The entrepreneurs’ property in Gothenburg shares its history with our association and the transformative social reform that took Sweden from a guild system to free enterprise. Now awaits a time travel back to former glory days, with the help of the original drawings from the 19th century.
In 1846, a turning point occurred when the last remnant of the guild system was abolished and legislation took the first major step towards free enterprise. “Every Swedish citizen is free to create handicrafts or other productions for sale with their own hands as a means of livelihood,” hammered the country’s government through.
Gradually, Sweden’s business life was opened up and in 1864 the Gothenburg Association of Crafts and Industries was formed with a board of saddlers, painters, coppersmiths, coopers, blacksmiths, confectioners and carpenters. They held their meetings in borrowed premises, but the desire slowly grew to build their own house.
Funding successful thanks to confectioner
During a campaign no less than 20 years long, grants were collected to buy a piece of land and carry out the construction. According to the association’s early writings, the plans were brought to fruition largely thanks to the extensive fundraising efforts of persistent pastry chef CJ Fromell.
The beautiful drawings were produced by the architect, artist and municipal politician Eugen Thorburn, although not all of his richly ornamented sketches became reality.
It would take the members two years to build the Crafts Association’s house. In 1894, the property at Erik Dahlbergsgatan 3 was completed, majestically crowned with statues and a pointed tower on the corner facing Storgatan.
The association continued to be active and influence Gothenburg’s development throughout the 20th century. Among other things, together with the municipality, Higab was formed in 1966, to meet the great need for modern premises for craftsmen and industries in the fast-growing city. Even today, the association has two seats on the board of the municipal company.
Reinvent past beauty values
During the same period, the architectural ideals of old times were abandoned for an unsentimental and stripped-down modernism. Less gentle changes were made to the property as towers and statues were taken down. After another sixty years have passed, it is once again time to renovate the house, which retains a valuable asset: many of the original blueprints remain.
The building, which today is partially protected for its cultural-historical values, faces a 130-year journey back to the architect’s original thought in collaboration with a building antique. Typical colors of the time are brought back, the entrance is raised to the original ceiling height of 4.5 meters and a wooden gate replaces the modern construction of aluminum and glass. However, the tower and the statues will have to wait.
Thus, a circle is closed back to the formation of the association, which has continued its work since the medieval invention of the guild system was abandoned. During the 2000s, we became part of Sweden’s largest business organization and changed our name to Företagarna Göteborg with the same task as at the beginning: to work for free enterprise and a better business climate together with the municipality and the business community.
Follow the house’s time journey with us over the coming year on our social channels.
Tags: entrepreneurs house faces #130year journey time
