The Archive Day in Gothenburg
Nov 11, 2006
During the Archive day, nearly all archives in Sweden were opened for the public and presented specific topics. You who were there probably saw new things and maybe also found the stuff you were locking for.
Me and my sister had forgotten to write out the Gothenburg program for the day. When did it start and were should we go? Which place can be the best place to find the program, if not at the City Museum (Stadsmuseet). Yes ! of course they had the program.
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In Gothenburg the following Archives were opened for the day.
- The Institute for Dialectology, Onomastics and Folklore Research in Gothenburg, Vallgatan 22 (
Dialekt-, ortnamns- och folkminnesarkivet i Göteborg)
- Region and City Archive, Otterhällegatan 5 (Region och Stadsarkivet)
- Gothenburg City Museum Archive "food and drinks in pictures",
Norra Hamngatan 12 (Göteborgs Stadsmuseum)
- the Regional Archives in Gothenburg, Geijersgatan 1 (Landsarkivet)
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 Visit at the City Museum and their room "Faktarum"
In the City Museum we saw a sign about an exhibition about old pictures taken in Gothenburg "Contrast - Gothenburg in pictures" Oct 6 - Sept 2, 2007. This exhibition had been really interesting to see, but not today. Today we are here for the "Archive Day". We have to come back another day.
Before we went to the City Museum we saw some books in the window, some books about the history about Gothenburg. We will probably have the time to buy some. A book about the history about Gothenburg is always nice!
We remembered that they should show a movie at the Region and City Archive at 3PM, about the the Goteborg Anniversary Exhibition 1923. Of course this exhibition should have been in 1921 (300 years after the foundation of Gothenburg) but the times were unsure and grim after the World War I, so the exhibiton was delayed.
We bought some books and a small box of matches with history sights from Gothenburg. When we were in the store we talk with the girl behind the counter. She told us that the "City Museum" has a special archive, called "Faktarummet", at the top floor. The archive have old pictures, document and maps etc about Gothenburg.
"Faktarummet"
When we got to the room, we saw 4 computers and a lot of books and folders and on a table they showed books and old documents about the theme for this day "Food and Drinks in pictures and books". There we could read interesting articles about different restaurants that had been in Gothenburg and also what they served!
We also heard some visitors in the room ask the staff about a street in town were their relative had a shop a long time ago. They wanted to find information about were the store were located and also if they could get some information about the store itself.
We thought this archive was very interesting and we will surely return here another day. They told us that they have opened until 8PM every Wednesday. That will suit us fine!
 In the "Faktarummet" we also got a ticket to get a cup of coffee in their cafe. Oh! coffee we love and we started to feel for a cup soon.....
Sorry to say, but we didn´t leave in time....the time quickly became 2.30PM! We had to go to Otterhällan to see the movie! But what about the coffee...?
Out again and walked to Otterhällan. Oh! We are born in Gothenburg and we have never ever been to this archive! We took the elevator up to the floor were the movie should be played. There we saw that the movie will be shown from 3PM-4.30PM. Oh no! and we haven´t even got our coffee yet!
Region and City Archive (Region och Stadsarkivet)
 We looked around and what did we see! At the end of the corridor they had some coffee and on the table there were cockies and ginger bread. Yummy..., we have time for a cup before the movie starts, the time was now 2.50PM.
Her were quite a lot of people, that was nice to see. When we had drunk our coffee it was time to enter the movie theatre... Movie theatre?!! It was a small room with a computer where they played the movie from a DVD.
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 The film begins
The lady who presented the movie said that this movie is a silent film and that the film is 1½ hour long. The movie was a matter of fact a drama that took place during the Goteborg Anniversary Exhibition 1923.
The film was about the little girl Brita who grew up as a foster-child outside Gothenburg. Her real parents were on their way home from America to get her.
Before they at last met up, they movie showed episodes from, the America boat who passed the Vinga Lighthouse in the Gothenburg harbour, Gunnebo castle (were the fathers parent lived) and at last the scenes we had waited for, the Gothenburg Anniversary exhibition.
The film showed fantastic scenes from 1923, some things are not here today, an aerial cableway going to Liseberg Amusement Park, a small fountain at Götaplatsen, (today the statue Poseidon) and of course some scenes from Liseberg. It was really fantastic to see all the people walking around in their nice clothes and hats.
We had never heard about this Anniversary Exhibition in Gothenburg, until we read about "the Archive Day" and we really have to return to this subject.
We have now understood that a lot of things happend during this exhibition. Several parks and different buildings were inauguarted this year, 1923.
Among other things we can thank this exhibition for having Liseberg today! We will have to check this more and return to you with an article about the exhibition.
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The End
When the movie ended it was dark outside. We had a different feeling when we went out from the "movie theatre". Everything was nearly
quit for 1½ hour, except from small laughter and some who tryed to cough considerately. A lady in the room started to talk about the things we saw at the screen when we had ½ hour left. This lady told us that she had written a book about the Anniversary Exhibition in Gothenburg and she said that this movie is
good as gold for people like us, who love history and particulary information about the exhibition.
It is some different to see a movie without any sound, long scenes and after that a picture with the text about what they just talked about (even thought we could catch up what the movie was all about without any text). We can really say that the tempo can´t be comparable with todays movie!
Sometimes it could be necessary to see a silent film to decrease the speed and think about how it was to live in the past.
The archive itself , we didn´t have time for this day. We even don´t know what kind of information they have here. So, we have to come back.
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On our way home
We took the stairs down to the entrance and out to the street, Otterhällegatan. We walked to Lilla Torget and back to the City Museum and then went behind the museum and in to the streets and over to Kronhuset (Gothenburgs oldest building). In Kronhuset we heard music playing and the light outside was mystical.
 We had parked our car at the Emigrant house by the harbour so we took the street Postgatan (earlier Sillgatan) back to the water. It is hard to imagen how it was here some 100 years ago. This street were crowded with people, lively and full with activities. Our thoughts went back to the time of the emigration. Postgatan was then the most lively street in Gothenburg, the street was full with stores, theatres, cafe´s and hotels. People taking care of business before leaving for America, with the big boats anchored in the harbour.
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Today the street in empty, silent and calm.
Visit the Archives different websites
- The Institute for Dialectology, Onomastics and Folklore Research in Gothenburg
- Region- and City Archive in Gothenburg
- Gothenburg City Museum
- the Regional Archives in Gothenburg
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