Page 95 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sweden

M ALM ARNA & FUR THER AFIELD  93

Astrid Lindgren and Pippi Longstocking attitudes towards drinking and
the art of the traditional
Astrid Lindgren wrote around 100 children’s books which have Swedish drinking song.
been translated into 74 languages, making her one of the world’s The museum hosts temporary
most-read children’s authors. Publishers exhibitions, too. Past successes
turned down her first book about Pippi include the Absolut Art
Longstocking, but she went on to win a Collection, a compilation of the
children’s book competition two years images used in Absolut Vodka’s
later, in 1945. Her headstrong and tough advertising campaigns. Such
character Pippi soon won the hearts of artworks were commissioned
children worldwide. from the likes of Andy Warhol,
Born on 14 November 1907 in
Vimmerby in southern Sweden, Astrid Keith Haring, Ralph Steadman
stopped writing books at 85, but her and Pierre et Gilles.
Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002) characters live on at Junibacken. Another highlight of the
Spritmuseum is the elegant
restaurant, with its enviable
Agi Lindegren when he 6 Vasamuseet location right on the water.
was commissioned to design See pp96–7.
Biologiska museet (Museum
of Biology) in the 1890s. He 8 ABBA Museum
based his plans on the simple 7 Spritmuseum Djurgårdsvägen 68. Tel 08-121 328 60.
lines of the medieval Norwegian @ 67. v 7. 4 Djurgårdsfärja.
stave churches. Djurgårdsvägen 38. Tel 08-121 313 00. Open 10am–6pm daily. & 9 0
 Karlaplan. @ 67. v 7.
The man behind the museum 4 Djur gårdsfärja. Open Sep–May: = 7 ∑ abbathemuseum.com
was the zoologist, hunter and 10am–5pm daily (to 8pm Tue); Jun–
conservationist Gustaf Kolthoff Aug: 10am–6pm daily (to 8pm Tue). This museum is dedicated to
(1845–1913). In 1892, he & 8 9 - = 7 ABBA, Sweden’s best-known and
persuaded the industrialist ∑ spritmuseum.se loved pop band, which enjoyed
C F Liljevalch – who later enormous success all over the
financed the nearby art The Spritmuseum (Spirits world during the 1970s.
gallery – to form a company Museum) is located in In addition to stage costumes,
with the aim “to develop Stockholm’s two remaining gold records, an audio guide
and maintain a 18th-century naval with fascinating insights into
biological museum buildings on the life as a band and original press
to include all the island of Djurgården, cuttings (many sourced from
Scandinavian close to the the private scrapbook of band
mammals and Vasamuseet. The member Björn Ulvaeus’s father),
birds as stuffed exhibits explore the the ABBA Museum delivers
specimens Snaps label, Spritmuseum Swedish people’s a delightfully interactive
in natural relationship with experience. Visitors can sit at a
surroundings”. Within a alcohol. Visitors follow a through- piano that is connected to Benny
few months of opening in the-year itinerary, discovering Andersson’s own piano in
autumn 1893, Gustaf Kolthoff the pleasure that can be derived his music studio; when the
had delivered a couple of from sipping a chilled beer on composer tinkles the ivories,
thousand stuffed animals, a park bench on a summer’s the museum piano also starts
as well as birds’ nests, young evening, as well as the warming playing. Other fun experiences
and eggs, to the museum. effects of a glass of red wine include auditioning to be ABBA’s
Many of the creatures are during the winter months. The fifth member at a perfect replica
shown against a diorama visit also illustrates the processes of the band’s Polar Studio and
background, with about linked to alcohol production, recording a music video.
250 species of Scandinavian
birds and land mammals in
their respective biotypes.
Kolthoff’s friend, the artist
Bruno Liljefors, was responsible
for the paintings.
Since 1970 the Museum of
Biology has belonged to the
Skansen Foundation. During
the 1990s it underwent
extensive renovation and was
reopened on 13 November
1993 – exactly 100 years after
its original inauguration. Biologiska museet’s wooden façade, inspired by Nordic medieval design

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