they sentenced us to decades of boredom

All photos © Jan Bernhardtz

In the 1960s many centers of Swedish towns and cities were destroyed by ambitious politicians, mediocre architects and greedy businessmen. So why was this accepted by the majority of the people? My theory is that too many remembered "Fattigsverige" - a time when Sweden was a poor country with a large part of the population living in confined quarters in small and overcrowded apartments.

In a way it made sense to get rid of some old buildings and modernize the towns. But it was done without any consideration of the history of the places. In the capital Stockholm an entire part of the city center called "Klara" was bulldozed. There are many books and photographs describing that era. This website is just an example of what it was all about. The Swedish towns and cities were not bombed during the second world war. They were bombed by the postwar generation of politicians, architects and businessmen.

I am glad to hear from Jan Bernhardtz again. He is one of my favourite photographers and you have enjoyed an online exhibition by him on 591. Jan will hold an exhibition in Göteborg by the end of June. It makes me glad to hear. Be sure to check back on 591 to read more about that event! - Mr Urbano