Military activities and the Swedish Armed Forces have been active in Linköping for a long time. The historical military influence is evident throughout the city in names of streets and areas, while military aircrafts frequently fly over the city, reminding us of the military activities that still take place on the outskirts of the city today. The military past has also left its mark on the local museums.
The state-owned Swedish Air Force Museum, which opened in 1984, has coexisted with a Garrison Museum (1988–2016), and since 2024, work has been underway on a museum about Linköping’s military history on the initiative of local political actors. These museums have their roots in Linköping’s history as a military city and in collection processes that began at the local level. In this project I explore how these museum’s activities have been driven by local contexts as well as national processes of disarmament and strategies for the preservation of military cultural heritage.
About this project
The Local Heritagization of Military History: Military History Museums in Linköping ca. 1940–2026 is a postdoctoral project that will run from 2025 to 2027. The project explores how museums in Linköping have worked to preserve and communicate history about preparedness, defence, and military activities. Based on these museums, this study aims to explore the processes that have created and changed the expressions, meanings, and uses of military cultural heritage at the local level.