Armored vehicles, cannons, and combat vehicles used to defend Sweden during the 20th century. At the vehicle museum Arsenalen outside Strängnäs you get to experience war history in a different way, and you don’t even have to take a detour to get here.
– We focus on the vehicles, but the stories are about the historical context in which they were used, both how it was in Sweden and what happened in the world at that time, says Stefan Karlsson who runs the museum.
At the museum, they have created environments around the vehicles with mannequins in historically accurate clothing. Experiencing history through the vehicles in this way increases the feeling and understanding of how it really was at that time. How the people who drove these vehicles lived. For example, there are combat vehicles in winter settings.
– It is much appreciated by families with children, says Stefan Karlsson.
14 people in a room and kitchen
Outside, there is also a soldier’s cottage in original condition and an accompanying exhibition.
– You get to see how the soldier and his family lived at that time, which is hard for many to understand today, how a family with perhaps 14 children could live in a small cottage with a room and kitchen, says Stefan.
In total, there were between 20,000 and 30 000 soldier’s cottages in Sweden during the several hundred years this system existed. The cottages are a large and important part of Sweden’s military history and nearly everyone has some connection to a soldier or a soldier’s cottage. Among others, many genealogists enjoy visiting Arsenalen’s own soldier’s cottage 143, which originally stood in Björkviks parish
Next to the Soldier’s Cottage, there is also the exhibition “The Soldier and the Cottage” where you learn more about the soldier who lived here.
If you are interested in local military history Arsenalen also has a special exhibition for you inside the museum. The Södermanland regiment dates back to the 14th century when Sweden was not yet a unified country.
– What made people think this part of Sweden needed defense? Sweden was not yet a unified country, says Stefan Karlsson.
You will get the answer in the exhibition.
Not even a detour
Arsenalen is located right next to E20 between Strängnäs and Eskilstuna, so you don’t even have to take a detour to stop here. It’s also possible to get here by train and bus.
– Many take the opportunity to stop here when passing by anyway, says Stefan Karlsson, who still wishes more people saw Arsenalen and the idyll of Strängnäs as their own visitor goals.
Because once you’ve found Arsenalen, it’s not far to the beautiful little town of Strängnäs. A small town by Lake Mälaren with a rich history and a cathedral which can tell stories of old kings and queens, and now also modern criminal history.
If you want to experience Strängnäs and its surroundings from above, Arsenalen arranges a number of helicopter tours during the summer.
– In about ten minutes, you get a chance to discover what you miss from the highway, says Stefan.
Text: Anna Arnerdal