in 1350. The heights were even at that time isolated and escaped the Black Death completely.
At the end of the 15th century the area was Norwegian and of such importance for production of barley that it is noted in the Norwegian history books. At this time population of the heights began to be consolidated.
The height (kullen in Swedish) was the important hillock aroung which Nederhögen and Söderhögen have evolved.
All the farms had there fields with grain, and later potato cultivation on the south east slopes. In a climate where the sun does not set in June and July these slopes are a fantastic micro climate. Early frost free, they provided a bountiful harvest for the industrious villagers..
The height was so important that the flat top became the villages meeting place. The first of May bonfire was always lit at the top of the hill a show that could be seen for miles around. The danses and feasts that became a tradition here above the two villages brought travellers from far and wide. By the 1930's the villages were at their greatest and a danse floor and refreshment area were built here on the height with the magnificent view.
But then the villages began to decline. The railway, which at first brought development and prosperity to the self- sufficient villagers soon took the younger generations to the industrial towns, then further, boats took them across the seas, to again become settlers carrying on the traditions of their ancestors.
I have tried to take a photo from the same angle as the old one but could get no view as the area is now overgrown with trees. This is the best I could do
All the farms had there fields with grain, and later potato cultivation on the south east slopes. In a climate where the sun does not set in June and July these slopes are a fantastic micro climate. Early frost free, they provided a bountiful harvest for the industrious villagers..
The height was so important that the flat top became the villages meeting place. The first of May bonfire was always lit at the top of the hill a show that could be seen for miles around. The danses and feasts that became a tradition here above the two villages brought travellers from far and wide. By the 1930's the villages were at their greatest and a danse floor and refreshment area were built here on the height with the magnificent view.
But then the villages began to decline. The railway, which at first brought development and prosperity to the self- sufficient villagers soon took the younger generations to the industrial towns, then further, boats took them across the seas, to again become settlers carrying on the traditions of their ancestors.
I have tried to take a photo from the same angle as the old one but could get no view as the area is now overgrown with trees. This is the best I could do
The building you can see is C on the old photo, The house B is hidden by the trees . F and E are long gone.
D is hidden by the trees. A is an interesting building. It was the grain store, built in the 1700's. One cannot imagine the size of it from the photo. Luckily it was taken down in the 1960's and rebuilt further up the village to be used as a cowshed. Just look how big it is. As the village corn store, it just shows the enormous potential that hill had for feeding the villagers and their animals.
D is hidden by the trees. A is an interesting building. It was the grain store, built in the 1700's. One cannot imagine the size of it from the photo. Luckily it was taken down in the 1960's and rebuilt further up the village to be used as a cowshed. Just look how big it is. As the village corn store, it just shows the enormous potential that hill had for feeding the villagers and their animals.
The village school was built in 1898 and was used as a school until 1962. In the 1930's there were about a hundred children being taught in the two small class rooms. Today it is used as a village hall
As well as serving as the village hall, it is also an archive for photos and
information donated by various villagers.
The posts in the fields on this photo are the racks used to dry grass for hay before being stored in the barns for winter use.
One villager has even drawn up this very detailed map of the villages development.
I feel sad when I read his footnote- that he had done this research for the benefit of future generations in his beloved village.
Because, you see - I wonder what the future of the village is? There is now one child amongst the 10 inhabitants of the twin villages.. He has a 70 mile round trip every day to attend school.
Here is a collage I have made of a few of the empty houses around Långbacken. And this is not the unique plight of one village. The same situation can be seen almost everywhere in rural areas from central Sweden and going further north.
Here is a collage I have made of a few of the empty houses around Långbacken. And this is not the unique plight of one village. The same situation can be seen almost everywhere in rural areas from central Sweden and going further north.
