Fogelstad is an estate with roots
back in early history.
It is situated in the parish of Julita
about 20 kms north of Katrineholm in Sörmland.
It
is best known, though, as the place where the
Women´ s College for Civic Training
at Fogelstad
(Kvinnliga Medborgarskolan
vid Fogelstad)
was
at work 1925 - 1954.
This remarkable school was almost
totally forgotten for many years,
but since 1995 a new, rather ardent interest
for its ideas has arisen.
Three
societies,
Kulturföreningen Fogelstad
with its two daughter societies
Fogelstad Musikteater
and
Fogelstad Kvinnokurser
have made it their task to raise the school
out of oblivion and make the heritage from Fogelstad
accessible and vitalizing for people today.
This
new Fogelstad movement
gathers its activities under the motto
FOGELSTAD
REDIVIVA
i e Fogelstad Reborn
Background
Not until 1921 did Swedish women
had their right to vote.
In 1922 the first five women
took their seats in the Swedish Parliament.
One of them was Elisabeth Tamm,
the owner of the estate of Fogelstad.
Many women who had been fighting hard
for the right to vote now thought
that their goal was reached.
Elizabeth Tamm, though, was positive
that women had to be given political knowledge
and training if they were to be able to
make use of their civic rights.
So
with the cooperation of four
qualified women and feminists
she started a school for such civic training at Fogelstad.
The Women´s College for Civic Training at Fogelstad
contributed very much to political life
and development in Sweden.
About 2000 women got their political
education there. Many of them became
politically active, a considerable number as MPs.
It
was a most unusual school with ideas
and methods much ahead of its time.
Exhibition
The story of the college can be studied
at an informative exhibition in the
Old Dairy at Fogelstad estate.
The exhibition is open on weekends
during the summer but can be visited
also at other times after contact
with the team in charge.
How to find Fogelstad:
