|
Site Records
 Sören Häggroth, the director general of Swedish National Fortifications and local authority commissioner Benita Wikström jointly cut the ribbon at the end of the handing over ceremony |
Although there was some opposition to the proposal both from the community and the military, the open weekend proved a tremendous success with the expected 1000 visitors soon exceeded. By the end of the weekend over 2100 people had visited the fort with more than 1200 signing a petition asking for the fort to be saved. It was agreed that a further series of more widely publicised open days should be arranged for 2003 before the local authority would agree to take on the responsibility for the fort. |
Although all three guns remained in place all the machinery below Nos. 1 & 3 turrets had been removed and the rooms stripped back to bare walls. Even the spiral staircases giving access to the turrets had been removed
 Tony Page representing Sub Brit at the handing over ceremony on 1.6.2004 - Photo by Lars Hansson |
The tunnels leading to these two turrets and the standby command centre at the western end of the fort were therefore sealed off by the military authorities and arrangements were made to hold a series of open weekends through the summer of 2003. Again visitor numbers greatly exceeded expectations and the Föreningen Femörefortet Association that had been formed to run the fort gradually began persuading the remaining people opposing the scheme that the proposal to open the fort to the public was viable. |
The local community agreed to buy the fort for a nominal sum but insisted that it would have to be totally self financing with no public money being put into the venture.
On 1st June 2004 the fort was handed over to the community in a ceremony attended by many local dignitaries, military personnel, two TV crews and four members of Subterranea Britittanica . The highlight of the day was a low level fly-past by a JAS 39 Gripen of the Swedish Airforce which flew 450kM from the airbase at Ronneby, flying over the fort precisely on time at 13.20.
|
The Association now has access to all areas of the fort including tunnels that had previously been sealed, although these areas have been stripped of all fixtures and fittings and have no lighting and will not be part of the public tour. If the Association are unable to attract sufficient tourists to pay for the upkeep of the fort the museum will be forced to close and the local community will find other commercial uses for the site. |
Judging by early visitor numbers however Femöre Fort could well become one of Sweden's major tourist attractions.
See the official Femöre Fort web site in English or the more detailed Swedish version.
Source:
For further photographs of Femöre Fort click here
Return to Femöre Fort home
page
For Gallery 1 click here
For Gallery 2 click here
For Galery 3 click here
For Gallery 4 click here
Home Page
Last updated 20th June 2004
© 2004 Subterranea Britannica