Olof Palme was the Swedish Prime Minister. He was known for his refusal to align with the superpowers and his support of many third-world liberation movements. Between his stints at being PM he’d served as a special mediator for the UN in the war between Iran and Iraq. He was the first Western head of government to visit Cuba after its revolution.
It wasn’t all good though, as he was criticised for his support of third world leaders with horrendous records of human rights abuse.
At home, he was a supporter of women’s rights, free university education, a good standard of free healthcare for all, unemployment benefits, workers’ rights … basically lots of things that made him very popular.
Hence, security was never seen as a big necessity and when he was ‘off-duty’ if was often non-existent.
On 28th February 1986, he was walking home from the cinema with his wife. It was late, close to midnight, and he and his wife were alone.
He was shot in the back at close range by an attacker who then fired at his wife. His wife wasn’t seriously hurt and survived the attack. The PM was rushed to hospital (a taxi driver used his radio to raise the alarm), but was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
Sweden went into shock. This was the sort of thing that happened in America, not in safe Sweden. Of course there was a big police investigation, but it was two years before anyone was arrested and convicted. The assassin was a small-time thief and junkie with a previous record of manslaughter.
Within a year however, Christer Pettersson was freed at appeal as it was decided there hadn’t been enough evidence (and what there was was too dubious) to have convicted him in the first place.
Since then conspiracy theorists have had a field day. Owing to Palme’s criticism of the US (in Vietnam for example) and apartheid era South Africa, both the CIA and the South African security forces have been accused of being involved in his death.
The national obsession with his murder is still strong nearly thirty years later. Only recently a Swedish national newspaper was given access to 15 boxes of files belonging to the late Stieg Larsson (author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) who had conducted his own investigation into the assassination.
Over the years, in addition to the CIA and the South Africans, suspects have included the Yugoslavian security forces, Swedish security forces, right-wing Swedish groups and the Kurdish separatist PKK movement.
Many people have confessed to the murder (around 130), but these confessions have been discounted. Alibis for suspects have been withdrawn, others have been given. But with no new hard evidence it seems the identity and motivation of Palme’s killer is going to remain a mystery.
As I was in Stockholm and I’d read a bit about this case and found it quite intriguing, I decided to visit the church where he was buried.
Adolf Fredrik Church is beautiful. It was built in the 18th century to replace an earlier wooden church. Palme is not the only person of note to have been buried there. Theologian René Descartes’ remains were originally interred here, but were later removed to France.
There was a monument inside the church dedicated to René Descartes.
And also one dedicated to Sven Hedin; explorer, geographer and map-maker extraordinaire. He travelled extensively in Central Asia during the 1800s becoming an expert on Tibet, mapping the Great Wall of China, uncovering buried Buddhist cities in China and publishing the first atlas on Central Asia.
Leaving the interior of the church, I wandered around the surrounding gardens and graveyard and found what I’d come to see.
The simple stone memorial with his signature carved into it was so much nicer than a big elaborate monument would have been.
Most of the pictures I’ve seen since have shown flowers laid at its base, but the day I was there, there were none. Just the simple memorial with a young tree growing alongside.
The 
The upper echelons of society didn’t compeletely give up on their posh dinner parties though. Tables would glitter with gilt bronze, crystal, silver and mirrored glass. Each place setting was completed with a menu written in French (very posh) and a whole set of glasses. Each course was served with a different wine to accompany it and each wine was poured into a fresh glass. There were a lot of courses.
For festive occassions the rich really went over the top. The centrepiece of this table is the roast swan that has been stuffed back into its plumage. The same plumage could be used over and again with a new roast sitting in it each time. Not sure I’d fancy that. Wouldn’t it get smelly?
I liked this mural on the wall near the entrance. It’s a modern day work of art, but is based on the rock paintings from thousands of years ago that can still be seen today in some places.
I particularly liked this bamboo bike.
I also want a bike like this. One where I can make myself a smoothie as I cycle along.
This push-bike comes with a motorbike-style sidecar attached.
This is a Swedish military bike from 1950. It was used by a dog-handler who would sit his dog on the little platform.
And then there was this one. An all-enclosed trike. It’s orange, so I wouldn’t change a thing.
The information panel pointed out that although bikes used to be seen as a means of transport for the less well-off and as a way of giving access to public spaces for all classes, they are now much more likely to be seen as a social signifier identifying the middle-classes. Encouraging a cycle culture that includes all classes should be a priority for every city.
I did learn how the use of space in our homes has changed over the decades. No-one really has a parlour anymore for example. Also kitchens, which used to be the heart of the home, shrank in size with the advent of technology in the 1950s – the future was seen to involve the mere reheating or rehydrating of food rather than actual cooking, and the kitchens reflected this, giving more space to leisure rooms instead.
The modern new building is light and spacious. Although there were quite a lot of visitors, it never felt crowded. And there were plenty of benches I could sit on to 
Here’s another nice bench to sit on. This one also has a good view of more than just the art.
Nor this bit. Though I did sort of like the sheep.
Vasa was actually so much better than I expected. Yes, it was crowded, but not so much that I felt hemmed in or unable to see anything.
The ship sits in the middle of a huge hall with various levels of floor wrapped around it. Some parts have been restored, but others have been left open so the inside can be seen.
I started with a tour. The guide was really informative and walked the small group round the ship talking about the history, the design, the engineering, the recovery and of course, how it sank in the first place.
It was on its maiden voyage and only made it 1300 metres before going down due to being top heavy with all the cannons it was carrying into battle.
Even the Titanic did better than that!
How stunning is this? And how different to the dull brown that I assumed the ship would have been.
After spending several hours looking at everything, reading everything and photographing everything it was time for fika.
The various parts of the garden have been designed to reflect different themes such as the Lower Terrace which was inspired by an Italian piazza (the Milleses spent many winters in Rome).
A smaller, separate, house is known as ‘Anne’s House’. This was built in the 1950s when Carl and Olga returned from living in the USA. The house was lived in by Carl’s assistant, Anne. The house has been left as it was and the rooms can be viewed through glass panels.
I spent pretty much the whole day wandering around and went completely overboard with the number of photos I took.
