Index Activities in Sweden Pilot Town Ystad in Sweden

Pilot town Ystad

Background

The historic town of Ystad is of national heritage interest. The motive is: “A shipping town with the preserved character of a great and important medieval town from the 1600’s, expanding from the end of the 19th century due to the development of railway and steamships.”

Ystad is situated in the very south of Sweden between the stagnating eastern part of the county Scania and the expansive western part, which is at present the region that is growing the fastest in Sweden. Road and rail communications from Ystad to western Scania are very good. It takes just 45 minutes by train to reach Malmö, which is the county capital. The local municipality of Ystad has a total population of 27 000 people and the city of Ystad has 17 500 inhabitants. The city centre measures 1.3 kilometres from west to east and 700 meters from north to south and the medieval city is very well preserved.

Medieval Ystad grew at the spot where the Vasa River met the Baltic Sea and became a marketplace famous for its trade in herring. The Maria church and the monastery are well-known buildings from that period as is the medieval street pattern in the inner city.

Ystad is best known for its half-timbered houses. In actual fact there are only about 90, although tourist brochures usually say there are 300. Ystad has buildings from several centuries, not least a number of splendid buildings dating back to the 19th century. There are also quite a few noteworthy buildings and urban landscapes in the city centre from the 20th century. It is important to emphasise that it is not only the individual buildings that are important but also the vibrant life in the city, how buildings have been used and how they will be used in the future.

Preservation is an important key word in the history of Ystad. A turning point came a few years into the 20th century when the monastery was saved from demolition after a massive effort. Since then the cultural heritage has been very important to the citizens. In the 1920´s the city started a survey that eventually resulted in what was probably Sweden’s first urban preservation plan. The plan was ratified in 1924 and graded valuable buildings. Even important urban environments were noted not because the individual buildings were so special but because they were important for the whole environment.

A new survey was conducted in 1975 but only 500 of the 850 buildings in the inner city were included in the survey. It was mainly buildings from the post 1950-era that were excluded. The new urban preservation plan was ratified in 1981. A comparison between the two plans shows that only one building that was considered invaluable in 1924 had disappeared by 1981 – which is still one too many.